Irregular Periods: Causes and How to Regulate Your Cycle
November 27, 2025 No Comments
The postpartum hormone drop is one of the most dramatic hormonal shifts your body will ever experience—and yet nobody prepares you for it. Within 24–48 hours of delivering your baby, estrogen and progesterone plummet by up to 90%. This massive crash drives everything from mood swings and hair loss to night sweats, anxiety, and low libido.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what happens to your postpartum hormones month by month, what’s normal vs. what’s not, and how to balance hormones postpartum using nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle strategies.
Table of Contents
During pregnancy, your body produced massive amounts of estrogen and progesterone—the placenta alone generates 300+ mg of progesterone daily by the third trimester. After delivery, the placenta is gone and hormone levels crash:
This hormonal earthquake explains virtually every postpartum symptom you’re experiencing. It’s not “in your head”—it’s biochemistry.
Estrogen and progesterone hit their lowest point. Prolactin surges if breastfeeding. You may experience: intense mood swings, weeping, night sweats, heavy bleeding (lochia), breast engorgement, and exhaustion. This is the “baby blues” window—affecting up to 80% of new mothers.
Hormones begin stabilizing but remain significantly below pre-pregnancy levels. Breastfeeding keeps prolactin high and estrogen suppressed (nature’s birth control). You may notice: continued hair shedding, dry skin, low energy, difficulty sleeping even when baby sleeps, and very low libido. Night sweats may continue.
At 3 months postpartum, many women notice a shift. Hair loss often peaks around this time (delayed telogen effluvium—hair your body held onto during pregnancy finally sheds). If breastfeeding, estrogen remains suppressed. If not breastfeeding, your period may return and hormones begin cycling again. Mood typically starts improving, but fatigue from sleep deprivation can mask hormonal recovery.
Hair loss begins slowing. If you’ve stopped breastfeeding, cycles may become more regular. Energy slowly improves. This is a good time to test hormones if symptoms persist—particularly thyroid (postpartum thyroiditis often surfaces between months 2–6).
At 6 months, hormones should be noticeably stabilizing. For non-breastfeeding mothers, cycles are typically regular again. For breastfeeding mothers, estrogen remains suppressed and periods may not return until weaning. Hair loss should be resolving (new growth becomes visible). If mood, energy, or weight issues persist at 6 months, it’s time for a comprehensive hormone panel.
Most women’s hormones are back to baseline by 12 months, though breastfeeding mothers may take longer. Some women experience a second hormone shift when weaning (estrogen and progesterone recalibrate as prolactin drops). Full hair regrowth typically complete by 12–18 months.
During pregnancy, elevated estrogen extends your hair’s growth cycle—you lose fewer hairs than normal, making hair look fuller. After birth, the estrogen crash triggers all those “saved” hairs to shed simultaneously (telogen effluvium). This peaks around 3–4 months postpartum and is completely normal. It resolves on its own by 6–12 months.
Pregnancy’s estrogen boost created extra collagen and the “pregnancy glow.” After birth, dropping estrogen means drier skin, potential acne flares, and loss of that glow. Skin typically normalizes within 3–6 months.
The estrogen crash triggers temperature dysregulation. Night sweats are your body’s way of shedding the extra fluids accumulated during pregnancy. Usually resolves within 2–6 weeks.
Breastfeeding suppresses estrogen, which reduces vaginal lubrication and sex drive. Elevated prolactin also dampens desire. Combined with exhaustion, pain from delivery, and body image shifts, low libido is completely normal postpartum. It typically improves after weaning or by 6–12 months.
The estrogen-progesterone crash directly affects serotonin and GABA—your “calm and happy” neurotransmitters. Sleep deprivation compounds this. Mild mood swings (“baby blues”) affect up to 80% of mothers and typically resolve within 2 weeks.
Pregnancy hormones slow the GI tract, and pain medications during labor compound the issue. Use magnesium glycinate, fiber-rich foods (sweet potatoes, chia seeds, flaxseed, quinoa), and stay hydrated—at least half your body weight in ounces of filtered water daily.
Baby blues (mood swings, weeping, anxiety) affect 80% of mothers and resolve within 2 weeks of delivery.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is more severe and persistent. Seek help if you experience:
PPD affects 10–20% of mothers and is treatable. It’s not a character flaw—it’s a hormonal and neurochemical condition. Talk to your doctor, midwife, or a postpartum mental health specialist.
Breastfeeding keeps prolactin elevated and estrogen suppressed. This is why many breastfeeding mothers don’t get their period back for months (or until weaning). This “lactational amenorrhea” is normal but means your hormonal recovery timeline is extended compared to non-breastfeeding mothers.
When you wean, expect a hormonal shift: prolactin drops, estrogen and progesterone begin cycling again, and your period returns—often within 4–8 weeks of stopping. Some women experience mood changes during weaning similar to PMS or baby blues.
If symptoms persist beyond 6 months, request a comprehensive hormone panel:
Order an at-home comprehensive hormone test or request these from your provider.
I offer 1:1 consultations for postpartum hormone recovery. Schedule a consultation or explore my pregnancy and postpartum resources.
Want to check your hormones? Order an at-home hormone test.
If you’ve been told everything looks normal but you’re still not pregnant — or you have a diagnosis like PCOS, endometriosis, or poor egg quality and nothing is working — there’s almost always something deeper that hasn’t been found yet.
Standard fertility testing rarely evaluates the factors that actually determine whether pregnancy happens: egg quality, ovulation quality, metabolic health, inflammation, nutrient status, and how your body responds to stress.
After nearly 20 years and hundreds of clients, I’ve found that most fertility struggles come down to a small number of hidden biological drivers. When those drivers are identified and addressed in the right order, the body responds.
That’s exactly what we uncover inside The Fertility Code — my 12-week, high-touch fertility program for women who are done guessing. We find what’s been missed and build a clear, personalized strategy around your body, your labs, and your history.
With 1:1 coaching, direct access between calls, lab reviews, evidence-based content, and structured accountability, you get expert eyes on your case so you can stop second-guessing and start moving forward with clarity.
Over 90% of the women I work with go on to conceive.
If you’re ready to finally understand what your body needs for a successful pregnancy — and fix what’s been missed — you can explore the program here → The Fertility Code.
Or schedule a free Fertility Strategy Call to see if the program is right for you.
© 2026 Sarah Jane Sandy. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Medical Disclaimer | Editorial Policy
Curious about your fertility health? Take this simple quiz to find out what factors may be harming your fertility, and learn what you can do about it!
