Postpartum or Perimenopause? How to Tell the Difference

More women are having babies in their late thirties and forties, and that creates a confusing overlap. On the Bottle Service podcast, Sarah Merrill Hall and I talked about what I call the postpartum to perimenopause pipeline.

Why the Symptoms Overlap

After pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone drop sharply. In perimenopause, those same hormones start to fluctuate and decline. So it's no surprise the symptoms look alike:

• Poor sleep and night sweats

• Anxiety, irritability or low mood

• Brain fog and forgetfulness

• Hair shedding and dry skin

• Low libido

Clues That Point Toward Perimenopause

Postpartum changes usually improve over the months after weaning as cycles return. If symptoms are getting worse instead of better, your cycles are becoming shorter, heavier or more irregular once they return, or you have new symptoms like hot flashes or a big shift in PMS, perimenopause may be part of the picture.

Don't Forget the Thyroid

Postpartum thyroiditis can mimic both. A thorough workup should include thyroid testing along with a careful look at your cycle history, sleep, iron and nutrient status.

You don't have to sort this out alone, and you don't have to wait until your youngest is in school to feel like yourself again.

Listen to the Full Conversation

We went deeper into the overlap between postpartum and perimenopause in the full episode. Listen on Bottle Service. If you'd like help figuring out what's right for your body, learn more about bioidentical hormone replacement or work with me.