Postpartum Depletion Is Real: What It Is and How to Replenish 🌿

Dr. Oscar Serrallach named it. The research backs it up. Here's what's been taken from your body — and how to get it back.

An Australian doctor named Dr. Oscar Serrallach noticed that many new moms were feeling more than just tired after having a baby. They felt extremely exhausted, forgetful, emotionally drained, weak, and unlike themselves. He called this postpartum depletion.

What postpartum depletion actually is 🔬

Postpartum depletion happens when a mother’s body uses up a lot of energy and nutrients during pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and caring for a baby — especially while getting very little sleep and not enough time to recover. It is not caused by just one problem. It happens when many kinds of depletion build up together, including low nutrients, hormone changes, stress on the brain and body, and lack of support.

Dr. Serrallach found that postpartum depletion can last for years if it is not treated. Many moms think their tiredness and brain fog are “just part of getting older” or “being a busy mom.” But sometimes their body is still trying to recover from pregnancy and birth. The good news is that depletion can improve with support and replenishment.

Important nutrients that can get low 🧬

Iron: Iron helps with energy, focus, and mood. Pregnancy, birth, and blood loss can lower iron levels. Low iron can cause tiredness, brain fog, hair loss, shortness of breath, and a racing heart.

Omega-3s (DHA): Babies use a lot of DHA for brain growth during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Moms also need DHA for brain health and mood support.

Zinc: Zinc helps the immune system, healing, and hormone health. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can lower zinc levels.

B Vitamins (especially B12 and folate): These vitamins help the body make energy and support healthy brain and nerve function.

Iodine: Iodine is important for thyroid health and brain development. Breastfeeding moms need even more iodine than usual.

Vitamin D: Many people already have low Vitamin D before pregnancy. New moms may get even less because they spend more time indoors. Vitamin D supports mood, bones, and the immune system.

What to ask your provider 🩺

You can ask your healthcare provider for blood tests that check iron levels (including ferritin), Vitamin B12, folate, Vitamin D, and thyroid function. These tests are not always included in regular postpartum visits, so you may need to ask for them.

How to replenish — food first, supplements second 💛

• Iron: red meat, dark leafy greens, lentils, fortified cereals — eat with vitamin C to enhance absorption
• DHA/Omega-3: fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) 2–3 times per week, or a high-quality DHA supplement
• Zinc: oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas
• B12: meat, fish, eggs, dairy — or a B-complex supplement if dietary intake is low
• Vitamin D: sunlight when possible, fatty fish, fortified foods, or a D3 supplement (1000–2000 IU daily is a common therapeutic dose)
• Continue your prenatal vitamin through breastfeeding — it covers multiple bases simultaneously

You are not just tired. You are depleted. And depletion, unlike exhaustion, has a roadmap back. 🌱