What''s worse when it comes to be hormonal: Preggo ones, post preggo ones, or menopause?

[TravelingGal]

I know most of us can''t comment on the menopause one, but let''s just say I fear it after what I''ve been through!

There are so many of us with kids or having kids, that the hormone level must be running at an all time high on PS right now. So for fun, when were (or are) you at your hormonal worst?

I was definitely most off kilter when I was pregnant. That was nutso. I was textbook in that I was very prone to the blues postpartum, which was interesting because I am not a blue person.

But yeah, for full on batsh*t crazy, unstable and a general mess (not to mention high strung on b*tchy), the pregnant hormones win.

How did hormones affect you? Which was tops for the WHOA factor?

 

[janinegirly]

I would say preggo. I thought I was very balanced while preggo, but looking bad I think I had a few episodes. I freaked out at my mom, crying, yelling and hysterical and then vented to my sister in that state. I''m so not that person. At the time, I thought I was just THAT upset but looking back, hmm, thinking hormones!

 

[jewelz617]

I was in a great mood when I was pregnant. Then I suffered horrible postpartum depression. So for me personally, that was the worst and I wouldn''t wish it on anyone.

 

[lili]

I thought I was pretty even keeled...but DH told me that he treated me w/ kids glove during my pregnancy.

 

[Mandarine]

Hmmm...I think it obviously depends on the person...for me it was probably post preggo, mostly in the early weeks...but I was also absolutely sleep deprived!. I do remember being very short with everyone and getting very easily annoyed. I was also a little "nasty" (DH''s choice of words, not mine

) early in pregnancy.

 

[E B]

For me, post-preggo. I wasn't a happy camper at the end of my pregnancy, but that was mostly due to being huge and swollen. And sure, I had a few mood swings, but it was nothing like the hole I fell into after giving birth. Thankfully, it only lasted a few days, but I became pretty weepy (on and off) after giving birth. Possibly a mixture of hormones + exhaustion.

I know for many, pregnancy hormones can cause serious mood swings, but I'm convinced that some women use pregnancy as an excuse to be unnecessarily b*tchy.

 

[Pandora II]

Tricky...

I really lost it a few times when I was pg - just flipped out and shouted at people, which isn''t like me at all, even DH was shocked.

I also lost it a bit the first week Daisy was born - especially the Wednesday and Thursday (she was born on Sunday afternoon) - to the extent the the psychiatric team came to see me 3 times a day, upped my meds and had my husband move into the hospital. I''ve had a few difficult patches, but huge support from my psychiatrist, weekly visits from various peri-natal mental health professionals and some effective meds.

Without the meds and without all the help and support I am pretty certain I would have ended up in the psych. Mother & Baby Unit. I''m hugely grateful to have got though without big problems...

 

[MustangGal]

I had no problems while preggo, but would sprout tears at the slightest provocation for the first month post-partum. The week in ICU without seeing my baby might have had a bit to do with it though.

I sure hope mesopause isn''t bad! My mom should be getting there soon, I''ll have to see how she handles it...

 

[fieryred33143]

Well considering I cried for 2 hours and questioned my ability to be a good mom when FI didn''t seem to thrilled about the lunch I was going to make him, I''m going to say that during pregnancy was the absolute worst. I would snap at everyone and take small, insignificant comments and turn it into a HUGE deal.

The baby blues hit me really hard but I still consider myself to have been in the fourth trimester and not ''in real life'' lol. I also wasn''t b!tchy during that period, just really sad.

I''m very rarely depressed or hormonal now, except when it comes to news about children.

 

[jewelz617]

Date: 4/22/2010 5:06:34 PM
Author: E B
For me, post-preggo. I wasn''t a happy camper at the end of my pregnancy, but that was mostly due to being huge and swollen. And sure, I had a few mood swings, but it was nothing like the hole I fell into after giving birth. Thankfully, it only lasted a few days, but I became pretty weepy (on and off) after giving birth. Possibly a mixture of hormones + exhaustion.


I know for many, pregnancy hormones can cause serious mood swings, but I''m convinced that some women use pregnancy as an excuse to be unnecessarily b*tchy.

