What is postpartum depletion?

Today I am sharing an edited version of the guest post I wrote for The Vital Elements—they offer personalized nutrient therapy and micronutrient testing to help you determine your deficiencies and treat them.

Postpartum depletion refers to the physical and emotional depletion that can occur in mothers after giving birth, due to the demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery. Dr. Oscar Serralach (functional medicine doctor and author of the Postnatal Depletion Cure) suspects that up to 50% of women suffer from some degree of postnatal depletion lasting even 10 years out from the birth of a baby.

As we have talked about before, pregnancy is a time of massive expansion. You are utilizing a lot of energy and resources in your body to grow and then birth another human. Once your baby is born, your body is healing from birth: it is trying to replenish the nutrient stores that it has utilized and the tissues that stretched are coming back into themselves. This is all happening while you are likely massively exhausted from childbirth and an erratic sleep schedule—and if you are breastfeeding you are continuing to use your nutrient stores to nourish your child from your body.

Many traditional cultures have specific postpartum traditions that include support from the community so that the mother can have an extended resting period, nutrient-dense and easy-to-digest foods, and healing bodywork. The only job for these mothers is to rest, replenish, care for, and bond with their babies. The community comes around her to protect this special time.

In our modern society, many of us arrive at motherhood with a partner who may only have one or two weeks off (if we are lucky). Then we are expected to go at it alone; caring for a newborn, the tasks of the house, and cooking meals, all on very little sleep. Many of us are not fueling our bodies properly for pregnancy and postpartum. Eating traditional, nutrient-dense foods like liver or bone broth might not be on our radar. Even if you know how to provide your body with the proper nutrients for postpartum healing and nutrient repletion it can be extremely difficult. Due to soil depletion, conventionally grown fruits and vegetables may not have the same nutrient content as they used to. Not to mention that even remembering to drink water or find a quick snack with a newborn is a major feat. Add into this the massive lack of postpartum support and you have the perfect recipe for postpartum depletion.

The effects of postpartum depletion can last for years after the birth of a child. This can be compounded by more pregnancies closely spaced without proper repletion between. You may experience postpartum hair loss, extreme fatigue, brain fog, or even postpartum depression. These symptoms are often normalized but are not our physiologic norm if mothers receive proper care during pregnancy and postpartum.

So what can we do about it?

-Acknowledge how massive an undertaking motherhood is and understand that your brain is rewiring itself in the extraordinary transition from maiden to mother. The culture around bouncing back and being expected to return to life as it was “before” motherhood is a huge disservice to mothers and families. It takes a lot to become a mother and raise a child. l

-Eat a nutrient-dense diet and consider high-quality supplements. It is challenging to get all of the nutrients needed with the modern American diet. Even if you eat a well-balanced diet supplements can help boost you during this time of immense nutrient utilization.

-Rally a support system. Having others around you to help is essential. Ask family, friends, or hire someone to support you. This can help you get the food and rest you need to recover. It is no joke that it takes a village to raise a child. We can not (and should not) try to do it all.

Thank you for the work you are doing raising the next generation. You deserve all the support for this monumental task.

If you want to learn more about this topic, check out Dr. Oscar Serrallach’s book The Postnatal Depletion Cure. It is a great resource to explore this in more depth.

Or if you are still pregnant, check out Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE for some more tips on ways to support your body through pregnancy and postpartum.

xo,
Alyssa