Clinical Naturopath Renee D’Arcy shares what she wants women to know about postpartum recovery, returning periods, maternal depletion, iron, nourishment and listening to your body after having children.
Name: Renee D’Arcy
Pronouns: She/her
Day job: Clinical Naturopath
Location: Gold Coast, QLD
Tell us your backstory. How did naturopathy and doula work come together?
I fell pregnant by a lovely surprise in my early 20s and I really had to navigate motherhood alone. My work is really centred around supporting women and mothers navigate motherhood with the support system I wish I had.
What did being a young mum teach you about what mothers need?
It taught me a lot, but I think the most important thing it taught me is that mothers just need to feel seen and validated in this expansive journey.
How did it change your relationship with your own body and health?
What a great question, I guess I’ve never really sat with this before, but I would say I feel equally in awe of my body for housing and nourishing my children, but also like there is never enough time to give back to my body what it needs as a busy mum of 3.
What do you wish women knew before becoming mothers?
Build a support system before your baby arrives. Create a team of people around you that you can lean on if / when you need to, IBCLCs, Naturopaths, Pelvic Floor Physios, GPs, etc, but also just other mums that you can vent and be real with.
What should women know about iron in pregnancy?
Ferritin alone is not enough to understand what’s going on with iron in your body. Always push for full iron studies to be tested, it gives us so much more information about what’s going on for you and why you may be feeling whatever you are feeling. Signs of iron deficiency can present in so many ways but commonly look like, brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, hair loss/thinning, frequent infections or just a feeling of being physically depleted over general fatigue.
What changes when your period returns postpartum?
In clinic the most common thing I notice is just how much they feel like themselves again once it returns. The reactivation of ovarian hormone signalling can bring back a cyclical rhythm for women to depend upon and this may bring back positive influences in mood, energy, cognition and libido.
What’s a normal postpartum period, and when should you investigate?
Postpartum recovery is highly individual, and it’s normal to experience some fatigue, emotional ups and downs, vaginal or abdominal discomfort, changes in appetite, sleep disruption, breastfeeding challenges and a shift in energy and capacity. However, symptoms that are severe, worsening, persistent beyond the expected recovery period, or significantly affecting day to day functioning warrant further investigation.
What’s your period like now, and has motherhood changed it?
I’ve thankfully always had an easy to manage bleed. My struggles particularly after kids has been in the luteal phase: severe fatigue, mood changes, breast tenderness. In your luteal phase, your body requires more energy and nutrients to support hormonal changes, progesterone production, and metabolic shifts. Your body burns more energy in this phase, so under-eating can leave you feeling flat, fatigued or moody. This makes sense for me as a mum who struggles like all mums to always nourish myself or prioritise rest when needed.
Has your approach to rest, food, movement or your cycle changed?
Absolutely, what we know now is that less is sometimes more for women. I’m really enjoying strength training and walking now vs the HIIT training slog of my early 20s. I think growing older makes you also learn to listen to your own body and what works for you individually rather than following the crowd.
What health advice for mothers would you throw in the bin?
“That feeling exhausted, depleted and unlike yourself is just part of being a mum.”
I think we’ve normalised maternal depletion far too much. Some tiredness is expected, but persistent exhaustion, hair loss, brain fog, low mood, dizziness or feeling completely unlike yourself deserve to be investigated rather than written off as the price of motherhood.
What wellness trend should women stop feeling pressured to follow?
Honestly the online wellness world is a scary place that I avoid so I can’t say what’s trending right now, but something that always translates into clinic is women undereating in general. This is because the body prioritises survival and essential functions over optimal health and it has such a big flow-on effect to our hormones.
What does feeling well look like for you now?
Having the energy to care for my children without feeling depleted, feeling mentally clear and capable to do the things I want to do.
What do you want every woman to understand about her body?
I’d want women to stop waiting until their body is screaming before they listen to it and to find a care provider who won’t stop until they have answers and the support they deserve.
MY CYCLE
- My period in 3 words: Regular. Light. Symptomatic.
- Period self-care toolkit: Early bedtimes, hiding myself in the bedroom when husband gets home from work, Loco Loves, ginger tea, hot cacao.
- Most underrated period hack? Sleep and food.
- Contraception of choice: Fertility awareness method, tracking BBT.
- On day 1, you'll find me: Opening my stash of Loco Loves.
- Scarlet pick: Magnesium Spray and High-Waist Period Brief.