Rage, Tears, and Zero Patience: Why PMS Gets Worse After Kids
Did your PMS get significantly worse after having kids? You’re not losing it and you’re not alone. From hormone crashes to nutrient depletion to straight-up mom overload, there are real reasons your once-manageable PMS now feels like a full-blown monthly meltdown.
July 25, 2025
So… is it normal to feel like a hormonal tornado after kids?
It’s cycle day 21.
You're rage-screaming in the car because your kids are fighting (again).
You feel so bloated and exhausted you could cry and probably will, once the coffee wears off.
You’re texting your partner at work about all the things he forgot to do this morning.
If your PMS went from mildly annoying to full-blown who even am I anymore? after kids… you are 100% not alone.
This is one of the most common things I hear in practice:
“My PMS used to be manageable when it was 3 days each cycle. Now I’m a sore boobed rage monster with no patience 13 days out of each month- Is that a thing?”
Yes. It is absolutely a thing. Let’s talk about why it happens and what you can do about it.
First: what is PMS actually?
PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is that delightful 1–2 week window before your period where your body and brain just… fall apart a little.
Symptoms can include:
Mood swings
Sore boobs
Irritability and rage
Depression or anxiety
Bloating and fatigue
Insomnia or vivid dreams
Crying spells (hello, commercials)
Headaches, cravings, and joint pain
Up to 90% of women experience some version of this. But when PMS starts affecting your relationships, your ability to function, or your mental health? That’s a red flag.
Read Next:
Why PMS often gets worse after pregnancy… even if your youngest is reading chapter books.
1. Your hormones may not have “bounced back”
After pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone take a massive dive, and they don’t always return to pre-baby levels, especially if you’re still breastfeeding or in early perimenopause. And guess what? These hormones regulate mood, energy, and your stress response.
2. Lingering nutrient depletion
Pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and just plain surviving motherhood deplete:
Magnesium
B vitamins
Iron
Omega-3s
All of which are crucial for stable mood and hormone balance. Most moms I test are running on fumes in at least one of these.
3. You’re running on stress and sleep debt
If you’re sleep-deprived, overstimulated, and living on caffeine and crumbs, your nervous system is in full fight-or-flight mode. You might be able to push through during your follicular phase when hormones are high. But once they fall in the luteal phase? Cue the meltdown.
4. Perimenopause might be starting earlier than you think
Yes, even in your 30s. Yes, even if your cycle is still “regular.” Early perimenopause = more estrogen dominance, less progesterone = more PMS hell. I often find that worsening PMS is the first sign of the early perimenopause stage.
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Signs your PMS isn’t “just normal PMS” anymore
You feel like a different person the week before your period
Your rage is scary (to you and your family)
You cry every cycle for no obvious reason
Your PMS anxiety or depression is interfering with life
You can’t sleep or eat normally during that week
You have physical symptoms like headaches that make you clear out your schedule.
Good news - As a functional dietitian who works with moms in postpartum or perimenopause every day, I see this exact thing all the time and I can help you feel better.
Read Next:
So what can you actually do about it?
🧘♀️ 1. Support progesterone production
Progesterone = your calming, soothing, mood-stabilizing hormone. If it’s low (which is common after kids or in perimenopause), PMS gets brutal.
Support it by:
Eating enough calories, especially protein and fats
Managing stress (cortisol steals from progesterone)
Taking magnesium + B6 daily
Considering chasteberry or bioidentical progesterone (with a provider’s help)
🧠 2. Balance blood sugar
Wild blood sugar swings = more mood instability, cravings, and rage.
Try:
3 solid meals/day (don’t skip!)
Protein + fat + fiber at every meal
Avoid coffee on an empty stomach (yes, I said it)
Reduce sugar during your luteal phase (or at least pair it with protein)
🦠 3. Gut health = hormone health
Your gut clears used-up estrogen. If it’s sluggish or inflamed, estrogen can build up and drive PMS.
Support your gut by:
Pooping daily (fiber, water, magnesium if needed)
Eating fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt)
Limiting ultra-processed foods that inflame the gut
💤 4. Sleep. Please sleep.
Lack of sleep makes PMS worse by jacking up cortisol, depleting neurotransmitters, and making you more sensitive to hormone shifts.
Sleep is medicine. Fight for it.
TL;DR: You’re not crazy, you’re not broken, and you’re not alone
If your PMS has gotten worse since becoming a mom, you’re not imagining it. Your body has changed, your hormones have shifted, and it makes sense that your cycle feels different.
The good news? You can actually do something about it.
Start with nourishment. Add targeted supplements. Give your nervous system a break. And if needed? Test your hormones and get real support.
📩 Need help figuring out what’s going on?
Let’s work together 1:1 and create a plan that actually works for your real mom life. Work with me.
xo
Alison
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