Increased sweating is evidence of ongoing hormonal changes in the body to function according to a new pattern. Heavy sweating after pregnancy ends within two months. If excessive sweating after childbirth persists for a longer time, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor.

Severe sweating after childbirth normally goes away after two months.

Sweating is regulated by the hypothalamus, the brain structure responsible for thermoregulation. Since all body functions are controlled with the help of hormones, any changes in hormonal levels lead to the fact that the autonomic system begins to malfunction and the young mother notices that she begins to sweat at night.

During pregnancy, a woman's estrogen increases, which is responsible for a specific emotional response to the fetus so that she protects it. After the birth of the baby, you no longer need to take care so much (nature reasons simply - if a pregnant woman gets into trouble, two individuals will die, if a nursing mother, one individual can survive), estrogen drops and prolactin is produced, which is responsible for producing the best food for your baby for the next year - milk. A sharp drop in estrogen, which is produced at night, causes night sweats in women after childbirth.

A caesarean section is no less stressful than a normal birth for mother and baby. In this case, the woman also often notices that she begins to sweat at night.

Why do night sweats occur in new mothers?

Eat right and take more vitamins

After giving birth, many nursing mothers often begin to freeze in their sleep and complain of severe sweating at night. The most common reason is the usual decrease in estrogen in the blood of a nursing woman, which is responsible for thermoregulation. For the same reason, women suffer from severe sweating during menopause.

Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding are a lot of stress for the body, and profuse cold sweat can be a symptom of various pathologies that manifest after childbirth. These include:

1. HIV infection.
2. Lymphogranulomatosis.
3. Tuberculosis.
4. Diabetes mellitus.
5. Thyroid diseases.
6. Myasthenia.

A particularly serious symptom is sweating after childbirth at night, which is accompanied by weakness and swelling of the lymph nodes, muscle cramps in the arms and legs, increased and profuse sweating, and fever. Contact your doctor for a thorough examination of your body.

How to treat

Since there is no single reason for excessive sweating after childbirth, there is also no universal way to cure it. If this problem causes inconvenience and anxiety, it needs to be dealt with.

To begin with, carefully observe hygiene standards (no matter how difficult it may be with a baby constantly demanding attention). Increased sweat production is associated with poor hygiene in a “vicious circle” - dirty skin sweats more, causing it to become dirty, etc. Review your wardrobe, give preference to linen or cotton fabrics, it allows the body to breathe.

If sweating persists for a long time, you should consult a doctor.

If anything bothers you while breastfeeding, do not delay, consult a doctor. Many diseases are much easier to treat at an early stage.

The diet of mothers - not only for those who say “after childbirth I sweat a lot,” but for everyone - must change radically. For the next six months, your baby should only eat your milk, and for the next six months it will remain an important part of the diet. Milk must contain all microelements, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. If your diet is insufficient, some of the elements your child needs will be produced from your body’s reserves. Calcium from bones, for example (and then you will suffer from osteoporosis). Therefore, it is better to introduce vitamin complexes into your diet.

Try to make your diet as balanced as possible. Follow the principles of proper nutrition and drink enough fluids.

Increased sweating in young mothers, in addition to many reasons, has one unpleasant consequence. While you are breastfeeding, almost all relevant medications are contraindicated for you (even herbal ones, their metabolites can pass into milk and cause allergies in the baby), and cosmetic procedures, such as botulinum toxin injections. So hygiene, nutrition and lifestyle come first.

Despite the fact that pregnancy and childbirth are a natural phenomenon of nature, a woman’s body as a whole undergoes a significant shake-up, trying to adapt to new conditions.

Significant changes also occur in a woman’s hormonal background. The postpartum period “smoothes out” and normalizes hormonal balance, and the body returns to normal on its own. If this does not happen, the body suffers a hormonal imbalance when the main female hormones during this period - progesterone and estrogen - upset their balance.

Hormonal imbalance can cause hyperhidrosis - that is, increased sweating after childbirth.
Frequent sweating after childbirth is a common occurrence in women who have recently given birth, usually occurring at night. In this way, the body releases excess fluid accumulated during pregnancy.

This process involves the urinary system, namely the kidneys, hence the frequent urge to urinate and swelling. All organs and systems act with double the load, trying to get rid of excess water.

Even if a woman did not have problems with excessive sweating during pregnancy, in frequent cases it can appear after the birth of a child, intensifying during stressful situations and even with minor worries.

There is an opinion that a sharp drop in the amount of the hormone estrogen during the postpartum period is associated with increased sweating. The human body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain. The hypothalamus incorrectly perceives a violation of estrogen levels, and gives a signal to generate increased body temperature. The body, in turn, reacts to increased temperature by excessive sweating. This phenomenon is called hyperhidrosis. Night sweats occur most profusely after childbirth, as the body produces more heat when at rest.
The duration of hyperhidrosis after the birth of a child lasts up to approximately two months. Breastfeeding mothers may experience similar problems for an even longer period of time. Breastfeeding causes increased sweating.

The problem of increased sweat production after childbirth cannot be solved by any radical means or medication, so as not to harm the baby who is breastfed. In this case, the recommendations will be as follows:

• regular body hygiene using a contrast shower;
• light clothing made from natural fabrics;
• traditional medicine in the form of herbal drying decoctions (oak bark, pomegranate);
• Rational nutrition;
• Walking in the fresh air;
• Ventilation of living space.

Perhaps our tips will help young mothers cope with excessive sweating:

1. Regular meals and categorical refusal of any diets. Normalize your diet so that the body can receive all the substances necessary for normal functioning. Healthy eating is important during this period to allow the body to recover quickly after childbirth, as well as to ensure normal breastfeeding for the baby.
2. A comprehensive intake of vitamins and microelements will help achieve the desired balance of all the nutrients the body needs.
3. Normalization of water balance. You should not limit yourself to drinking fluids, especially when breastfeeding, this will not help reduce sweating, but on the contrary, it can threaten blockage of the milk ducts. Drinks without caffeine and alcohol will help the body remove excess fluid and prevent dehydration.

