. help

[katinthehat]

That's period help in case you missed it.

How do you know when your period is messing with your life, more than normal that is?

Specifically, with working out.  Do you find that your workouts aren't impacted at all?  That maybe it takes a little more mental motivation than normal but physically they're the same?  That you can't even with the working out, mentally or physically.

Graham turns one in five more days (OMG) and I've been regular for six months now.  We're still nursing (a lot) and he slept through the night last night for the first time in six months last night (although I don't expect that to be a new habit.  A good night for us is one wake up a 2 a.m. and up for good at 6 a.m.)

I'm exhausted all the time.  I'm not losing weight (and I've been doing WW eh-ish for two months).  I'm seeing some progress on the bike but of course, not as much or as fast as I want to see it.

But when my period hits.  Um no.  I get in maybe one workout.  I gain five pounds that don't just magically come off after the red tide has subsided.  Mentally, it takes TED talk effort to get me to even kit up for a workout.  Physically, those workouts are shit.

Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out how much of this I can blame on my period and how much of it just might be a new normal as a mom of three little kids. 

[taratru]

I'm going to guess it's not just your period. Whatever sluggishness comes with it normally is only exacerbated by the drain of still nursing, not sleeping enough, and going all day nonstop with those three. And that causes stress, which makes your body hang onto weight (as does not sleeping enough).

So, that's what my ER doctor degree leads me to believe. I guess it's one of those file under "this too shall pass" things? *hugs* to you!

[ktzmoh]

I found that when my kids turned 1 and the breast feeding slowed a lot, I noticed a definite hormonal shift in myself - it was like my body went into transition from mom of infant to mom of toddler. Did you notice that with your others? my periods were AWFUL when Kate was around a year. So bad. So so bad. They have mellowed like crazy these days.

What kind of birth control are you using? That could have something to do with it too.

And I know this will put me firmly in the dirty hippie category for many of you - but my periods were night and day better when I started using reusable 'gear' for myself. It sounds crazy - but I've gone back and forth over the years and every time i switch back I notice a huge improvement.