"I know for many, pregnancy hormones can cause serious mood swings, but I''m convinced that some women use pregnancy as an excuse to be unnecessarily b*tchy."

I so agree with this. I get that the hormones are crazy, but there is no need to throw a glass of water in your husband''s face because he forgot the ice. Yes, I have witnessed this from someone barely 9 weeks pregnant.

 

[ChinaCat]

For me it''s been post-preggo for sure. Pregnancy was easy, I did cry like twice over something silly, but it was so silly that I started laughing about it mid-cry.

Post-preggo I''ve been out of whack. It definitely hit its peak at around 4 months when I went back to work, but I still feel like I''m not "me" yet 8 months PP.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 4/22/2010 5:22:18 PM
Author: PinkAsscher678

Date: 4/22/2010 5:06:34 PM
Author: E B
For me, post-preggo. I wasn''t a happy camper at the end of my pregnancy, but that was mostly due to being huge and swollen. And sure, I had a few mood swings, but it was nothing like the hole I fell into after giving birth. Thankfully, it only lasted a few days, but I became pretty weepy (on and off) after giving birth. Possibly a mixture of hormones + exhaustion.


I know for many, pregnancy hormones can cause serious mood swings, but I''m convinced that some women use pregnancy as an excuse to be unnecessarily b*tchy.

''I know for many, pregnancy hormones can cause serious mood swings, but I''m convinced that some women use pregnancy as an excuse to be unnecessarily b*tchy.''

I so agree with this. I get that the hormones are crazy, but there is no need to throw a glass of water in your husband''s face because he forgot the ice. Yes, I have witnessed this from someone barely 9 weeks pregnant.

Not so sure, I was worse early on. At 6 weeks I shouted at the man who may just possibly be the Prime Minister in a few weeks. Then when he walked off I ran after him, stamped my foot and said I hadn''t finished thank you very much. DH stood there looking shocked, and the person I''d shouted at looked very confused as the Pandora he knew was always calm and 100% in control...

I also lost it with DH on our honeymoon when I was 10 weeks and screamed at him for putting the wash bags in the wrong suitcase - and then spent an hour sobbing in the bathroom... it was the only time in 6 years that I have shouted at DH.

 

[somethingshiny]

Due to some female problems I''ve had where I was chemically forced into "menopause" for 6 months, I can actually comment from experience on all 3 states.

Preggo for me was/is the most weepy. Sometimes it feels like people are just TRYING to hurt your feelings.

Post preggo is rough for a few weeks. It''s mostly just getting used to the responsibilities and not so much hormonal after the first few days (at least for me).

Menopausal is absolutely ridiculous. I could''ve stabbed my husband and been POd that he bled on the carpet. Then I would''ve been perfectly fine walking to get an ice cream and leaving his body on the floor. I was just angry all the time, irrationally so. (due to my issues, I wasn''t allowed to take anything to ease menopausal symptoms)

When I truly hit menopause I''m pretty sure I''ll need to be medicated.

 

[PinkTower]

I had two high risk pregs., miscarriages, premature births, you name it.
Nothing compares with peri and menopause. The insomnia, sweats, emotions, migraines, and forgetfulness make it quite hard to work. The hormone drugs only provide marginal relief.

I once read something that sums it up:

Menopause is the final insult.

 

[lyra]

PPD with first kid was the worst, but I didn''t have even the blues with second kid. I''m getting into the menopause years now I think. I''m losing my mind and that bothers me. I can''t remember anything at all. My PMS is either hellish or non-existent. There''s just no consistency to it all for me, and my insomnia is getting worse and worse too. I am not a candidate for HRT so whatever happens I have to go with it.

 

[charbie]

I can''t comment well on preggo or post preggo, but I''m telling you what, the menopausal women in my life have been more insane than anyone possibly should be. And to top it off, they get nothing in return except no period. I was an exchange student in Switzerland a few years back. My host mom was going thru menopause and was unfit to host an exchange student. After a particularly bad incident between us, my host dad sat in my room and cried. He explained how she was going thru menopause and refusing to take anything. He then went on to tell me he wishes he could just lock her in a closet for the next few years until she was done.

