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Baby blues, night sweats and hair loss: the hormone crash

The short answer

  • Your hormones fall off a cliff after birth. Estrogen and progesterone drop sharply in the hours after you give birth [1].
  • For many people, the baby blues come first. Tears, mood swings and worry often start 2 to 3 days after birth and ease within 1 to 2 weeks, without treatment [1].
  • Night sweats are common in the first weeks. Falling hormones and the extra fluid of pregnancy leaving your body are the cause [2].
  • Hair shedding usually shows a few months after birth and peaks around 4 months. It’s temporary. Most people have their usual fullness back by their baby’s first birthday [3].
  • If low moods last past 2 weeks, or feel heavy rather than wobbly, that’s not the blues. Call your provider. It’s treatable [1].

None of this is weakness. It’s chemistry, plus no sleep, plus a new person who needs you every two hours.

Days 2 to 14: the baby blues

What it feels like: crying for no clear reason, mood swings, feeling anxious, irritable or overwhelmed, and trouble sleeping even when the baby sleeps [1][4]. Many people describe being happy and tearful in the same minute.

Why it happens: the hormone drop, the physical work of birth and recovery, and broken sleep, all at once [1][4].

What helps:

  • Sleep in one longer stretch if you can, while someone else covers a feed.
  • Eat something real, and drink water, especially if you’re breastfeeding or chestfeeding.
  • Go outside, even for 10 minutes.
  • Say how you feel out loud to someone who’ll just listen.
  • Lower the bar. The house can wait.

When it’s more than the blues: if the feelings last more than 2 weeks, get worse, or stop you looking after yourself or your baby, call your provider [1]. Don’t wait for your checkup. The signs are in postpartum depression and anxiety.

Get help now if you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Call or text 988, or the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), free and open 24/7 [5]. In an emergency, call 911.

Weeks 1 to 6: night sweats and other changes

Night sweats. Waking soaked is common in the first weeks after birth, and it’s usually worst in the first two. Falling hormones and the extra fluid your body carried in pregnancy are the cause [2]. Sleep on a towel, keep a spare top by the bed and drink to thirst.

Call your provider if sweating comes with a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. That can be a sign of infection, and it’s on the list of urgent warning signs after birth [6].

Peeing can sting or burn for the first few days after a vaginal birth [7]. Call your provider if it’s severe, or still burning after a few days [7].

Months 2 to 12: hair, skin and dryness

Hair shedding

During pregnancy, high estrogen keeps hair in its growing phase, so you shed less. After birth, that hair falls out together. It usually shows a few months after birth, peaks around 4 months, and most people are back to their usual fullness by their baby’s first birthday [3].

The American Academy of Dermatology suggests [3]:

  • a volumizing shampoo, and a light conditioner made for fine hair;
  • skipping heavy, conditioning shampoos, which can weigh hair down;
  • a shorter haircut if it helps it look fuller.

See a dermatologist if your hair hasn’t come back by your baby’s first birthday [3]. If you’re also very tired or low, ask about your thyroid (more below).

Vaginal dryness and sex

Estrogen stays low while you breastfeed or chestfeed, which can make the vagina dry and sex uncomfortable [8]. A water-based lubricant helps. If sex still hurts, tell your provider. It’s common, and it’s treatable [8].

Periods

If you’re not breastfeeding or chestfeeding, periods can come back within weeks. If you are, it can take months [9]. You can get pregnant before your first period [9].

Thyroid: the hormone change that’s easy to miss

Some people develop postpartum thyroiditis, an inflamed thyroid, in the year after birth [10]. It can first make the thyroid overactive (feeling anxious, irritable, a racing heart, losing weight), then underactive (tired, low, weight gain, constipation, dry skin) [10]. It often goes back to normal on its own, but not always [10].

Those symptoms overlap with new-parent life and with depression. If they don’t settle, ask for a thyroid blood test. It’s simple.

For partners: your hormones change too

In a study that followed 624 men in the Philippines, testosterone fell sharply after they became fathers. Fathers who did 3 or more hours of childcare a day had the lowest levels [11]. Researchers think it helps with caregiving. It’s one more reason the first months can feel strange for both of you.

Sources

  1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Postpartum Depression.” acog.org
  2. Cleveland Clinic, “Postpartum Night Sweats.” clevelandclinic.org
  3. American Academy of Dermatology Association, “Hair loss in new moms.” aad.org
  4. National Institute of Mental Health, “Perinatal Depression.” nimh.nih.gov
  5. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), “National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.” mchb.hrsa.gov, and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
  6. CDC, Hear Her campaign, “Urgent Maternal Warning Signs.” cdc.gov
  7. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Postpartum Pain Management.” acog.org
  8. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Vulvovaginal Health.” acog.org
  9. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Postpartum Birth Control.” acog.org
  10. American Thyroid Association, “Postpartum Thyroiditis.” thyroid.org
  11. Gettler LT, McDade TW, Feranil AB, Kuzawa CW, “Longitudinal evidence that fatherhood decreases testosterone in human males,” PNAS 2011;108(39):16194–16199. doi.org

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