Exhaustion: Is it hormones?
New mom fatigue is common, but not normal. If you’re exhausted all the time, even when sleep improves, your hormones and nutrient levels are likely part of the problem.
January 11 , 2026
Think back to the moments before you met your firstborn.
Whether you adopted, pushed a giant head out your naïve vagina, or laid like an operating-room warrior while doctors cut open your abdomen, life changed forever when you first held that soft little babe.
In an instant, your responsibilities multiplied tenfold. And along with that came a new kind of love… and a new kind of exhaustion no one really prepares you for.
Motherhood is magical, sure.
But it’s also exhausting as hell.
You’re “on” literally 24/7. If your little one isn’t sleeping consistently, there’s going to be a lot of heavy-lidded yawning happening in your house. But here’s what most moms don’t know:
That bone-deep, aching, I-can’t-remember-my-own-name fatigue isn’t just about sleep.
New Mom Exhaustion Isn’t Just About Sleep
Yes, sleep is part of the picture. A big part.
But it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
What most moms don’t realize is that your hormones and nutrient levels have a massive impact on your energy, especially postpartum and in the years that follow. And based on my experience working with countless exhausted moms, I’m willing to bet your cortisol levels are… jacked up.
When hormones are out of whack, rest doesn’t feel restorative. You can technically be “sleeping enough” and still feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.
Signs Your Exhaustion Is Hormonal (Not Just “Being a Mom”)
Wonky hormones can show up as:
Dragging all day long, feeling utterly depleted
Getting a solid stretch of sleep but still needing 20 more hours to feel human
Being exhausted all day but unable to wind down and fall asleep at night
The kind of fatigue that makes you think, “There has GOT to be something seriously wrong with me”
Constant brain fog, irritability, or a terrifyingly low tolerance to stress
If you’re nodding along… Hi, welcome. You’re not alone.
And here’s the important part:
This is common for new-ish moms, but it is not normal and it is not okay.
Read Next:
This Level of Exhaustion Is Fixable
The good news? We can fix this.
You don’t have to accept feeling half-dead as your baseline. You don’t need to “just push through.” And you definitely don’t need another lecture about getting more sleep (because if that were the solution, you wouldn’t be here).
Once we understand what’s actually driving your exhaustion (hormones, nutrient depletion, stress physiology) the path forward is often pretty simple and straightforward.
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Free Motherhood Burnout Workshop
If you’re exhausted, moody, stressed, hormonal, and living in a perpetual state of how am I this tired all the time, this is for you.
I’m hosting a FREE Motherhood Burnout Workshop for moms who feel depleted, overwhelmed, and frustrated because their labs are “normal” but they feel like absolute garbage.
In this free workshop, you’ll learn:
Why you’re tired all the time - the most common hormonal imbalances I see in burnt-out moms
Why “eating clean” isn’t the answer (and what actually supports your body)
What to do when labs say “normal” but you don’t - including the exact labs I have every 1:1 client request
How to support your hormones in your 30s and 40s, especially as perimenopause starts creeping in
Burnout is common.
It is not normal.
And it is very treatable.
Click here to register for the FREE Motherhood Burnout Workshop
xo
Alison
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