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    The Baby Blues: Why Don’t I Feel Better Yet?

    The Baby Blues: Why Don’t I Feel Better Yet?

    I will literally never forget the crash of hormones that follows the birth of a child – the Baby Blues, they say.  It was day 4. My child was exactly 4 days old, and I could feel the hormones beginning to fall like a wave about to crest over me and smash me down onto the sand underneath. Only…there was nothing I could do to stop them. I couldn’t move out of the way or side step the hormones. I couldn’t take a special pill or eat a special diet to keep it from happening. That crash was coming, ready or not. And ready I was definitely not.

    A hormonal imbalance and crash after the birth of a child is completely normal. Your hormones have been soaring for a solid 9 months, and even though there were some ups and downs, they mostly stayed fairly high. After the baby arrives, your body takes a few days, and then a signal is sent that tells your body to shut it down. No baby means no more high levels of hormones. The only problem is that your body doesn’t do this gradually. The hormones fall drastically, giving many women the sensation known as the baby blues.

    The baby blues is the slight depression that follows the birth of a child. It’s not full on, hard core depression, but rather a negative or down feeling. Most women suffer through for a week or 2, and then the hormones begin to level out. The baby blues start to subside, and women begin to feel normal again. The important thing to remember with the baby blues is that it is normal, and for most women, it passes fairly quickly.

    But, what happens when it doesn’t pass? What happens when the baby blues turn into the long term blues? When this happens, you can almost be certain that hormonal imbalances are at play. When the hormones are not in balance, it can cause a wide array of symptoms, one of which is a feeling of the blues or even full on depression. If your baby blues seem to be turning into long term depression, then your hormones are likely still imbalanced. They are not returning to normal levels as quickly as they should, and it is causing your body and mind to experience the blues.

    If you find this happening to you, get help right away. The right treatment can turn hormonal depression around and stop it in its tracks. At HerKare, a treatment professional may be able to test your hormones, determine whether an imbalance is present, and get you an appropriate treatment plan. When your baby blues turn into depression, or you suspect a hormonal imbalance for any other reason, get to HerKare to let a physician help you today.

    3 Reasons You Just Can’t Lose That Stubborn Post Baby Weight

    3 Reasons You Just Can’t Lose That Stubborn Post Baby Weight

    First time moms are often guilty of thinking that their post baby weight is going to fall off instantly. They take their pre baby skinny jeans to the hospital fully expecting to wear them home. They quickly find out that it doesn’t exactly work like that. While post baby weight doesn’t fall off the instant baby is born, it can come off in a timely manner with some consistent effort and regular medical exams.

    Through proper nutrition and exercise, it is possible to drop those stubborn pounds. But, what happens when those stubborn pounds are a bit too stubborn? If your post baby weight is being more difficult than you think it should be, check out these 3 reasons that your post baby weight may stick around longer.

    Lack of Sleep

    A lack of sleep can cause a lot more problems than just being tired. It can also throw your body into a bit of a panic. It begins to produce the wrong chemicals causing hormone imbalance. in order to try and compensate for the lack of sleep. Its natural rhythm is thrown off, and because of that, your body may fight back in a number of ways. One such way is by hanging onto a few extra pounds. If you’re doing everything right, but still can’t drop the pounds, try asking for some help in getting a little sleep. Call on grandma or a friend, and get some rest. Before you know it, you will be rested up and you may find those stubborn pounds fall off.

    You Are Nursing

    I know that the conventional wisdom about nursing is that it helps you lose weight, but for a few women, it means hanging onto a few pounds. Nursing burns massive calories, but some women’s bodies refuse to burn about 10 pounds or so. It keeps that extra reserve to make sure that you don’t get too skinny and are unable to nourish your baby. If you are nursing and can’t lose weight, see what happens when you wean. If you still can’t lose, it might be time to look at other options.