To summarize the above: increased sweating after childbirth is a completely natural phenomenon that is not a disease unless it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Hyperthermia;
• Fever;
• Headache;
• General weakness.

Both pregnancy itself and the process of childbirth are very stressful for a woman’s body. Many changes occur in it that affect absolutely all organs and systems. The hormonal system suffers the most. She reacts differently to stressful situations every time. One of the possible deviations is excessive sweating after childbirth.

Excessive sweating is a problem for almost all women in labor. In some it manifests itself more strongly, in others less.

Usually a woman faces a problem in the first few days after the birth of her baby. It can be completely resolved within two months. Most heavy sweating occurs at night. It affects the axillary areas, head, back and lower back.

Expectant mothers rarely think about how they will feel after giving birth. They are more concerned about the correct bearing of the child and the birth itself. But after the baby is born, the body will begin to recover, and this process can bring with it some troubles.

If heavy sweating is observed within two months after childbirth, this is normal. And if it’s more, you should consult a doctor and possibly undergo additional examination. By the way, if a woman experienced similar problems during pregnancy, it is quite possible that they will haunt her in the period after the birth of the child.

Why is this happening?

Excessive sweating appears after childbirth for several reasons:

1. Severe stress. It occurs due to malfunctions of the hormonal system. The level of estrogen in the body rapidly decreases. The hypothalamus (the part of the brain that regulates body temperature) considers this decrease to be a violation and begins to produce heat. To get rid of large amounts of heat, the body secretes copious amounts of sweat. This is the main reason why the young mother began to sweat a lot.
2. While carrying a baby, a lot of fluid accumulates in the mother's body. Increased sweat production is an opportunity to remove excess sweat and normalize water balance.
3. Postpartum stress or depression. Just like disorders of the autonomic nervous system, these conditions can cause profuse sweating.
4. In some cases, the body simply does not have time to adapt. By actively sweating, it protects the fetus from overheating and possible miscarriage.
5. Excess weight gained during pregnancy.

Possible solutions

To begin with, it is worth understanding that the problem will be solved over time. There is no need to be nervous and worried again, because stress can only aggravate the situation. It will also have a bad effect on the baby, who is sensitive to his mother’s mood.

There are several ways to get rid of excessive sweating. Their main goal is to restore metabolism.

• Proper nutrition. Every day, a young mother should receive all the necessary substances from food. It is advisable to completely avoid very fatty and spicy foods, but eat more foods with fiber: lean meat, seafood, milk, cottage cheese, porridge. It is recommended to take vitamin complexes. But before using them you need to consult your doctor.
• Proper drinking regime. Many people think that reducing the amount of fluid consumed will reduce sweating. This is a misconception. The right amount of clean water helps restore metabolism. The amount of water needed depends on body weight. Usually this is about two liters per day.
• Adequate sleep and rest. It is important to get enough sleep and walk more if possible. You can set aside time for gymnastics. Physical exercise will help return the metabolism to its original state and, as a result, the woman will sweat less.
• Hygiene. Don't forget about hygiene measures. This is a shower, washing or wiping.
• In clothing, you should give preference to natural fabrics, such as cotton or linen.

Do you need medications?

There is no specific treatment for postpartum excessive sweating. Experts suggest using a set of measures that will help alleviate the condition. However, you should be careful: some medications are contraindicated for a woman who is breastfeeding.

Some traditional medicines should also be used with caution. For example, rubbing with various decoctions can have an irritating effect on the baby.

When to go to the doctor?

If the problem of increased sweating is resolved within about two months after giving birth, there is no need to worry. However, if the sweating continues or worse, or has a strong and unpleasant odor, you should immediately consult a doctor. This may be caused by certain diseases.

Folk and other remedies

Deodorants will help alleviate the situation a little. You need to purchase those that contain a minimum of harmful substances.

You can use traditional medicine recipes:

• 5 tsp Pour baking soda into 1 glass of warm water. Stir well. Use this solution to wipe the areas that sweat the most.
• Take 1 tbsp. oak bark. Pour 1 cup of boiling water and leave for half an hour. Afterwards, strain the infusion, moisten a cotton swab with it and wipe the heavily sweating areas.
• Essential oil with antiseptic properties will help cope with the smell of sweat. These are oils of lavender, bergamot, fennel, cedar. Add a couple of drops to a glass of water. Use to wipe the skin.
• An excellent option is burnt alum. They have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Apply directly to the skin.
• 3 tbsp. chamomile pour a liter of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour. Add 1 tbsp. soda and stir. Use the infusion for lotions.
• Horsetail helps greatly in the fight against profuse sweating. To prepare the infusion, you need to fill it with boiled water in a ratio of 1 to 10. Leave for a day. Wipe the skin twice a day. You can prepare an alcohol infusion. Combine the herb with vodka or alcohol in the same proportions, strain and use for rubbing.
• If you can't shower, you can use wet wipes and a slice of lemon. For example, wipe your armpits with napkins and then with lemon.
• If your face sweats a lot, you can wash your face with cold tea or milk. A mask of fresh tomatoes or rubbing with lemon slices will have a good effect.

Increased sweating during postpartum recovery is normal. It is caused by many factors, in particular, hormonal imbalance and the stressful state of the body, and disappears after approximately 2 months.

You can alleviate the situation with proper nutrition, physical activity, personal hygiene measures and some traditional medicine. The main thing is not to overdo it, and if frightening symptoms appear (a pungent odor, for example), consult a doctor immediately.