Is Your Exhaustion Due to More Than a Non-Sleeping Child?


There is no doubt that parenting a baby or small child is hard work. Really hard work. Lack of sleep really takes a toll on your body and mind and the physical requirements of non-stop feeding, nappy/diaper changing, bathing, dressing, feeding and entertaining make any other job in the world seem easy. Of course some mothers do all of this and balance a career too. Is it any wonder we're so tired all of the time?

For some though the tiredness is something extra. Not all exhaustion can be blamed on the baby or toddler and the accompanying sleepless nights. Postnatal depletion is a real concern, because so little know about it.

During pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding your body puts its energy into growing another human being. Sometimes this can leave us lacking in essential nutrients. This can take a toll on our body and add to the overall feeling of exhaustion that parenting brings, but often the real cause is missed because everybody experts new parents to be exhausted.

So what are some of the most common deficiences in new mothers?

B12
B12 is an essential vitamin for energy as it can affect the body's ability to build healthy red blood cells. A deficiency can manifest in many ways including a general lack of energy and fatigue, a loss of appetite, pale skin, diarrhoea or constipation, 'brain fog', inability to concentrate and anxiety.
B12 can be easily supplemented with a daily oral spray such as THIS, which is safe to take while pregnant and when breastfeeding.

Iron
Iron deficiency can result in anaemia, where the lack of iron means the body does not produce enough red blood cells. Symptoms here include tiredness and lethargy, pale skin, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Iron can be easily supplemented in a liquid form, which avoids the constipation which commonly comes with tablet form, such as THIS, which is safe to take while pregnant and when breastfeeding.


Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is another big culprit when it comes to exhaustion and lethargy. In addition it can also be linked to anxiety, depression, difficulty relaxing and insomnia, 'brain fog', migraines and muscle cramps. Magnesium can be easily supplemented in a transdermal (via the skin) spray, such as THIS. which is safe to take while pregnant and when breastfeeding.


Zinc
Zinc deficiency can once again contribute to 'brain fog' and a lack of appetite, as well as hair loss, lowered immunity and delayed wound healing. Zinc can be easily supplemented in tablet form such as THIS and is safe to take while pregnant and when breastfeeding.

Other things that can contribute to exhaustion and a low immune system in early parenthood include:

Imbalanced Microbiome
Many new mothers receive antibiotics during or immediately after the birth, for C-Section wound healing and Group-B Strep prophylaxis and many are prescribed antibiotics postnataly (rightly or wrongly) for mastitis. The antibiotics can do a good job of killing any unwanted bacteria, but they also destroy the helpul bacteria colonising the gut and imbalance the microbiome. Antibiotic usage during pregnancy, birth and or postnatally causes a need to rebalance the gut flora through the usage of probiotics such as THESE, which are safe to use while pregnant and breastfeeding.

Dehydration
It sounds so simple, but a lot of tiredness is caused by simple dehydration. Mothers are often so busy feeding the children and rushing around during the day that they often don't drink enough. This lack of hydration cause the body many issues, such as dry of the mouth and skin and irritability. There is no one correct amount of water to drink per day. The simple rule is that your urine should be a very pale sraw colour, similar to the background colour of this text. If it is darker you need to drink more. A good tip is to drink a full glass of water every time you sit down to feed your child.

Poor Nutrition
Too much processed food, sugar and simple carbohydrates can lead to a lack of energy and often weight gain. This often results in a tricky cycle of craving more 'trashy' food in order to try to give your body energy, yet the more you eat the more you will crave and your energy levels will suffer aside from the initial spike provided by the sugar. The real key is to eat 'clean', that means as little processed food as possible. Try to up your protein intake and switch to complex carbohydrates. Forget calorie counting and faddy diets, just try to eat real food - and as much of it as you want.