You just brought life into the world—an awe-inspiring, exhausting, hormone-fueled feat. And now, you’re running on little sleep, your hormones are shifting wildly, your body is healing, and there’s a tiny human relying on you around the clock.
In this delicate, beautiful, and often overwhelming postpartum period, your body isn’t just recovering, it’s recalibrating. Rebalancing your hormones, replenishing nutrients lost during pregnancy and birth, and trying to restore equilibrium, all while navigating sleep deprivation, feeding schedules, and emotional highs and lows.
Let’s talk about how to care for your body in a way that’s gentle, restorative, and grounded in both science and compassion.
The Reality of Postpartum Depletion
Postpartum depletion leaves you feeling tired, but it is also a physiological reality for many new mothers. Research shows that pregnancy and birth can significantly reduce stores of iron, zinc, B vitamins, and essential fatty acids, nutrients your body depends on to function optimally, especially when healing and breastfeeding.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that nearly 50% of postpartum women were iron-deficient, with even higher rates among those who experienced blood loss during delivery. Vitamin D, B12, and iodine deficiencies are also common, particularly among breastfeeding mothers who have higher nutritional demands.
Meanwhile, your hormones are doing their own postpartum dance. Estrogen and progesterone, which were sky-high during pregnancy, drop dramatically after birth, contributing to emotional shifts, mood swings, and fatigue. Add the stress hormone cortisol to the mix (which can remain elevated due to sleep disruption and mental overload), and it’s no wonder postpartum feels like a rollercoaster.
Gentle Nourishment for a Body in Recovery
When you’re too tired to think straight, nourishing your body can feel overwhelming. But healing thrives in small, consistent choices.
Here are some key areas to focus on:
Protein & Healthy Fats: Rebuild & Repair
Protein is the backbone of tissue repair, immune support, and is important for hormone production. It also helps stabilize blood sugar, which is crucial during postpartum when energy crashes can be brutal.
But its benefits go even deeper—protein provides the essential amino acids your body needs to rebuild muscle, repair tissues affected by pregnancy and delivery, and support the production of breastmilk.
It also plays a key role in neurotransmitter synthesis, which influences mood, focus, and stress resilience (all things that feel extra tender during this season). Prioritizing quality protein at every meal can help you stay nourished, energized, and more emotionally balanced as your body finds its new rhythm.
Aim for:
Eggs, bone broth, collagen powder
Grass-fed meats and pasture-raised poultry, both organic when possible
Wild-caught fish (especially salmon for omega-3s)
Legumes, tofu, tempeh (if tolerated)
Pairing these with healthy fats—like avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds—gives your hormones the raw materials they need to rebalance.
Iron-Rich Foods: Rebuild What Was Lost
Iron helps replenish red blood cells lost during delivery and supports energy, mood, and cognition. During childbirth—especially if there was significant blood loss—iron stores can become depleted quickly, leaving many new moms feeling lightheaded, foggy, or overwhelmingly fatigued.
Without adequate iron, your cells struggle to get the oxygen they need to function optimally. This can also impact your immune system and make recovery feel slower. Ensuring your iron levels are in a healthy range is one of the most impactful ways to restore vitality and prevent postpartum burnout.
Focus on:
Grass-fed beef, chicken liver, turkey
Lentils, spinach, pumpkin seeds
Vitamin C-rich foods (bell peppers, citrus) to aid absorption
If your ferritin levels are under 30 ng/mL or your iron saturation is below 20%, talk to your provider about supplementation; most prenatals don’t contain enough iron to correct a deficiency.
B Vitamins & Folate: Energy, Mood, and Mental Clarity
B vitamins—especially B12, B6, and folate—are depleted in many postpartum women, especially if you’re breastfeeding. These are essential for energy metabolism, mood balance, and supporting the nervous system.
They also play a critical role in red blood cell production, DNA repair, and neurotransmitter function. Low levels can contribute to anxiety, brain fog, and even postpartum depression, making it especially important to restore these nutrients through food and, when needed, high-quality supplementation.
Include:
Pasture-raised eggs
Liver (or desiccated liver capsules)
Leafy greens, legumes, nutritional yeast
Methylated B-complex supplements (ask your provider what’s right for you)
Magnesium: The Calming Mineral
Magnesium helps calm the nervous system, supports muscle recovery, reduces anxiety, and improves sleep quality. It’s especially helpful during postpartum when stress is high and rest is often interrupted.
Magnesium also supports blood sugar balance and can ease muscle tension, headaches, and even constipation—common postpartum complaints. Many women are deficient without realizing it, so replenishing magnesium through food or gentle supplementation can be a game-changer for both physical and emotional well-being.
