extreme hormones - PMS etc what can i do what should i take to sort this craziness out? help!

[bluebell]

i'm really struggling with having crazy hormones all over the place and i really need to sort them out because its really affecting our family life. I gave birth to ds a year ago and i got my periods back straight away when he was 6 weeks old despite tandem feeding, and ds being exclusively breastfed etc.
anyway periods are pretty much regular at around 29 days, but i also get extremely painful ovulation pain. the worst thing is the extreme anger and raging that i get with the PMS. i get to angry i feel insane and much of this is aimed at dp during this time. i am stressed by trying to meet everyone's needs but i'm also a highly anxious person and my anxiety has rocketed since having ds i do think i've got a bit of postnatal depression as i do feel down alot of the time even if there are things that are good going on!
all this makes me think i'm really depleted and need to suppliment nutrionally. i am eating very healthily because we are TF and follow GAPs. but i guess that diet wise there are things i should eat that i don't such as liver.

so can anyone suggest what i can take i am taking some fermented cod liver oil and butter oil but not sure if i'm taking enough (2tsp) i was also taking some dr rons mulitvits but i have finished them now and need to get more. are there any other oils i should take that are ok while nursing? any help or advice would be appreciated as i'm about to go into the PMS phase again and i really don't feel like myself during this time.
thanks...

[bluebell]

bump! anyone?

[MountainMamaGC]

I would try red clover tea. Its supposed to be good for PMS. Drink a cup every day. Red rasberry Leaf tea is good if you have bad cramps.

You can make an infusion with Nettle, Red Clover and, Red Raspberry Leaves. Susun Weed talks about it on her website. Nettle is another herb that is very good for women.

[Alvie]

Oh mamma! Hang in there!

I hope you get some good advice!

I can perhaps help with a little...I know that usually the blood sugar levels drop off just before a period, which cause alot of the emotional swings, headaches, etc. So, anything you can do to stabilize your blood sugar would be really helpful! I sometimes get hypoglycemia (fancy word for low blood sugar), and for a long time have researched this and tried different things...one of the best ways to control it is by having good quality protein, especially for breakfast! and also for snacks. Good quality fats also help stabilize blood sugar.

I'm not sure if you are a vegetarian, you said you were eating well, but often, things we think are really healthy, can send blood sugar off for those with this sort of tendancy...like a fruit smoothie or a bowl of oatmeal with maple syrup for breakfast! Better would be some eggs, or even a piece of fish or something...(I know its weird for breakfast!)

I found alot of good advice from www.mercola.com, he has lots of info on metabolic types, some people do well on carbs, some on more protein. He also said something interesting...the people he's found that have the most problems are those with a protein type, who are vegetarian! (this was me definately)

Fats are also really important...cod liver oil, flaxseed oil or ground flaxseeds, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and organic butter are all good. Also evening primrose oil is good for PMS, you should find it with the fish oils in the health food store. I think these good fats are great to have while pregnant or nursing!

I wish you the best!

[sahmmie]

I really feel for you. I had terrible postpartum anxiety with all three of my births. If you are prone to anxiety, it can worsen substantially during those postpartum months. I can't take any meds and wouldn't have wanted to anyway because I was nursing, so I just had to ride it out. It was really, really tough, but it does pass with time. For me it took 4-6 months (if differed with each child) for the anxiety to subside. I would suggest some good books on anxiety to help develop some coping skills. Mind over Mood is a good one.

As for the PMS, I feel your pain on that one too. I've had terrible PMS for the last 3-4 years. The anger and irritability is miserable, for me, and for those around me! I have found that a high complex B vitamin supplement helps some. And I agree with the pp about fats in your diet. Make sure you are getting enough healthy fats in your diet because your body needs fats to produce the hormones you need. Fats are also good for the brain.

I wish I could help more, but I'm still looking for answers too.