| Many first time mothers are very surprised to find how | | | | following their every move? |
| much their lives change after the birth of their new | | | | Some of the symptoms of severe exhaustion in new |
| baby. They tend to imagine that their lives will be | | | | mothers are:o Inability to concentrateo Difficulty |
| structured in a peaceful way around the routine of | | | | thinkingo Nervousnesso Lack of self-confidence |
| caring for the baby and that every thing will run | | | | And these symptoms may well be linked to possible |
| smoothly and efficiently. However, they soon find once | | | | postpartum depression or anemia. |
| reality kicks in that nothing goes like clockwork once | | | | If you were anemic during your pregnancy or you lost |
| you have a new baby in the house, that nights and | | | | a lot of blood at delivery, you may well need to |
| days turn upside down and they even discover TV | | | | continue taking prenatal vitamins and separate iron |
| shows in the early hours of the morning. And of | | | | supplements. It is best to have a check up with your |
| course one of the biggest problems for a new mother | | | | doctor in these circumstances. |
| with this new lifestyle is exhaustion. | | | | The high prevalence of fatigue among women who |
| Fathers can suffer from exhaustion too! It is said that | | | | have given birth is a concern that should not be taken |
| parents in general miss out on about 10% to 20% of | | | | lightly because sometimes it can be a symptom of |
| their normal sleeping hours during the first year of their | | | | larger medical problems such as postpartum thyroiditis |
| baby's life. | | | | (PPT) which is a thyroid dysfunction. Apart from |
| Unfortunately, such fatigue for new mothers can last | | | | exhaustion, some of the other symptoms for PPT are |
| for months depending on how well your baby sleeps | | | | goiter, dry skin, constipation, weight gain and cold |
| and how good you are at napping when you can. | | | | intolerance. And there are certain risk factors in some |
| Most new mothers start to feel less exhausted after 2 | | | | women for developing PPT such as:o Goiter and the |
| to 3 months. Although, recent research has found that | | | | presence of antithyroid antibodies in the first half of |
| contrary to popular belief that such post natal | | | | pregnancy.o A previous history of PPT.o A family |
| exhaustion is in the first 6 weeks after birth, it was | | | | history of thyroid diseaseo The presence of |
| actually found that many women were more | | | | insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. |
| exhausted at 14 to 19 months post partum than they | | | | If as a new mother, you suspect that you may be |
| were at 6 weeks. Could it be that this is linked to those | | | | experiencing a thyroid dysfunction you should contact |
| months when your baby first starts to walk and you | | | | your doctor for treatment to improve this condition. |
| are having to watch them so carefully and are literally | | | | |