    Hormonal Imbalance

    A lot of extra weight after baby happens because of a hormonal imbalance. It takes a while to get the hormones back on track after baby. For some women, it takes a lot longer than others. If your hormones are still out of whack after baby, it may manifest itself through an inability to lose weight. If you are doing everything right, and those pounds refuse to drop, a hormonal imbalance might be to blame.

    If you suspect a hormonal imbalance, get to HerKare to let a treatment professional get you back on track. Losing that post baby weight is important to your health and your long term self esteem. Get your hormones checked and your weight back under control with the help of a physician at HerKare.

    Understanding Two Most Famous Hormones & What They Do

    Understanding Two Most Famous Hormones & What They Do

    In case you didn’t know, there are actually a lot of hormones at work in a woman’s body. Like…a lot. Actually, there are a lot of hormones at work in everyone’s body. Even though hormones are responsible for a huge number of functions in the body, only a few hormones are well known enough to get any recognition. Hormone replacement therapy is a popular topic and you need to understand why.

    For men, it’s the T word: Testosterone. For women, it’s two hormones that get a lot of recognition: progesterone and estrogen. You’ve probably heard of both of these. But, do you even know what they do? Do you know their jobs and functions? Do you know what happens when they get out of balance?

    As women, it is important to be informed about our own bodies. Take a look at the 2 most famous hormones and their roles in the lives of women.


    This hormone has quite a few roles in the body. For starters, progesterone helps a woman nourish a pregnancy. The lining of the uterus needs preparation in order to hold, keep, and nourish a pregnancy. This is where progesterone steps in. It preps the lining, getting it ready to grab onto a fertilized egg should it be present. Without proper amounts of progesterone, the lining won’t be ready and the pregnancy won’t be viable. If pregnancy does occur, it is progesterone that helps your body hold onto it, keeping the fetus firmly attached. Progesterone is also responsible for preparing the milk glands during pregnancy, so that they produce adequate nourishment for your child. When it comes to progesterone, preparation seems to be one of its main jobs and there are progesterone replacement therapy options available post-hormone testing.


    When it comes to estrogen, think of growth and development. When puberty in women occurs, it is usually the result of a rise in estrogen. It causes the reproductive organs to grow, develop, and mature. It is also responsible for thickening the uterus lining during the first half of the menstrual cycle. Without estrogen, period would not occur or would be irregular at best. Estrogen also causes an egg to mature each month, and as estrogen drops, the egg is released. If your body is growing or developing, estrogen is probably a significant hormone behind it.

    When Levels are Off

    Most women don’t really think about the specific roles of their hormones. As long as they are functioning normally, there really isn’t a whole lot of need to know the gory details. It’s only when the levels become unbalanced that women may feel the need to learn more. So, what does happen when the body experiences hormone imbalance? It could cause a number of symptoms, and unfortunately, they can be confusing. A woman may lose her hair, or she may start to grow hair in weird places. You may have trouble either losing or gaining weight. You may have mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, extreme fatigue, insomnia, and the list goes on and on.

    What To Do

    If you have any of the above symptoms or suspect and imbalance for any reason, there is help available. A physician at HerKare may be able to test your hormones and determine if an imbalance is present. If it is, they may be able to help find a treatment plan that works for your. For your own health and wellbeing, get to know your hormones and their roles in our body. Then, if a problem comes about, you can get the help and attention you need to get back on track and healthy again.

    Is Progesterone Really THAT Important?

    Is Progesterone Really THAT Important?

    Starting from about 13, I knew that women were full of hormones. I had heard the stories about mood swings and hot flashes and all sorts of terrible problems, and I had probably even experienced a few crazy symptoms of my own by that point. The main culprit, as far as I was concerned, was that pesky hormone, estrogen. She was the problem. For a long time, estrogen was the only hormone that I knew belonged to women. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties and pregnant with my first child that I realized that estrogen wasn’t necessarily the most dominant female hormone, and in fact, its sister hormone progesterone was just as important. Until then, I didn’t really think progesterone was really that big of a deal. So, how big of a deal is progesterone, really?

    What Does It Do?

