Welcome to Food Freedom and Fertility, this week we are talking about planning to conceive after a baby- getting your cycle back and much much more! Caitlin and Sophia discuss the landscape post-partum territory looks like.
The first topic of discussion is how soon after my baby is born should I be trying for my next. Sophia and Caitlin share the different research on the different reasons why it is important to wait a certain amount of time and how your body can still be recovering from nutrient deficiencies, C-section trauma, postpartum depression and other things your you need time to heal from. They also share how your risk can increase the closer together your pregnancies are and what that means for your baby. We realize that sometimes pregnancy can happen unexpectantly and they also say how to take care of yourself, your unborn baby and your baby out of your belly if you do become pregnant if you are under 1-year post-partum (which is the least amount of time that is recommended between births)
Another question to consider is your lifestyle, how you parent, how you feed, how you sleep. Our hosts walk you through the different scenarios and how each one could be affected by having another baby. They want you to know that if you are breastfeeding that relationship may change with your non-utero baby, your body will prioritize the baby inside, your supply will decrease but there are ways around that such as donor milk.
This episode also discusses the question of “Is my cycle back?”. Some women with PCOS can be confused by the new cycle and can’t tell the difference between a standard post-partum cycle return and PSOS, so they suggest getting lab work done to give a definitive answer. They also mention that once your baby starts sleeping longer, women typically start to get their cycle back or if there is another source of hormonal feedback it can trigger your cycle to start again.
To wrap up the episode Caitlin and Sophia want you to work on your thoughts about yourself and do what is best for you and your body. Also consider that your most healthy self isn’t necessarily your most fertile self. Continue to stay on your prenatal and remember that your body is not a trash disposal for you to dump junk into, so continue the healthy eating and be sure to check in on your mental health. You can also get lab work done to check your Vitamin D, iron and immune levels to ensure you have recovered from your blood loss from your previous pregnancy. Review your life without judgement and prioritize your health and the health of your family, there is no need to rush your timeline. Listen to your intuition and do what is best for your body.
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