Unfortunately, it seems like I’m dealing with a type of autoimmune flare in my body. In August, I shared briefly about my postpartum experience during a pandemic. Â Both of those life events had an impact on me that I did not expect. Â I’m sharing a bit more details in this blog about what has happened since August. It’s a bit lengthy so settle in with a cozy mug of pumpkin spice latte, perhaps?
Autoimmune Flare
Back in the summer it was confirmed that some kind of autoimmune flare was attacking my body. Â My functional medicine doctor ran lots of blood tests and my ANA (antinuclear antibodies) came back extremely high. Â It is measured in ratios, and the normal ratio is less than 1:80. Â My ANA ratio was 1:1280 – so 1,200 points higher than normal. Â High ANA is implicated in rheumatic conditions, like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and connective tissue disease.
For about a decade, I’ve had joint pain in my hands.  However, no blood test in my 20’s ever showed a definite autoimmune response.  Thankfully, in 2015 I found an excellent functional medicine M.D. in North Carolina who looked for the root cause. Taking LDN (low-dose naltrexone) greatly reduced my joint pain. I still take that medication today.
After giving birth, I noticed that my joint pain increased, and I felt it in other places in my body. Â Even my toe joints hurt sometimes! Â My hypothesis is that something about postpartum triggered the ANA antibodies to skyrocket. Â My current functional medicine M.D. (who is also a NaProTECHNOLOGY OB/GYN) instructed me to get further testing with a rheumatologist.
Gut Dysbiosis
In the meantime, I did a stool test for more clarity with my gut symptoms. It’s the second one in my life – and I never want to do it again because it’s so disgusting. Â But it was worth it because we did get more answers.
We discovered that I had gut dysbiosis, due to an imbalance of good bacteria and several opportunistic bacteria (including pseudomonas, strep, and staph).  I also had low elastase (a pancreatic enzyme needed for digestion) and low secretory IgA (part of the immune system).  The test is very sensitive and showed that I had slightly elevated levels of H. Pylori, but I wasn’t having symptoms of an active infection.
Having solutions was the good news.  My doctor wasn’t too worried about the H. Pylori because I wasn’t having heartburn or gastric problems that would indicate an active infection.  (A lot of people have the bacteria in their system but it doesn’t cause a problem.). If it became an active infection, that would mean going on an antibiotic called Rifaximin for 2 weeks.  It’s a unique antibiotic in that it just stays in the gut and doesn’t become systemic, and therefore is safe for breastfeeding.  But the risk is that it could make me feel worse.
Taking a Restorative Approach
So the approach we are taking right now is restorative. Â I needed more digestive enzymes and specific probiotics from several different supplements. Â I also started taking cordyceps for increasing secretory IgA and zinc for immune support.
We also focused on a healing diet.  She instructed me to add things like bone broth, fermented vegetables, and cooked vegetables (which are easier to digest than raw).  She also suggested going on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) or Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) for 8-12 weeks. I’ve done AIP in the past, so I chose that since I was more familiar with it and had success in feeling better.  It’s definitely not easy, but I felt very motivated to get my symptoms and antibodies under control.
September 10th was my first full day of AIP, so as of this writing I’ve been on it for 7 weeks. There’s also a specific way to reintroduce possibly offending foods. I started the new supplements as well, and within a few days noticed a positive difference in my gut symptoms of bloating and gas. (Two other foods I cut out were onions and garlic, as they have historically given me horrible gas and it’s been even worse postpartum.)
Soon after starting AIP, we went on our trip to Texas. Â (Watch that video HERE!) Thankfully I have a very supportive family so I was able to mostly follow it while on vacation! Â It was also so wonderful emotionally to be with family again, after suffering through the pandemic lockdown. Â
Postpartum Mental Health Update
Yet being with family was not enough to make the mental health side of postpartum go away.  I mentioned in my previous update that mentally, things have been tough for me since about the third month after giving birth.  I talk about it generally as “anxiety” as I don’t feel comfortable discussing specifics. It’s nothing new actually, but it is the worst it’s been during my adult life.
Mental illness is particularly challenging because it usually is invisible to onlookers.  A person with mental illness can appear completely normal and seem to function normally in society.  Yet having that persona can make grappling with the problem that much harder. You’re afraid to shatter that “normal” image if you talk about the thoughts and feelings you have. I think that is acutely true with postpartum moms.