    First, it is important to know the main roles of progesterone. Every hormone and chemical in the body has a (or multiple) specific function. Progesterone is no different. Since I first encountered a problem with progesterone when I was pregnant, I quickly learned that one main function of this hormone is to maintain a pregnancy. It also helps to regulate the menstrual cycle. When progesterone is off, your cycle is also likely to be off as well. Lastly, progesterone helps you out in the bedroom. When it comes to libido, the perfect mix of hormones makes the best recipe for sex drive.

    What Happens When It Is Wrong?

    If progesterone levels are wrong, it can wreak a bit of havoc on the body. For me, it was causing me to lose the pregnancy. Once my doctor got my progesterone levels right, the pregnancy was sustained. Some women experience extreme fatigue…more than I didn’t get enough sleep fatigue…like, the real thing! Other women experience weak hair and nails, weight gain, or migraines. And of course, like any hormonal problem, menstrual irregularities can also signal a problem.

    What Can I Do?

    If you suspect a progesterone imbalance or other problems, the best course of action is to seek help. If you already have a doctor, they should be able to point you in the right direction. Otherwise, try a facility like HerKare. A physician at HerKare may be able to determine whether your progesterone levels are right, and if not, they may be able to help get a treatment plan just for you. With the right care, you may be able to get your hormones back on track and feel better than ever.

    Why Baby Makes You Crazy: The Hormonal Truth About Pregnancy

    Why Baby Makes You Crazy: The Hormonal Truth About Pregnancy

    Oh, the joys of pregnancy and childbirth. While there is certainly some joy involved, there is also some fear, a little bit of trepidation, and a whole lot of crazy. I hate to say it aloud, but all women that have given birth know all too well that having a child makes you crazy. It just does. Take a look at these examples, and most likely, it’ll bring up some crazy experiences of your very own. Learn more about some hormonal truths about pregnancy.


    Before you get pregnant, it’s possible that you are struggling to conceive. While it seems like some women get pregnant at the drop of a hat, others struggle for years. This in itself, is often due to a hormonal issue. Add the stress of infertility on top of that and you have a recipe for crazy. I was one such crazy woman. Before I fell pregnant with my first child, I can remember one instance, after trying for about a year, of screaming and yelling at my husband because he was using a new lotion on his face. I was convinced that this stupid lotion was causing some kind of problem and that was why we couldn’t conceive. After being diagnosed with a progesterone problem, we did in fact get pregnant, and I apologized for my crazy outburst(s).


    I’m not even going to give a specific example. If you’ve ever met a pregnant woman, you’ve met a crazy pregnant woman. During pregnancy, your hormones are absolutely bonkers. Crying at commercials, yelling at strangers, you get the idea. If you’ve been pregnant, you’ve done something crazy. For me, I cried when our new carseat didn’t fit perfectly (it was fine), melted down when my cupcakes were too dry (they weren’t), and accused my husband of a slew of awful things. You could be experiencing a hormonal imbalance and be in need


    Exactly 4 days after my son was born, I felt my hormones crash. I literally felt them. I was a bigger mess than I had ever been in my life. About a month after my sister’s first born, we stayed in a hotel for a work obligation. She had a panic attack about a picture on the wall possibly falling and hitting her child as she slept in her bouncer. The picture was screwed into the wall…Like, permanently screwed into the wall. Women do crazy things after the baby is born because your hormones are trying to regulate themselves. They are rising and falling and swinging all around. Women aren’t really crazy when they have a baby, but their hormones most definitely are.

    When to Worry

    For the most part, the hormonal imbalances of pregnant women will work themselves out. Sometimes, however, they need a little help. I tried for a year to conceive before discovering a hormonal imbalance. You may or may not wait that long before seeking help. Similarly, if you aren’t feeling better a few months after baby arrives, it might be worth getting checked out.

    If you are concerned about your hormones, either pre or post baby, get to HerKare and let a physician check you out. They may be able to test your hormones, determine whether an imbalance is present, and get you the help you need. Hormones are a big deal. Get to HerKare and let a treatment professional help you feel better than ever.