I would at times not mind locking my mother in a closet, who is also going thru menospause. While I''ve heard plenty of women say they loved being pregnant, they are willing to do it more than once. However, never have I heard a woman say they loved menopause, and have also never heard someone say they would go thru it again either.

 

[ponder]

Completely stable before, during, and after. I just asked my DH to make sure.

I am a little more weepy when pregnant...no bawling. I just get teary at sappy or sad things.

When pregnant, if I got mad, I would always step back and think "would I feel like this if I were not pregnant". 9 times out of 10 the situation would have pissed me off before I was pregnant.

 

[curlygirl]

For me it was definitely post-preggo. I had the baby blues for a couple of weeks after both babies. It was really tough the first time around because I was sleep-deprived and taking it out on DH. I kept telling him it was just hormones but I still felt out of control. After the 2nd baby, I was a wreck while I was still in the hospital! It was almost anticlimactic after having a baby already and I had such guilt about bringing another baby into the world so quickly after having the first one. I was also very much alone (as I was after having the first baby) so I cried by myself quite a bit but again, I knew it was just hormonal and it passed pretty quickly. I was very even keeled during both pregnancies. Can''t speak about menopause yet but I''m not looking forward to it!

 

[ponder]

Date: 4/22/2010 5:36:15 PM
Author: somethingshiny
Due to some female problems I''ve had where I was chemically forced into ''menopause'' for 6 months, I can actually comment from experience on all 3 states.

Preggo for me was/is the most weepy. Sometimes it feels like people are just TRYING to hurt your feelings.

Post preggo is rough for a few weeks. It''s mostly just getting used to the responsibilities and not so much hormonal after the first few days (at least for me).

Menopausal is absolutely ridiculous. I could''ve stabbed my husband and been POd that he bled on the carpet. Then I would''ve been perfectly fine walking to get an ice cream and leaving his body on the floor. I was just angry all the time, irrationally so. (due to my issues, I wasn''t allowed to take anything to ease menopausal symptoms)

When I truly hit menopause I''m pretty sure I''ll need to be medicated.

Not that this is actually funny, but it made me LMAO. It reminded me of when I started birth control at age 18. I became fairly violent. There were two specific instances...the first one was where I plotted my FI, now DH''s death. Nothing complicated...I just sat and looked at him and thought how good it would feel if I just walked across the room, put my hands around his neck and squeezed until he could no longer ask me where the remote was.

The second time, I actually punched a friend of mine, cant remember what for. I moderated after the first month, but it really showed me how scary and real hormonal imbalances can be.

 

[Sabine]

Post preggo was definitely way worse than preggo. The few emotional outbursts I had during pregnancy were clearly just due to hormones and easily dismissed as normal. Post preggo I questioned myself and often felt like I was crazy for being as upset as I was but totally sane at the same time.

If my mom is any example of menopause, that also scares the crap out of me!

 

[steph72276]

You forgot teenage hormones....I think I was probably at my moodiest then. After that comes post pregnancy. The first few months of sleep deprivation did a number on me....I do NOT do well with no sleep!

 

[jas]

My hormones get PO''ed if I try to lump them into eras.

They''re all super...teenage, pre-preggo, on bc, PMS, preggo (actually, that was my least hormonal time. I think they were taking a break), post-preggo, sans ice cream. I''m sure I''ll be simply dreamy when menopause comes along.

 

[Kaleigh]

Post preggo was the worst for me. I''d get all teary, and frustrated, but was healing from a C section and had no help. Didn''t have a problem with my second even though it was a rinse and repeat, another C section, labor from hell.

I am not menopausal yet, more peri... Long periods, bad cramps...

I swear us women have it rough.. What the heck do men go through??

Well, they have to put up with us women... But I think we get the short end of the stick!!!!