Some days feel very heavy and mentally exhausting.  That’s the best way to describe it without going into detail.  It pains me when my thoughts sometimes disrupt my time with Max.  He’s there right in front of me, playing and smiling, and I’m struggling to give him the focused attention that I want to give him.  Probably nearly every mother wonders if she’s “good enough” or has worries about her baby.  But what I deal with is more than simple everyday worries or self-esteem issues.
How I’m Tackling Mental Health
First, of my own volition I started attending a virtual support group for my particular issue. On the medical side, my functional medicine doc told me to start taking inositol, which is a type of B vitamin.  It’s commonly used in NaPro for treating PCOS, but it can also help emotional wellbeing. I’ve been instructed to take 15 grams a day, as inositol can be safely taken in large doses.
The second supplement is lithium orotate, which I just started a few days ago. Â You may have heard of prescription lithium for mental illness. Â But that is lithium carbonate and carries some pretty serious side effects. Â Lithium orotate is a mineral and is taken in low doses, like 5 or 10 mg. Â I actually took this supplement as a teenager when this mental health issue first appeared. Â It occurred to me recently that taking lithium orotate is what helped me turn the corner, and eventually I no longer needed it.
I asked my doctor if it would be safe for breastfeeding and she said it would. Â It’s not a magic bullet, but I am starting to feel some relief from it. I cannot explain to you just how much I crave my brain not being in overdrive! I never want to lose my go-getter attitude, but having the ability to take it easy sometimes would be nice. Furthermore, my biggest motivator is getting better so I can be a better mom for Max and any future children.
Where I Am Now
That brings me to where I am right now!  I’ve been on AIP for 7 weeks now and my stomach is feeling really good. AIP is very restrictive food-wise, but meals are still delicious and most importantly, nourishing and not inflammatory. As long as I stay away from onions and garlic, I barely have any gas.  Being off grains might be why I’m less bloated.  My joints have not ached nearly as much.  I’m also sleeping more at night, which is a key part of healing.
I saw a rheumatologist while in Texas, and will continue seeing her via telemedicine.  My joints don’t appear arthritic, and I have no markers for any specific autoimmune or inflammatory rheumatic diseases.  But my ANA is still at 1:1280 and she says I am at higher risk for developing an autoimmune disease in the future.  I am to see her every 4 months for the next two years, just to keep an eye on things.
In the meantime, I’ll continue on with my functional medicine doctor and work on my mental health. It’s extremely important to get my antibodies down to a lower level. Even though I don’t have an actual disease, my body is clearly in an unhealthy state. High levels of antibodies means my body is attacking itself, which does not lead anywhere good. If I can cut off that attack now, I lower my risk of developing an actual disease.
Admitting Our Postpartum Struggles
I really have an amazing life. I have a loving husband, the cutest baby boy ever, a sweet dog, my faith, a loving extended family, and the adventure of a lifetime through the military.
Yet all that doesn’t exempt a woman from postpartum health struggles.  It’s been harder than I ever imagined.  Going through infertility, you don’t anticipate this.  You feel like the hardest part of the journey is finally behind you.  And because of that, it feels like you shouldn’t speak of the hard parts about postpartum.
But as I said to a friend who also dealt with infertility and then became pregnant around the same time I did: infertility doesn’t take the humanity out of pregnancy.  Just as infertility doesn’t take the humanity out of postpartum.  Those of us who dealt with infertility need to stop making ourselves feel guilty for admitting: I am still struggling even though I have my baby!
Finding Support
If postpartum mental health is giving you problems, I’m sure you know that having a support system is really important. Â I believe that social distancing makes mental illness worse, so please reach out. Â I really mean that! Â Reach out to me personally.
If you’re dealing with physical health issues postpartum, I encourage you to reach out to a functional medicine or NaProTECHNOLOGY doctor. I do not believe that the standard 6-week OBGYN postpartum appointment is enough. In fact, my health challenges didn’t start until AFTER that appointment! There are so many breastfeeding-safe options for restorative treatment, so you can both take care of yourself and your baby in the best ways possible.
I have years of personal experience in the “detective work” of figuring out mysterious and chronic health problems. While I’m not a physician, my RN knowledge definitely helps bolster my personal experience. Functional medicine and NaPro has changed my life in so many ways! Plus, one of the best ways to get through difficulties is to help others overcome theirs. I hope I can do that for others.
P.S. I will be continuing to post updates about my postpartum health journey! Hopefully the next update is about making big strides in improvement. As of this writing, I’ve started slowly reintroducing a few foods into AIP and am having no reactions thus far. So stay tuned for more by signing up for my email list below! It’s the best way to stay notified of new posts and updates.