Balancing hormones while breastfeeding?

[Btown1]

I was wondering if any of you ladies noticed your hormones kind of evening out while doing T-Tapp during the time that you breastfed and of your babies. My son is just over 11 months old and I'm doing t-tapp more consistantly lately and wondered if this could help get my cycle back to normal. I realize that every woman is different but was wondering if anyone had noticed anything about it with their own experience.

[JoyfulMomof6]

I have had the same thing happen.

With my youngest, who is 15 months and still nursing, I had a HORRIBLE time at first when my cycle came back when he was 10 months old. I think it's because I'm older now (43) because it had never been so bad before. I thought I was going to go insane. I literally wanted to lock myself in the bathroom and cry all the time for 2 weeks up to the TOM. I had normally been pretty consistent with number of days between cycles in the years past, but I was swinging between 49 days (!) and 35 or so, which was increasing my misery. It was summertime and I was exercising (jogging) in the pool, but not doing much TTapp.
Then I started being more consistent with my workouts (at least 3 per week) and I feel like a brand new mama and years younger. It was so funny that last month, I even "forgot" it was almost that TOM because I didn't have any PMS at all (I think it's the alfalfa, too) and my cycles are now like clockwork at 28 days.
If you a list-checker type of person, like I am, you may want to email Donna on the "6 weeks to a new you" thread. She will email you a calendar where you can keep track of your workouts and measurements. That is what really "jumpstarted" my consistency, as well as taking my first Virtual Coaching course from Kayla Howard.

[pamelaw]

I've learned the very tough way to: STAY AWAY FROM ALL SEED OILS. Every one of them mess up the hormones. I was taking them for their parent essential omegas and it messed me up royally in the worst ways. That's all seed oils: Hemp, sesame, sunflower, flax, etc...

When I did conceive, I miscarried. When I stopped taking them is when this precious little bean was conceived and I've remained healthfully pregnant and am halfway there!! Yes!!!

[JoyfulMomof6]

Oh my goodness, Pamela! I've never heard that. Do you have to stay away from eating the actual plant itself (like sunflower or flax seeds) or was it just the oil?

I'm so glad you're healthfully pregnant now! So happy for you.

[pamelaw]

The oils are highly concentrated estrogenic substances and so are the seeds, so I avoid them all just in case.

Legumes are okay (NOT soy, which is so bad for the hormones and the body, unless it is fermented miso, for example, and then in moderation as it's so high in salt). But not the seeds. I think a light dusting of them on a bagel is okay, but butters and oils I'd avoid like the plague.

Olive Oil is wonderful and I'd stick to that and real butter as oils to use in food/cooking. HTH and thank you for sharing my joy with me.

[BlessedMama]

So grateful for your knowledge, Pamela! And I think and pray for you often! Even though I've never "seen" you with my physical eyes, I just imagine your beautiful rounding belly feeling all those wonderful kicks of life, and all the love being poured into this little one being knit in your womb!

Btown1, I was nursing my little guy of almost 4 months when I started T-Tapp--almost 5 years ago! I had to have a section with him--the other 9 were vaginal deliveries (we lost one at 38 weeks). I have had hormonal issues since before puberty (acne that appeared 2 years before my cycles started) and irregularities, miscarriages, etc.

I went on supplemental natural progesterone 15 years ago, and it greatly helped. But I truly believe T-Tapp helped me just as much with evening things out. I will be 50 in 6 months and it hardly seems like it! I was really dreading menopause because I heard if you had a rough puberty and hormonal imbalances, menopause could be awful. Well, I felt better about it once I got the natural hormones, but I knew that wasn't going to make it "easy sailing"!

The way I feel now, I don't dread it at all! (Other than it would mean no more chances of just one more blessing!) I truly credit T-Tapp for helping me, and as ds slowly weaned, it was the best transition I'd ever had. Of course, I haven't had another baby since him, so I guess other things could be factored in there, but I just notice a huge difference in my hormones than the way they were before T-Tapp.

Not sure if that's what you were looking for, but thought I'd share my experience--especially as a pre-menopausal mama!

[Nikki Dawn]

Oh my, Trisch, where did 49 go! you rock! Where is the time going?

Pamela, whoot for that precious baby!

I personally eat seeds and nuts without a problem. I have never used the oil because it didn't make sense to me. The only oil I use is coconut. That said I am thinking it is high concentration of the oil instead of the whole food. I also wonder if you have a high estrogen level if it would throw you off more.

[Btown1]

Blessedmama,
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with me.
I also had to have a c-section with my son (because of fetal distress but he's just fine.)which was really hard for me. I wanted to have a natural birth more than almost anything. But of course I was going to do whatever was best for my baby. So, it took me a little bit longer to be able to start exercising at all. The first thing I started with was T-Tapp. I had done it here and there trough my pregnancy and I knew it would be the best thing for starting up again.
My goal was to nurse my son until at least a year and the way he is going I think we'll probably go beyond that even. But we are hoping we can have another one soon. So, maybe if I keep up with my workouts my cycle will even out and allow my body to ovulate again. We'll see. I'm not going to make my son give up nursing just to have another little one, so God will just have to bring that about in his timing.
I joined the "3 months to Valentine's Day" challenge last week and I think it's really going to help me with staying consistant.

[Btown1]

Pamela,
Congrats on the baby!!!!! I'm so happy for you!

[pamelaw]

Thank you! It's going very well and I'm finally feeling more energetic and not so nauseaus any more. I love hearing the heartbeat and now am feeling definite kicks (not just rolls and bubbles). Jan 4. we find out the gender.