Nine months in, the wild ride of postpartum and Cushing’s disease

I am nine months postpartum, and while I’ve recovered from the urgent cesarean section and am managing motherhood to the best of my abilities, it has been a wild ride.

While the initial postpartum period typically lasts six to eight weeks, full healing can take up to a year. The process may look a bit different for each person who has given birth.

My daughter’s birth was particularly traumatic for me. My water broke at 25 weeks, and I had her at 27 weeks after 48 hours of intense labor, a full placental abruption, and oxygen loss to both of us. We spent two months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before taking her home on a nasogastric tube and 1/4 liter of oxygen. She’s now off everything and doing well.

Trauma and stress raise cortisol, so other people with Cushing’s disease might have a more gentle postpartum experience than I did.

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Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has been a journey. I can’t take certain medications and supplements that I used to be on because they pass through the breast milk to my baby. I used to take atorvastatin to lower my risk of heart attack or stroke, and berberine to lower blood sugar. My daughter’s doctor said not to take them as long as I’m breastfeeding.

My breastfeeding is affected by my cortisol cycles. Some days, I produce a ton of milk. Other times, I have to supplement with formula.

Hormones

Because Cushing’s is a hormonal disease, my body struggles to balance hormone levels. My progesterone dropped after birth, causing my periods to be longer and more painful until I experienced a month-long period. Now I have to take progesterone to raise my levels.

I also have incredibly high testosterone right now, and my estrogen is relatively low, which has led to breakouts, hair loss, and mood swings.

Anxiety

Many moms have anxiety with their brand-new babies. However, since Cushing’s disease caused me anxiety before the baby arrived, it’s now reached a new level for me. I misread communications between people. I take every rejection and make it 10,000 times more impactful. I worry about ways my child could accidentally get injured. I’m constantly worried, so much so that my stomach is in knots, and I’m seeking more intense mental healthcare.

Body temperature

I’ve talked to many moms who have higher body temperatures after birth. Mine, however, is next level. Our furnace broke on the coldest day of the year when my daughter was still in the NICU. We stayed home with blankets and socks. My husband was shivering. I was comfortable. Extremely comfortable.

I sleep with ice packs attached to my feet and take cold baths — anything to cool down. It’s especially bad because of global warming and the awful summer heat this year. I have to chase down relief.

Heart rate

My heart rate has always been a little high, but it peaked during my pregnancy. Due to my medical history, I was put in a post-birth heart rate checking program. I had to send in my heart information every day for the first six weeks postpartum, and every week for three months after that.

It’s still high, all these months later, but no longer at a dangerous level. However, I’ll most likely have to keep monitoring it for the rest of my life.

Overall, I know my postpartum experience isn’t entirely unique, but it does feel extreme. I can relate to other mothers I talk to, but I feel like Cushing’s disease has made this period more intense for me. I hope to connect soon with some chronically ill mothers to have more support as I go through this.

You can also follow my journey on TikTok and YouTube.

Note: Cushing’s Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cushing’s Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Cushing’s.