Sources:
Pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate (yes, really!)
Spinach, black beans, almonds
Epsom salt baths for transdermal absorption
Hydration + Electrolytes
Even mild dehydration can intensify fatigue, headaches, and brain fog. Nursing increases your fluid needs, too. Your body requires extra fluids not only to produce breastmilk but also to support healthy circulation, digestion, and detoxification.
Dehydration can sneak up quickly—especially when you're busy caring for a newborn—so having water or electrolyte-rich beverages nearby throughout the day is key. Prioritizing hydration helps improve energy, mood, and overall recovery.
Hydration tips:
Add a pinch of sea salt or electrolyte powder to water
Coconut water or bone broth for natural electrolyte support
Sip herbal teas (like nettle, oatstraw, and red raspberry leaf)
Stress Reduction for Hormone Balance
The stress of new motherhood may feel emotional, but it is also a biological phenomenon. Chronic stress disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, affecting cortisol rhythms, thyroid function, and sex hormone balance. This can interfere with mood, sleep, milk production, and menstrual cycle recovery.
You don’t need a 90-minute yoga class or a silent retreat to manage stress. Gentle, practical practices can make a big difference. Here are four ways to start healing today.
1. Mindful Breathing
A few minutes of deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system—your body’s natural calming response.
Try box breathing:
Inhale 4 seconds → Hold 4 → Exhale 4 → Hold 4. Repeat for 1–2 minutes.
2. Connection & Support
Postpartum can be isolating. Connection is medicine.
Talk to a friend, doula, or therapist
Join a postpartum support group (virtual or local)
Lean on your partner or family—even just for 30 minutes of uninterrupted rest
3. Movement (But Make It Gentle)
Low-intensity movement helps regulate cortisol, supports lymphatic flow, and boosts mood.
Try daily walks, postpartum yoga, stretching
Avoid high-impact exercise until your provider gives the green light and you feel truly ready
4. Sleep Support (Even When Sleep is Fragmented)
You might not be getting 8 uninterrupted hours, but quality rest still matters.
Nap when baby naps (yes, really)
Establish a nighttime wind-down routine (dim lights, lavender tea, screens off)
Consider magnesium glycinate, calming herbs, or meditation to ease nighttime anxiety
Labs to Consider Postpartum
If you’re feeling persistently fatigued, anxious, or just not yourself, don’t brush it off. Postpartum lab testing can help uncover imbalances and nutrient deficiencies. These symptoms are common, but they’re not something you have to simply endure.
Testing key markers like thyroid function, iron levels, vitamin D, and blood sugar can offer clarity and direction, helping you understand what your body truly needs. With the right information, we can create a targeted, supportive plan to help you feel stronger, more balanced, and more like yourself again.
Dr. Jessica recommends:
Thyroid Panel
Includes TSH, Free T4, Free T3, and thyroid antibodies (TPO and TgAb)Iron Panel
Ferritin, Iron Saturation, Serum Iron, and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)Vitamin D
25-Hydroxy Vitamin D (25(OH)D)Vitamin B12 and Folate
Blood Sugar + Insulin Markers
Fasting Glucose, Fasting Insulin, and Hemoglobin A1cAdrenal & Stress Markers
DHEA-S and AM Cortisol
Getting a clear picture of your internal landscape allows us to create a replenishment plan tailored to your needs.
The Role of a High-Quality Prenatal—Before and After Baby
One of the most impactful things you can do to support your nutrient stores is to take a high-quality, comprehensive prenatal vitamin—not just during pregnancy, but in the months leading up to conception and well into the postpartum period.
Ideally, starting a prenatal at least 4 months before conceiving helps build up nutrient reserves that are critical for egg quality, hormone balance, and a healthy pregnancy. But the need doesn’t end with birth. Continuing your prenatal for 6 to 12 months postpartum (especially if you’re breastfeeding) can help prevent or correct common deficiencies in iron, B vitamins, vitamin D, choline, and other key nutrients that your body needs for healing, hormone recalibration, and milk production.
It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to stay ahead of depletion during this physically demanding season.
Be Gentle With Yourself
You don’t have to “bounce back.” Your body is doing something extraordinary—it deserves care, not pressure. There’s no rush to return to who you were before. In fact, this season is about becoming someone new: a woman who nurtures her body with the same love she gives to others.
Even if you’re exhausted, you can take one small step today—drink a mineral-rich glass of water, enjoy a protein-rich snack, or spend two minutes breathing deeply. These moments matter.
If you’re ready to replenish, rebalance, and truly feel supported in your postpartum chapter, I’d love to work with you. Join my waiting list to learn when my schedule opens to new patients.