 

[Mara]

well i've only experienced preggo and post preggo... neither one was that bad for me, but if i had to choose one, it would be preggo. i only had 2 meltdowns the entire 10 months... thank god because my hub is not one to deal with drama very well hahaa, esp from me, his normally super practical, mostly unemotional wife. and my 2 meltdowns were not as bad as some of the stories i have heard too hahaha...i told him he was sooo LUCKY!

post preggo my hormones have been pretty even keel and much more manageable thankfully. i feel MOSTLY normal again whereas during pregnancy, not so much. the only times i feel odd is because of BF'ing, the letdown hormones can really make you feel weird for a minute or two. but i'll take that minute vs the 10 months of hormones lol.

i agree that sometimes people tend to take the preggo hormone thing over the top as well...when i saw that movie 'knocked up' i remember thinking that some of the scenes were a little wacko and that i'd leave that chick too if she was acting like that hahaa.

BUT i agree with whoever else said that menopause really takes the cake. i have seen a few women go through this and the entirely unrational nature of it is crazy, like kookoo crazy hehee. i am not looking fwd to that.

 

[sugarpie honeybun]

In my case, post, for sure. I wish someone had warned me about how hormonal/emotional/ etc. those first few weeks would be following the delivery. Of course sleep deprivation plays a big role. The worst part (for me) was the guilt I felt for feeling that way after something so joyous as giving birth.

But would I do it again and go through the emotional, post partum hormonal roller coaster? Absolutely.

 

[soocool]

Being 53 and having gone through all the stages, personally the worst time was in my teens. Then something amazing happened. I discovered exercising helped control my raging hormones and my PMS, especially yoga. I was extremely calm during my pregnancy and after my pregnancy. I had no perimenopausal problems and now in menopause no issues either. I have never had a hot flash, sleep through the night and am probably the calmest I have ever been. Oh, yes, and no hormone replacement.

 

[Puppmom]

I''ve found the preggo and post-partum hormones to be crappy but manageable (at least from my perspective - DH might have a different opinion!). I obviously haven''t been through menopause but my mother went through early menopause and I can tell you she was MISERABLE. Maybe it''s just in my head, but she really hasn''t been the same since.

 

[ksinger]

Well, I didn''t do the pregnant thing, but I''m turning 48 this year, and I can feel...something. Cycles that were once precise enough to rival an atomic clock, are now all over the map. I''m moody. For the first time in my life. My ability to concentrate is down. Not good. Did I mention I''m moody? And I can''t concen oh look a chicken!

An amusing one, and a serious stash-this-for-future-reference one...


My Brief Life As A Woman

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/my-brief-life-as-a-woman/



The Estrogen Dilemma

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/magazine/18estrogen-t.html?scp=1&sq=hormone%20replacement&st=cse

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

No issues whatsoever with pregnancy--were hormones involved?

But I had surgery a few years ago which required an injection of Lupron prior and it temporarily induced menopause. It was a troubling experience--I had THE worst headaches and exaggerated hot flashes. Hope that is not shades of things to come!

cheers--Sharon

 

[alli_esq]

Date: 4/22/2010 5:22:18 PM
Author: PinkAsscher678

Date: 4/22/2010 5:06:34 PM
Author: E B
For me, post-preggo. I wasn''t a happy camper at the end of my pregnancy, but that was mostly due to being huge and swollen. And sure, I had a few mood swings, but it was nothing like the hole I fell into after giving birth. Thankfully, it only lasted a few days, but I became pretty weepy (on and off) after giving birth. Possibly a mixture of hormones + exhaustion.


I know for many, pregnancy hormones can cause serious mood swings, but I''m convinced that some women use pregnancy as an excuse to be unnecessarily b*tchy.

''I know for many, pregnancy hormones can cause serious mood swings, but I''m convinced that some women use pregnancy as an excuse to be unnecessarily b*tchy.''

I so agree with this. I get that the hormones are crazy, but there is no need to throw a glass of water in your husband''s face because he forgot the ice. Yes, I have witnessed this from someone barely 9 weeks pregnant.

Sorry, I just laughed aloud at this--DH and I laugh because about a month ago, I woke up with a vicious hangover and when I discovered that he brought me tap water instead of cold water from the fridge, I very nearly did the same thing...what was my excuse? (don''t answer that), hahahha!

I can''t answer the question because I''ve never been preggo or gone through menopause...but I''m a very emotional person anyway, especially before and the beginning of AF...so my hubby is in for one heck of a ride