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Fun fact: After childbirth, a woman’s hormones don’t just “drop”... they plummet. Within the first 24–72 hours after delivery, estrogen and progesterone fall dramatically from their peak pregnancy levels to near pre-pregnancy levels. It’s one of the most abrupt hormonal shifts the human body goes through. During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone are extremely elevated. Once the placenta is delivered, those hormones decline rapidly, signaling the body to stop sustaining pregnancy and begin milk production. At the same time, prolactin rises to support lactation, oxytocin surges to help the uterus contract, and the uterus begins shrinking back to its original size... a process that takes weeks. Postpartum bleeding (lochia) can last 4–6 weeks as the body heals. This intense hormonal shift is one major reason many women experience mood swings, tearfulness, irritability, or the “baby blues” in the first days after birth. For some, the changes can contribute to postpartum depression or anxiety. All of this happens while she’s recovering physically, often sleep-deprived, and caring for a newborn around the clock. So yes... if she doesn’t feel like herself right away, that’s not weakness. That’s biology.