post- post partum/weaning depression?

[evz75]

So, I have an 18 month old, and my period returned last month, but before my first period, I'd have these once a month sort of mini periods with no blood but some brownish mucous, and preceding that faux period I'd have a week of really wacky sort of mania-like behavior (high energy, couldnt' sleep, everything was GREAT! in a freaky way) and then I'd crash the day before the period into a deep depression. It was so odd-- now I know what's going on and I roll with it, realizing I'm not completely nuts, that it must be hormone related.

My question is: has anyone else experienced some weird hormonal shifts when your toddler stopped nursing as much? I think I had crazy high levels of oxytocin to begin with because I had huge amounts of milk, forceful letdown, and the urge to be with my baby night and day in constant contact. It was like physical pain to be apart. Now at 18 months I'm not in such an oxytocin haze and don't mind being apart. But I'm paying for the return of my self in some ways by this weird period hormone shift thing. I am wondering if this slow-weaning off of a year of constant nursing is triggering something I should be worried about, or if it's just a normal part of the hormones shifting or what? My daughter still nurses several times a day... but nothing like she did the first year.

[queenofchaos]

While I can't relate *exactly* to your experience, I think what you have going on probably does have a LOT to do with hormones!
I had gone thru a stretch of being either pg and/or nursing for 8 yrs. Then I had about 3 mths of a break, and let me tell you I was a mess! For about a month it was like super-PMS, and I think it was the lack of oxytocin. Plus, just not being *plain* me for so long.
I think with the intensity of your B/F'ing relationship, what you are going thru would be normal. Some things that might help: At night make sure there is absolutley NO light coming in from anywhere. That can help a LOT with hormone issues. If you don't exercise regularly, that can help a lot as well. Other than that it might just take some time to readjust. I would give yourself a month and see if you start feeling more normal. If not, the next step might be to talk to your DR (or whoever you go to for health care).

[evz75]

Thanks, glad to hear that that return can be rough and I'm not the only one. Amazing how maybe the "normal" (i.e. non nursing or pregnant) body is so hard to adjust to. I will try to darken the room even more. I'd never heard of this. I also just remembered that stress always gave me worse symptoms/exacerbated my hormone responses before and during pregnancy, so I may work on chilling. If that's possible

[Limabean1975]

Just want to add something regarding darkening your bedroom at night. There are theories that too much ambient light for city-dwellers interferes with melatonin production, causing hormonal shifts that lead to a whole host of health issues. When melatonin rises at night, gonadotropic (sp?) hormones should reduce. If you are not producing enough melatonin at night it certainly can cause hormonal imbalances - too much estrogen.
When I was pregnant, my bedroom had a street light shining into it. The only way to achieve enough darkness was to wear a sleep mask. Now I wear my sleep mask almost every night - I feel like it improves my sleep!