Worsening PMS, shorter cycles, and burnout in your late 30s? Postpartum recovery might be why
Postpartum recovery impacts how your body will handle perimenopoause, especially if you’re over 35 when you had your baby.
February 19, 2026
Did you know that a good postpartum recovery is basically prep for perimenopause?
Before you think “I’m too young for this” hang with me.
Did you know postpartum is a mini menopause?
Yep, let’s talk about that.
Hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are sky high at the end of pregnancy.
Good job, placenta.
Then birth happens. Then bye-bye placenta (or eat it, you do you). And hormones drop to menopausal levels. That means low.
Over the next year (or more), your body goes through rapid-fire puberty to bring those hormones back up again. It’s… a time.
But here’s the catch
It’s not guaranteed that your hormones return to your pre-pregnancy baseline.
A lot influences whether they do, including:
Stress and sleep
Breastfeeding
Age
Baby spacing
Nutrient deficiencies
Whether you’re actually eating the building blocks hormones need
(Pro tip: coffee instead of breakfast? Your hormones are unimpressed.)
Hold that thought… we’ll come back to it.
Now let’s talk perimenopause
Perimenopause is the 10-ish year window before menopause, when hormones start shifting in preparation for the end of menstruation.
Average menopause age is around 51, with a typical range of 45–55.
If you can, ask your mom when she had her last period, timing is quite genetic.
In early perimenopause:
Progesterone drops first
Estrogen follows later often erratic, then low
And this can start earlier than most women expect.
I see early perimenopause symptoms showing up as early as 35, and very commonly around 39, especially worsening PMS and shorter cycles.
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How are postpartum and perimenopause connected?
Postpartum hormones: drop to menopausal levels within 5 days after birth → ideally recover, but not always fully
Perimenopause hormones: begin declining again slowly → prepping for menopause
If you enter perimenopause with:
Decent estrogen and progesterone levels
Balanced cortisol and blood sugar
Topped-off nutrient stores
Good gut health (critical for estrogen detox)
→ symptoms tend to be milder and more manageable
If you enter it depleted, stressed, running on fumes, and never really recovered from having kids?
That’s when things get… spicy.
Why postpartum recovery actually matters long-term
Postpartum recovery isn’t just about the fourth trimester.
Or even the first year.
Postpartum recovery is the foundation of the rest of your hormonal life
If you had babies in your 20s, you likely have a decade-plus buffer before perimenopause really kicks in. Postpartum recovery still matters but you’ve got more runway.
If you had babies in your 30s or 40s, experienced a “geriatric pregnancy” (rude), and went straight from postpartum into perimenopause territory?
This message is very much for you.
You can:
Feel better now and set yourself up for easier perimenopause
Or power through depleted and get hit like a ton of bricks later
Your call.
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So… what do you do?
This is where postpartum recovery becomes proactive care, not something you wait out.
Key priorities include:
Replenish What Pregnancy and Birth Depleted
Hormones require:
Protein
Micronutrients
Fat and cholesterol
Adequate calories
You can’t rebuild hormones without raw materials.
Stabilize Stress and Blood Sugar
Chronic stress and blood sugar swings worsen both postpartum recovery and perimenopause symptoms later.
Support Hormone Crosstalk
Estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and insulin all talk to each other. Supporting one system supports the rest.
This is exactly why guessing doesn’t work and why foundational recovery matters so much.
Want personalized support?
If you’re dealing with persistent symptoms like exhaustion, hormone chaos, burnout, gut issues, or “my labs are normal but I feel like trash,” this is where individualized support matters.
When we work together, we use targeted nutrition, hormone and nutrient testing (when appropriate), and real-life strategies to get your body out of survival mode.
👉 Learn more about working with me here.
xo
Alison
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