PMS - feels worse since having my DS

[likessleep]

Now I get very irritable, teary and paranoid, which I just didn't get before having DS. I've had 2 periods since he's been born (he's now 12 mths old) and about to get my 3rd.
Is it normal to get PMT worse after having kids? Will it get better again? I feel like a ticking hormonal timebomb! Thanks

Well, my PMT certainly did get immeasurably worse since i had DD. Im not suggesting it is the case with you but it turned out i had PND which really escalated to quite scary heights at one point. This was not picked up until DD was two.

I reckon it is normal thought to have worse PMT, from what you are saying i assume you have BF for some time? So your hormones really will be all over the place. It might be worth having a chat to your GP, she might be able to point you in the direction of some supplements that can help, assess you to see if it is PND (although if you have been ok the rest of the month i doubt it). It does take quite a while for post baby hormones to settle down and if you have been BF and recently stopped you have just had another big change. It might be that you are noticing it more too because you have been period free.

Things you can take for PMT are Evening primrose, magnesium, B vitamins. Try to make sure you eat regularly, ie little and often, to keep your sugar levels stable, that can make me really irritable.

Some people have the mirena coil to combat this, I have one, but i have "isshooos" so i dont think it was a good idea for me, the horrible pmt does go away though.

I think it's quite common. There was a thread discussing this a few days ago and lots of people said their pmt was worse after kids. Mine got worse after ds1 exaggerated by PND. After ds2 they got worse again and together with PND i turn into a bit of a psychobitch the week i'm due on.

It might be a good idea to see your GP. Either way (PMT or PND) they should be able to help you. It's can get better but sometimes you just need a bit of a kickstart. AD's helped with ds1.

thank you so much. yeah, i fed for 11 months, so i guess my body is settling back down.
after posting my op, i saw the other thread , which i have looked through the first part of it, but will look at it in more depth once ds is in bed.
i think i'll see how i go for the next period and if still the same, i'll see my gp. it is odd exasperated - i asked dh if he thinks i am worse and he thinks not. maybe i just have more time to think about it now and be affected by it, whereas before i had quite a time consuming and stressful job.
dontlookatme - so did you find that after ds1 that it got worse and then better, before then having ds2, when it got worse again? trying to work out if it is a temporary thing (here's hoping). i'll look through the other thread, i bet i am asking questions that are answered on there.
thanks again for responding. it is so reassuring. i don't think it is pnd, as i am happy aside from the week leading up to period.

With ds1 it got worse at first but i also had pnd. I went on Ad's for a while, when i came off them the pnd had gone and yes the pmt was better too. Still there, but def better so i don't know if there's a link between pmt and pnd or whether the pnd just exagerated the pmt iyswim. Either way it did get better - probably as hormones settled down again.

With ds2 it is worse than with ds1, i'm on ad's again but it's too early to tell whether they're having much effect, but i'm assuming/hoping it'll get better again over time.

dontlookatme - i hope things get better for you, thanks for responding.