In the days and weeks following birth your hormone levels are crazy. Just before birth your progesterone levels will be up around 400mg. Within a few days they drop to normal (about 1-30mg), hence the day 3 or 4 baby blues. That's just ONE of the hormones at work. Prolactin and oxytocin (the BFing hormones) help to regulate you as all the sudden shifts happen so BFing is your friend. In addition you have a lot of extra fluid in your cells (water retention) and a 50% increase in blood volume at the end of PG, and your body has to rid itself of all of this. So you pee alot, you sweat a lot, your liver is busy busy busy.

The combination of the hormone seesaw and the chemical and physical changes can mean you feel a bit all over the place. If you are shivery but have a temperature or feel sick or have a bad headache etc. then have a GP check you out. But th hot and cold flashes, cramps and bleeding after feeds and moderate clotting is all normal stuff and good signs that your body is returning to it's non-pregnant state.

Bx