The early postpartum period is a swirl of joy, exhaustion, and constant change. While much attention is paid to the cute new baby, the mother’s healing body and rapidly shifting hormones are often overlooked. “Typically, what women are going through just after giving birth is the physical recovery of giving birth, the excitement around having a new baby, and then all the changes in hormones that happen within those first few months,” says Natiya Guin, NMD, NBC-HWC, a naturopathic doctor and women’s wellness expert who supports clients through this often under-discussed transition.
Guin often works with new mothers to navigate the emotional and physical aftermath of pregnancy, with a special focus on hormonal health. “That’s the area that I feel like, in general, medicine could do a better job with after giving birth,” she explains. “A woman is not only recovering physically, feeding and caring for her new baby—which is taxing on her vitamins as well—she’s also losing her female hormones at a very fast rate.”
What Happens to Hormones Postpartum?
During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone levels rise to support the developing baby. “For most women, these hormones make them feel more energetic and euphoric, particularly in the second and third trimesters,” Guin explains. “But after giving birth, those same hormones leave the system very quickly over the course of a few months.”
This abrupt drop can lead to fatigue, mood changes, and a general feeling of depletion. “For some women, this transition is more gradual, and emotionally they feel okay,” she says. “But for many women, that isn’t the case, and that’s where I come in—supporting that transition to be more gentle.”
How to Naturally Support Hormonal Health
Rather than relying only on antidepressants, anxiety medications, or hormonal birth control—which Guin believes may not address the root cause—she advocates for a more holistic approach. “While all of these should be options, they’re not getting to the root cause of the fatigue and emotional changes,” she says. “The root cause is the changes in the hormones.”
Her go-to supports include food-based strategies, herbs, and sometimes low-dose bioidentical hormone therapy. “One of my favorite herbs to help gently raise progesterone is called primrose oil,” she says. “For estrogen, it’s something called Vitex—or chaste berry. Another great option for progesterone is wild yam.”
Guin also recommends seed cycling, a practice that involves consuming specific seeds to support hormonal rhythms. “Flax seeds and pumpkin seeds increase estrogen and progesterone,” she says. “Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds increase progesterone. A tablespoon of one to two of these per day can help restore balance.”
Smoothies and chia seed pudding are her favorite vehicles for seed cycling. “Chia seed pudding is a wonderful option—it balances sugar, which a lot of women in early postpartum struggle with, and it’s loaded with omegas and good fats,” Guin adds. “These seeds are also phytoestrogenic and progesterone enhancing, so they cover so many bases.”
Even better? Hormonal support often has ripple effects. “You’ll notice it’s working when sleep gets better, emotions are more regulated, and GI function improves,” she says. “When the hormones start getting more balanced, it also helps regulate the GI system.”
Movement that Heals, Not Depletes
Exercise can also play a vital role in postpartum recovery—but only when approached gently. “A lot of women try to go back into their pre-pregnancy workout regimen too quickly,” Guin warns. “That can actually cause strain on the muscles of the abdomen and make diastasis recti worse.”
Her advice: skip the crunches and opt for movement that restores rather than depletes. “Gentle yoga, pilates, and walking are much better. I also like shorter interval training—if a woman is ready and her body has healed.” Guin emphasizes the importance of staying out of fight-or-flight mode. “If she exercises gently and consistently, her body is in a rested state, her metabolism will be better, and she’ll just start losing baby weight easily.”
Yin yoga, especially with a focus on gentle twists, is one of her top picks. “Twists help detox the metabolites of hormones that are leaving the body. That can be a lot of work on the liver and detox organs,” she explains. “Yoga that focuses on detox and gentle movement helps balance hormones and gets mom back in her body.”
When It’s More Than Just the “Baby Blues”
While emotional changes are normal in early postpartum, Guin stresses the importance of recognizing when it becomes more serious. “If you have postpartum depression, at that point it’s time to see a psychiatrist,” she says. “That is when the higher-intervention medications are necessary.”
There are some clear signs of postpartum depression, Guin notes. “The most obvious one is if someone is talking about harming themselves. But other less obvious red flags are if someone doesn’t want to get out of bed for multiple days in a row and she’s not sick.” Another critical sign: disconnection from the baby. “If she’s not feeling that she wants to spend time with her baby, that’s not something to feel shame about—but it is a sign that her hormones might be very low,” she says. “That’s when we need to give this mom higher-intervention support.”
Postpartum recovery isn’t just about bouncing back—it’s about restoring what was lost, rebalancing what shifted, and giving women the support they deserve. “We want to help boost your natural ability to make your hormones,” Guin says. And with the right support—gentle movement, nutrient-dense food, herbs, and compassion—new mothers can begin to feel like themselves again.