Today we want to discuss something VERY important. The Cycle of Depletion. Arguably one of the most crucial parts to preconception preparation and planning your pregnancy.
We hear this too often;
~ “You’ve just grown a human of course you are tired”
~ “It’s completely normal, just take some time out for yourself”
~ “Everyone is exhausted after pregnancy”
Many people accept this state of depletion as the norm. But this is far from the truth!
Let’s dive into this vicious cycle a little more
Depleted woman prior to conceiving
~ you’ve made the conscious decision to have a baby, stop the oral contraceptive pill and immediately fall pregnant. What you didn’t know is the OCP can actually cause critical nutrients to become depleted, now entering pregnancy already low on stores of iron, zinc, B’s etc.
Depleted woman during pregnancy
~ we found a study focusing on pregnant women in their first trimester and micronutrient levels, it found that only 4% of women had no deficiencies at all, the rest having at least one deficiency in nutrients including zinc, iron, folate, B’s etc. Let us tell you something mumma to be, your baby gets first dibs on your nutrient stores (however full or empty) leaving you even more depleted.
Depleted woman postpartum
~ ok, so you’ve just grown a human without enough nutrient stores to begin with, so recovery will take longer, obviously. You will be more tired and you will have less time and energy to spend with your newborn because you are just focusing the bare minimum. Sometimes the bare minimum even looks like skipping your mealtimes (aka missing more nutrients) for looking after everyone else.
Burnout + depletion long term
~ You haven’t really ever “recovered”, you’ve just kept moving on, because “it’s normal to be tired, right?”. A year after you decide to keep growing your little family, heading into yet another pregnancy depleted and the cycle continues.
BUT WE ARE NOT HERE TO SCARE YOU, THERE IS SO MUCH YOU CAN DO LADIES
~ before you conceive, whether it’s your first, 2nd or 5th child, let’s focus on filling your nutrient stores and optimising your health for future you and so you can be your best for your little miracle.
Check out how our Conscious Conception Online Course can provide you with the key information to ensure you are heading into pregnancy prepared.