Hey new mom, how are you doing today?
My baby is 1 year old. He just got over a nasty bout of the flu, but he is doing fine now…
Me as a mom? Not so much…
Do any of you have hot flashes like I do? It is literally killing my mood and productivity, especially with the weird, heavy weather we are having in Hanoi right now.
The burning sensation under my skin is worse than giving birth. The pain of delivery or the struggles of early breastfeeding only lasted a few months. But these hot flashes? They are absolutely destroying my endurance and setting my temper on fire.
The day my temper was set on fire
It was 9:00 AM. The sun was out, it wasn’t even the hottest hour of the day yet. I had to drop off a package at the post office, then pick up some supplies.
Everything was fine until I got to the post office. There was no one, the room was boiling. I had a cold shower and washed my hair earlier that morning, but all of that effort went straight to waste the second I walked through the door.
I felt the heat rising under my skin. It got warmer and warmer until drops of sweat rolled straight into my eye. Sweat started pouring from my entire body, and my face was burning.
I still had to go to the office, so I put on my face mask.
Within minutes, my mask was soaked with sweat. I had to keep riding my motorbike under the rising sun and through Hanoi’s polluted air. With my heavy helmet on, my scalp felt so sweaty that my hair started matting together.
“My office is right there, just two more minutes,” I repeated to myself.
As I was about to go through the parking gate, a woman was standing right in the middle of the entrance, completely blocking it. In my head, I screamed a violent, fiery “F*** you!”
Luckily, it stayed inside my head. Finally, I parked my bike, grabbed an iced latte and headed up to my office.
I went to a doctor, and everything was fine
The hot flashes first hit me when I was about three months postpartum. I sweated more when I was pregnant, but my sweat level just never went back down to how it was before my pregnancy.
I went to the doctor. I had them check my blood count, my sugar level, and my hormone level.
Nothing was wrong.
They told me it was just “postpartum stuff.” How? I am already past the one-year mark. Can a woman hormones be this f***ed up for this long after giving birth?
The doctors said there was nothing medical that could be done since I didn’t have any actual health issues or diseases. The best thing I could do now was to lose weight and get back to a healthy diet. Eventually, my body would restore itself once it was ready.
My diet is restored, but my mood is not
From my second month postpartum, I started doing housework again. I tried not to skip meals and cut out those “fun foods” packed with high levels of salt or sugar.
My diet wasn’t 100% perfect, I managed to add more vegetables and steamed dishes daily. I tried to follow the standard advice: more protein, more veggies, less starch.
And yes, my sweat level started to drop, but only by about 0.00001% every day!
This was definitely a slow recovery. Honestly, I wanted to focus on my long-term health, not just looking pretty. So, I didn’t try to lose weight fast and waited patiently.
Then, I noticed my mood was starting to spiral out of control.
I cried more, easily got angry at my husband over the smallest things, and felt way more impatient than I was before pregnancy. I started having sudden “blank spaces” and getting a bit forgetful.
The explanation is simple: I have more on my plate now. Before, I only had to care about work. Now, I have a home.
It is absolutely worth it! But that doesn’t make my mental load any lighter.
Why a hot flash for a new mom?
It is incredibly frustrating when doctors run blood tests, tell you your hormones are “normal,” and send you on your way. Here is what is actually going on under the hood:
- ‘Normal’ after doctor checkups doesn’t tell the whole story: Just because your blood test says your hormones are “normal” doesn’t mean your body feels that way. Doctors look at big, general averages. But your body is highly sensitive to even tiny drops in estrogen. If your estrogen dips even a little bit, it tells your brain you are overheating.
- Your Brain’s Thermostat is Overly Sensitive: There is a tiny part of your brain that acts like your body’s thermostat, named ‘hypothalamus’. After giving birth, this thermostat gets super sensitive. When you are tired, stressed, or stepping out into the Hanoi heat, it panics and turns on the AC (sweat) way too early.
- Stress triggers the sweat: You have a lot on your plate right now: a baby, a husband, a home, and work. When you are stressed, your body pumps out stress hormones like cortisol. These hormones make you much more sensitive to temperature changes. It takes way less heat to trigger a massive wave of sweat than it used to.
- It’s just slow to reset: Pregnancy and birth are like running a marathon for nine months straight. Your nervous system (which controls things you don’t think about, like sweating and heart rate) got completely shook up. For some of us, it simply takes a little longer to reset and find its balance again.
You aren’t crazy, and your body isn’t broken. It’s just running a highly sensitive security system right now.
Manage hot flash as a new mom
My personal top advice is that You just have to accept that you will have to go through the postpartum hot flash (or cold flash). It’s the natural thing.
Always remember to bring napkins with you. It helps you wherever you need it to. On the road, in the supermarket or while waiting for the traffics.
Have more fruits, they will bring your hot flash down. Prioritize fruits like guava or the vitamin-C families. Try to avoid summer fruits like longan or lychee. They are great, but not so great for your temper.
Choose your fabric well, and remember to cover your arms and legs with long clothes. Reasons are that your skin will also get more sensitive with the sun, you will the sunburnt much harder than before. Having sunscreen will not be enough, long clothes are the best option.
Avoid sugar drinks, not only because of your sugar level, but sugar can make you feel hotter on summer days
Less spice is better. You definitely wouldn’t want a bowl full of spiced tokbokki in the middle of a hot day. It will just trigger your level of stress and sweat.
Manage your mood at work
Bring a table fan
A small, USB-powered table fan on your desk is definitely right. While a handheld fan is useless when you’re moving, a steady, cool breeze blowing directly on your face while you type helps keep your core temperature down, also stopping your temper from flaring up because of stressful emails.
Pack a midday skincare travel kit
Sweating all morning under a face mask in the Hanoi pollution is a recipe for clogged pores and a burning face. Pack a small travel pouch with gentle makeup remover wipes, a soothing facial mist, and a light moisturizer. 5 minutes in the restroom to wipe off the grime and refresh your skin will instantly lift your mood.
Have a spare pair of underwear
It sounds basic, but it is a total game-changer. Sitting in damp, sweaty underwear all day at your desk is incredibly uncomfortable and makes you feel miserable. Shifting into a fresh, dry pair halfway through the day will make you feel like a brand-new person.
Bring underarm wipes (aka mini deodorant)
When your hot flashes set in, your underarms will bear the brunt of it. Keep a pack of body wipes in your drawer to quickly clean up, followed by a fresh swipe of deodorant. Staying dry and smelling fresh is key to keeping your confidence up when you have to talk to coworkers.
