For a long time, I couldn’t explain why my body stopped responding the way it used to.
I was doing what had worked before.
I was showing up.
I was trying—really trying.
But after having my daughter Claire, something shifted. During my first year postpartum, I lost only about 20 pounds despite doing all the things I had relied on in the past. That was the first quiet sign that something deeper might be going on.
At the time, I didn’t know hormones could even be “off.” I didn’t have language for what I was feeling. I just knew my effort and my results no longer matched.
That experience became the beginning of my hormone health journey—years before I ever lost 100 pounds.
This post is based entirely on a conversation from the Real and Naturalish, where I sat down with my nurse practitioner, Brittany Meeker, to talk through what I experienced, what she sees clinically, and how women can start making sense of symptoms that often get brushed off.
For women who want expert guidance — not guesswork — Thrive Lab offers medical evaluation and ongoing support.
When “Doing Everything Right” Still Doesn’t Work
What stood out most in hindsight was how confused I felt.
I had lost weight before.
I knew how my body used to respond.
But after pregnancy and breastfeeding, it was like my baseline never fully returned. I later learned that pregnancy and breastfeeding place hormones on a significant roller coaster—one that doesn’t always level out quickly.
As Brittany explained, estrogen and progesterone rise dramatically during pregnancy, then drop sharply after delivery. If you breastfeed, estrogen remains suppressed even longer. Once breastfeeding stops, there’s another drop.
What many women don’t realize is that it can take up to two years after pregnancy and breastfeeding for hormones to fully stabilize. For those of us who have pregnancies close together, that baseline may never fully return before the next shift begins.
Hearing that helped me connect a lot of dots.
Sleep Was the First Red Flag
For me, the clearest sign that something was off showed up in my sleep.
After my third baby, I reached a point where I wasn’t falling asleep until two in the morning. I’d wake up at eight, exhausted, and spend the entire day feeling foggy and depleted. That pattern went on for months.
Brittany shared that sleep disruption is often one of the earliest indicators of hormone imbalance. Sleep is when the body does much of its repair work. When that process is disrupted, the effects don’t stay contained to nighttime.
Poor sleep can show up as:
- Brain fog
- Low energy
- Reduced motivation
- Feeling sluggish despite rest
Over time, that lack of recovery can spill into work, relationships, exercise, and emotional resilience.
That was exactly what I was experiencing.
Why Pregnancy, Stress, and Cortisol Matter
Hormones don’t shift in isolation.
Alongside estrogen and progesterone changes, Brittany emphasized the role of cortisol—the body’s primary stress hormone. Cortisol is designed to help us survive real danger. The problem is that many women live in a constant state of activation.
New babies.
Interrupted sleep.
Other children.
Work.
Household demands.
The body doesn’t distinguish between a dark alley and a nonstop to-do list. Over time, chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, which can further disrupt hormone balance.
Brittany described it as a cascade: hormonal shifts from pregnancy, compounded by sleep deprivation and ongoing stress, all while the body is trying to compensate.
That explanation helped me understand why my mind kept telling me I was fine—but my body clearly wasn’t.
“Normal” Labs vs. Feeling Normal
One of the most important distinctions Brittany made was between normal and optimal.
Most lab ranges are based on averages for age. They’re represented as a bell curve of what’s statistically expected—not necessarily what’s best for how you feel and function.
As hormones naturally decline with age, it becomes easier to fall within a “normal” range while still experiencing symptoms. That’s why so many women are told their labs look fine, even when they don’t feel like themselves.
Brittany’s approach focuses on optimizing levels based on symptoms, patterns, and how someone responds—not just whether a number falls inside a broad reference range.
That perspective was validating. It explained why I felt dismissed before I ever felt understood.
You can learn more about Thrive Lab’s medical approach here.
Perimenopause Starts Earlier Than Most Women Expect
Another moment that stopped me in my tracks was learning that perimenopause often begins around age 35.
Perimenopause is the phase before menopause and can last anywhere from four to ten years. During this time, hormones fluctuate and periods may change—but they often don’t stop completely, which makes it harder to recognize what’s happening.
Symptoms during perimenopause can include:
- Sleep disruption
- Changes in cycle length or flow
- PMS that feels more intense
- Skin changes
- Low libido
- Reduced workout recovery
Menopause itself is defined as twelve consecutive months without a period. That means many women are already deep into hormonal changes long before menopause is officially diagnosed.
Understanding that timeline helped me stop questioning whether I was “too young” to be feeling what I was feeling.
Why Testing and Ongoing Guidance Matter
One of the biggest lessons from my experience is that hormone care isn’t a one-time event.
Dosing, delivery methods, and timing are individualized. Brittany explained that treatment decisions are guided by symptoms, lifestyle, stress levels, and how someone responds over time. Labs are a guide—not the sole decision-maker.
For me, having ongoing access to guidance made a difference. When something felt off—like waking up with sudden skin changes after an adjustment—I could ask questions and get direction instead of waiting months for another appointment.
That feedback loop helped me feel supported rather than left to figure it out alone.
A Grounded Note on Thrive Lab
After my last pregnancy and breastfeeding journey, I knew I wanted answers without long wait times or fragmented care. That’s how I found Thrive Lab.
What stood out to me was the holistic lens—looking at hormones, stress, lifestyle, and symptoms together—and the accessibility of care. For my season of life, that structure mattered.
If you’re reading this and wondering whether hormone testing is something to explore, learning about platforms like Thrive Lab can simply be a way to gather information and understand what options exist.
There’s no urgency required—just permission to be curious.
Closing Thoughts
Looking back, the signs were there long before I understood them.
The fatigue.
The sleep struggles.
The feeling that my body wasn’t responding the way it used to.
Nothing was “wrong” with me—but something needed attention.
If this resonates, my hope is that it offers clarity rather than alarm. Hormonal changes are common, especially after pregnancy and as we move through our 30s and beyond.
Listening to your body and seeking answers is not overreacting.
It’s self-awareness. Sometimes, knowing why you feel the way you do is the most grounding step forward.
If you decide you want medical guidance in this area, work with a team that treats your body like it’s unique — because it is.
You can learn more about Thrive Lab here.
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