What are Postpartum Night Sweats?

Postpartum is a tough phase for every woman. After having a baby, not only the daily routine but there comes a lot of physical changes and hormonal up-downs. Therefore, women face different medical issues consistently. Postpartum night sweats are one of them which can cause restlessness in new mothers at night.

Keep reading to know more about this topic.

Hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone, are the main reason behind night sweating during postpartum. 

During pregnancy, the secretion of these two hormones reaches a high level. Contrarily, the secretion goes completely downwards after delivery. Hence, the ups and downs of these two hormones can lead to increasing and decreasing body temperature. 

In addition, during pregnancy, the fluid level in a woman’s body goes high and after the delivery body starts to emit this high level of fluid through urine and sweat. So frequent night sweats are very common at this stage.

Apart from that, hyperthyroidism is also responsible for night sweats during postpartum.

Generally, the causes of postpartum sweats and their sequences are both naturally curable. Therefore, you can follow some practices to get control over this issue naturally. These are listed below:

1. Add Soy Foods to Your Diet

Studies show soy intake can efficiently reduce the hot flash during postpartum. Therefore, women should include high-soy foods such as miso, tofu, natto, tempeh etc., into their diet to calm their body temperature.

2. Go for Relaxation Sessions and Massages

The birth of a baby can add extra stress to a new mother’s life. Stress factors are highly responsible for night sweats during postpartum. Though it is unavoidable, it can be cured in several ways. For example, you can go for breathing exercises, meditation and stress-releasing exercises.

You should try relaxing massages and therapies for better handling of night sweats during postpartum. These can be:

• Back massages
• Foot massages

3. Go For Herbal Remedies

To cure restlessness, you can take help from herbal care as they are highly effective for better sleep. In this regard, valerian root can help you a lot. However, consulting a doctor beforehand is important to try anything on your postpartum health.

Night sweats during postpartum cause restlessness at night. Therefore, new mothers become more tired and emotional. As the situation does not last long and fixes on its own, you will need to follow some remedies and treatment methods for healing naturally. These includes:

• Eating less spicy foods
• Place a towel or a cloth on the bed and sleep on it
• Sleep on a soft bed sheet
• Reduce your caffeine intake, especially at night
• Drinking cold water before sleep is a great help
• Try to sleep near an open window
• Wear soft clothes
• Seek professional help for emotional imbalance
• Take medicines carefully

Medical studies show that postpartum sweating can last for 2 weeks after delivery. Depending on the physical conditions of women, it may vary. However, along with postpartum night sweats, women also may face symptoms like fatigue and constipation.

If you notice any abnormality and face other severe issues, you should consult a physician.

If you face the following symptoms, then you should go for a check-up:

• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite
• Frequent fever up to 100.4 degrees
• Warm and red patches over your breasts
• Abnormal and foul vaginal discharge
• Frequent anxiety attacks and depression
• Bleeding or releasing large blood clots after delivery
• Burning sensation during urination
• Dizziness or frequent fainting
• Breathing troubles
• Frequent cramps
• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Hypoglycaemia

Postpartum can heavily impact the overall health of a woman. Therefore, it is a matter of concern and needs to be treated properly.

Hope this guide on a postpartum night sweats can give you a comprehensive idea of the causes and remedies of it. Hence, every woman is different and their issues too. So it is recommended that you should understand your physical conditions and requirements and opt for suitable treatment.