Pregnancy comes with soaring levels of oestrogen and progesterone. As soon as the placenta comes out, levels of oestrogen and progesterone plummet to perimenopausal levels within 24 hours after giving birth.
Causes of early menopause
Early menopause can happen naturally if a woman's ovaries stop making normal levels of certain hormones, particularly the hormone oestrogen. This is sometimes called premature ovarian failure, or primary ovarian insufficiency.
Women who have never given birth or been pregnant have double the odds of reaching the menopause before the age of 40, compared to those who have been pregnant.
6 Months Postpartum
Your hormones have typically returned to baseline levels around the 6-month mark. Women also often have their first regular menstruation around this time. Estrogen and progesterone return to normal levels, making it possible to have a normal cycle.
Can stress cause early menopause? Many people ask whether stress can bring on an early menopause. Generally, it is thought that high levels of stress can cause women to experience symptoms similar to menopause due to increased cortisol levels, but that it doesn't actually induce menopause.
While estrogen decline usually comes closer to menopause itself, estrogen fluctuations are thought to cause perimenopausal plights such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, even impacting motivation and ambition.
Dr. Vaidya: Anxiety can occur due to the estrogen and progesterone imbalance that occurs during perimenopause/menopause. When this hormonal system gets out of balance, symptoms of anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, foggy brain, tense muscles, and sleep disturbances can all occur.
While you might feel all alone, it is quite common for childbirth to alter hormonal balance and throw you off track, causing all kinds of negative health symptoms. These can be caused by estrogen dominance, hypothyroidism, and adrenal fatigue.
"Unfortunately, immediately postpartum and the week following delivery, estrogen and progesterone will both plummet. Simultaneously, there will be a surge in prolactin and oxytocin," says Shah.
Those who had never been pregnant or never had children had a twofold increased risk of premature menopause. These women also had a 30 percent increased risk of early menopause, according to the study.
The average length of perimenopause is about four years. Some people may only be in this stage for a few months, while others will be in this transition phase for more than four years. If you've gone more than 12 months without having a period, you are no longer in perimenopause.
The most common treatment includes hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Systemic hormone therapy can prevent many common menopausal symptoms. Or you may take vaginal hormone products, usually in low doses, to help with vaginal symptoms.
Can you reverse early menopause? You can't reverse menopause or make your ovaries function normally again. However, your provider can help reduce the symptoms and side effects of menopause. In the case of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), there's a small possibility you'll regain ovarian function.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
It depends on your situation. Not all women need, want or are candidates for estrogen therapy. Estrogen can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you have a uterus, you'll likely need to take progesterone along with the estrogen.
Temporary Physical Changes After Delivery. Afterbirth pains, body aches, vaginal pain, hemorrhoids, night sweats, swollen breasts, and hair loss are temporary physical changes that come with pregnancy. Dr. Elisha discusses what you should know and how you can get relief from common postpartum pains.
Hormonal changes during labour and postpartum
Progesterone is the most abundant hormone in pregnancy. The dramatic drop in progesterone after birth may have a role in postpartum depression. A possible explanation is that progesterone and its cerebral metabolite known as allopregnanolone seem to decrease irritability.
Perimenopause is a process — a gradual transition. No one test or sign is enough to determine if you've entered perimenopause. Your doctor takes many things into consideration, including your age, menstrual history, and what symptoms or body changes you're experiencing.
You'll feel much calmer
An end to the menopause means an end to the often debilitating mood swings that are triggered by hormonal changes.
Hormonal changes during perimenopause can affect your mood and cause a variety of physical symptoms. Concerns about aging can also develop or become worse during perimenopause. As a result of these symptoms and changes, some women develop feelings of depression and anxiety that are severe and don't go away.