07/17/2023
🫣🥴🙃 yep, not breastfeeding our third and final baby. But, over all 3 kids, I've breastfed for a total of 3 years, and I'm okay with that❤️
For me, it all came down to the fact that, for my body personally, breastfeeding hormones LARGELY impacted me, and it made life difficult in many ways. Once my milk was gone, I felt immense clarity that I hadn't felt in years. I had to choose between the stress of trying to get my milk back, or having improved mental health and cognitive ability. For the sake of my mental health & the overall wellness of my family, I chose to allow my breastfeeding journey to end.
If I learned anything from this experience that I can share, it's that breastfeeding hormones can SERIOUSLY impact the brain. Women will experience it on different levels, but the effects are very very real. I knew that this was a real thing, but I didn't realize just HOW big it was, until I experienced it firsthand.
If you ever feel internally out of control, overly forgetful, or are experiencing difficulty communicating, don't worry, ✨️IT'S TEMPORARY.✨️ I promise you are not going crazy.
Studies show that pregnancy and breastfeeding *literally* changes a woman's brain chemistry. Areas most impacted are memory, relationship building (also including intimate relationships/sex drive), and communication. The effects can be felt up to 2 years postpartum. However, newer research suggests it could be even longer.
After your milk dries up, you may experience your first little bout of clarity as your hormones begin to regulate. Be patient with yourself during this time. Your brain is healing, and while you may feel world's better all of a sudden, your hormones will still be fluctuating for some time.
& here's my FAVORITE article to share about how pregnancy restructures a woman's brain🫶
✨️ https://www.science.org/content/article/pregnancy-resculpts-women-s-brains-least-2-years ✨️