Feeling drained after birth? It might be more than just sleep deprivation.
From the moment your baby is born, your body shifts gears and begins a whole new set of processes to heal from delivery, adjust to postpartum hormones, maybe also to produce milk. You are probably expecting some fatigue, because your pregnancy was fatigue-central. However, if you're feeling unusually weak, foggy, or breathless, or if you get dizzy when you stand up at times, these could be red flags for a bigger problem: iron deficiency.
Iron deficiency is one of the most common postpartum complications worldwide. And for moms in the U.S., it often goes unnoticed. The problem is that it can also lead to anemia, a condition where your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues.
Luckily there are many things you can do today to manage this.
Iron plays a key role in making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to your organs. During pregnancy, your iron needs nearly double to support your growing baby and increased blood volume. But because everyone tends to be low on iron, many people begin pregnancy already low, and then lose even more during childbirth.
An estimated 25% to 50% of postpartum women experience iron deficiency. Despite this, it’s rarely screened for after the baby is born. The focus quickly shifts from mom to baby, and things like fatigue gets brushed off as “normal new mom stuff.”
But extreme exhaustion, brain fog, dizziness, pale gums or lips, even shortness of breath are your body's way of telling you that you may be running very low on the blood it needs to function.
“A lot of moms come to me saying they feel off, but they’re not sure why,” says Jovanka Ciares, Mahmee's nutrition coach. “They’ll say things like, ‘I’m doing everything right, but I can’t get my energy back.’ When we dig deeper, iron deficiency is often part of the picture.”
Iron deficiency makes you tired and also affects everything from your mental clarity to your immune function.
It can show up as:
Left unchecked, iron deficiency can spiral into anemia, impacting your recovery and - if you’re breastfeeding - your energy for milk production.
Low iron levels can lead to decreased stamina, reduced appetite, and even disruptions in prolactin (the hormone that helps regulate milk supply), all of which can make it harder for your body to produce and maintain an adequate milk supply. Moms with anemia may also feel too fatigued to feed or pump regularly, which can further reduce output and trigger a frustrating cycle of exhaustion and low milk volume.
But there is a lot you can do to rebuild blood naturally through the right foods, supplements, and gentle support.
“You don’t need pricey superfoods to start feeling better,” says Jovanka. “What you need are blood-building foods, which are ingredients that are naturally rich in iron and easy for the body to absorb.”
Here’s what she recommends:
Nature has a way of guiding us. Foods that look like blood often help replenish it.
Jovanka says she often tells moms, “If it’s red, dark purple, or deep green — it’s probably going to help.”
To help your body absorb more iron from plant-based sources (non-heme iron), pair them with vitamin C-rich foods.
Try:
It’s not a myth: cooking in cast iron pans can actually increase the iron content of your meals — especially when cooking acidic foods like tomatoes or stews.
If your provider confirms you’re low in iron, they may recommend a supplement. Jovanka prefers liquid iron over pills, since it's often gentler on the gut and less constipating, which is a big deal when you're already dealing with postpartum digestion issues.
Herbs like nettles, yellow dock, and dandelion root have been traditionally used to build blood and support the liver. Ask your care provider, an herbalist or your Mahmee doula about gentle postpartum tea blends that support iron levels without overstimulating the body.
It’s easy to assume that feeling wiped out after birth is just part of the job. But it's not normal to be weeks or even months postpartum and still feel like your energy hasn’t returned.
“You gave so much of your body to bring your baby earthside,” says Jovanka. “Now your body is asking for some of that nourishment back. This is not about bouncing back - it’s all about rebuilding.”
At Mahmee, we believe moms deserve whole-person care - and that includes screening for common issues like iron deficiency, and creating gentle recovery plans that work for the whole you.
Because your healing matters and your blood matters, too.
Think you might be iron deficient? Ask your Mahmee care team about scheduling a nutrition consult or adding an iron panel to your next hospital check-up. You deserve to feel whole again.
