You’ve returned home with your new baby and are beginning to adjust to post-pregnancy life and the return to normality. As a new mom, you’re sure to experience changes beyond those happening with your new baby. One change many new mothers experience is night sweats.
For several weeks after birth, new moms may experience this postpartum symptom. If you were or are a new mother, you may wonder why and if anything can be done? Let’s take a look at the cause and a few things you can do to deal with it.
What Causes Postpartum Sweating?
Often occurring at night, postpartum sweating can be an uncomfortable and frustrating reality for new mothers as they attempt to adjust to post-pregnancy life and motherhood. Things don’t immediately return to normal once your child is born. Your body will go through a period of change that may include a variety of symptoms - postpartum sweating being one of them.
As with many of the challenging aspects of pregnancy, you can once again point to hormones. Once your baby is born, your hormones work overtime to help your body adjust to no longer carrying and supporting another human being.
Part of this return to normality involves ridding your body of excess fluid it retained to support your baby. With postpartum sweating, your body is flushing out the water weight it desperately needed during pregnancy but no longer needs.
What You Can Do To Help With Postpartum Sweating
Night sweats are undeniably unpleasant, but it’s important to keep this experience in perspective—sweating and other postpartum symptoms are only temporary and will typically resolve after a few weeks. In the meantime, there are a few steps you can take to help reduce the discomfort while ensuring you remain healthy through your body’s adjustment period.
You can make yourself more comfortable with just a few changes to your sleeping situation. Loose-fitting, lightweight pajamas that allow your body to breathe can work wonders, as can simply cooling down your bedroom. Consider adding an extra fan, AC unit, or cooling system to your room at night to help—cool towels can help, too.
Lastly, and I know it seems to counter the reason for postpartum sweating, it is vital that you drink a lot of water to replenish the fluid you are shedding. This is especially true if you are breastfeeding, as your body relies on proper hydration to perform its natural functions properly.
As you adjust to life as a new mom—even if it’s not the first time—keep in mind that while some of this transition may be uncomfortable, it’s temporary. Enjoy time with your new baby, try to be patient, and you’ll be back to the old you in no time at all.
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Disclaimer: PerkinElmer and ViaCord do not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medications, or treatment. All information is provided for informational purposes only.
Resources:
Healthline. Causes and Treatments for Postpartum Night Sweats. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/postpartum-night-sweats
Post-Partum Night Sweats: What to Do? https://www.webmd.com/parenting/what-to-do-about-postpartum-night-sweats#1
