--- title: 'Postpartum Sweating And Night Sweats After Birth: What Is Normal and Why It Happens' slug: postpartum-sweating-night-sweats-after-birth lifeStage: postpartum category: Symptoms medicalReviewer: 'Dr Shree Datta, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist ' reviewerId: 'https://blog.bloume.com/postpartum/medical-board.md#dr-shree-datta' lastUpdated: '2026-07-21' primarySource: WebMD --- # Postpartum Sweating And Night Sweats After Birth: What Is Normal and Why It Happens Waking up drenched in the weeks after birth is common, and it has a clear physical cause. After delivery your oestrogen falls sharply, and your body also works to shed the extra fluid you carried during pregnancy. Both can bring on heavy sweating, especially at night. For most people it settles within a few weeks, though it can last longer if you are breastfeeding. This article covers why it happens, how long it tends to last, what can help with comfort, and when to contact your GP. **Q: Is it normal to sweat so much after giving birth?** A: Yes. Heavy sweating, including night sweats, is very common in the weeks after birth. It comes from the sharp drop in oestrogen after delivery and from your body clearing the extra fluid you held during pregnancy. For most people it eases within several weeks. In the early weeks after birth, heavy sweating and night sweats are among the most common physical experiences.In the early weeks after birth, heavy sweating and night sweats are among the most common physical experiences. Waking to find your sheets or pyjamas damp is something many women notice in this period. There is a clear physical cause, and for most people it settles on its own. ## Why postpartum sweating and night sweats after birth happen Most of this comes down to a sharp drop in oestrogen straight after birth. Through pregnancy your oestrogen runs high, and once the placenta is delivered it falls fast. That drop can throw off the hypothalamus, the part of your brain that manages body temperature, so it triggers sweating to cool you down even when you are not actually too warm. Your body is also clearing the extra fluid it held onto during pregnancy. You carried more blood volume and fluid overall while pregnant, and after birth, sweating and weeing more often are the main ways your body lets that go. Both tend to be strongest in the first couple of weeks, then gradually settle. The way this works is similar to hot flushes in menopause, which also come from falling oestrogen affecting your internal thermostat. The comparison helps explain what is happening, though postpartum sweating is its own thing and tends to pass as your body recovers. ## How long does it typically last? You will probably notice the sweating most in the first few weeks after birth. It tends to ease as your hormone levels start to settle, and for most people it clears within several weeks. If you are breastfeeding, you may find the sweating sticks around for longer. Feeding can keep your oestrogen relatively low for as long as you are nursing, so the sweating can carry on past those first few weeks. This is a normal part of the breastfeeding period. ## What helps with comfort? Nothing will stop the sweating outright, though a few simple things can make it easier to live with. Keeping your fluids up matters, since sweating means you are losing more than usual. Loose, light clothing in natural fibres like cotton lets air move around your skin. Keeping your bedroom cool with a fan or an open window can take the edge off night sweats too. For the nights, laying a towel over your pillow or using moisture-wicking bedding can soak up sweat and cut down how often you are changing sheets. A lukewarm shower before bed may help your body temperature settle before you sleep. You may find that going easy on spicy food and caffeine in the hours before bed takes some of the heat out of night sweats. The evidence for this in the postpartum period is thin, so treat it as something to try rather than a firm rule. ## When to contact your GP or NHS 111 > **WARNING**: Call your GP or NHS 111 promptly if your sweating comes with a fever of 38°C or above. A raised temperature alongside sweating can point to an infection after birth, and that needs checking without delay. It is also worth speaking to your GP if night sweats carry on for more than several weeks with no sign of easing, or if they show up alongside things like a racing heart, anxiety, tremors, or weight loss you cannot explain. Together these can sometimes point to a thyroid condition such as postpartum thyroiditis, where the thyroid, the gland that helps control your metabolism, becomes inflamed after birth. Your GP can look into it further if needed. ## Frequently asked questions **Q: Is it normal to sweat so much after giving birth?** Yes. Heavy sweating, including night sweats, is very common in the weeks after birth. It comes from the sharp drop in oestrogen after delivery and from your body clearing the extra fluid you held during pregnancy. For most people it eases within several weeks. **Q: Will postpartum night sweats last longer if I am breastfeeding?** They can. Breastfeeding keeps your oestrogen relatively low, so the sweating may carry on for as long as you are feeding. This is a normal part of the breastfeeding period. **Q: How is postpartum sweating different from menopausal hot flushes?** Both come from falling oestrogen affecting the hypothalamus, the part of your brain that controls body temperature. The difference is timing. Postpartum sweating is a temporary part of recovering after birth, and it usually clears within weeks as your hormones settle, while menopausal hot flushes come from a longer-term shift in oestrogen. **Q: When should I contact my GP about postpartum sweating?** Call your GP or NHS 111 if your sweating comes with a fever of 38°C or above, since this can point to an infection. It is also worth getting in touch if things have not improved after several weeks, or if you notice a racing heartbeat, tremors, anxiety, or weight loss you cannot explain, as these are worth looking into further. ### Clinical Sources - [WebMD](https://www.webmd.com/baby/what-to-do-about-postpartum-night-sweats) - [Medical News Today](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322589) - [Carpe](https://mycarpe.com/blogs/faq/postpartum-sweating-why-it-happens-and-how-to-manage-it) - [Cleveland Clinic](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24631-postpartum-night-sweats) - [Cleveland Clinic](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24631-postpartum-night-sweats) - [Carpe](https://mycarpe.com/blogs/faq/postpartum-sweating-why-it-happens-and-how-to-manage-it) - [Carpe](https://mycarpe.com/blogs/faq/postpartum-sweating-why-it-happens-and-how-to-manage-it) - [Carpe](https://mycarpe.com/blogs/faq/postpartum-sweating-why-it-happens-and-how-to-manage-it) - [Postnatal care — NICE guideline NG194 (2021)](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng194) - [Carpe](https://mycarpe.com/blogs/faq/postpartum-sweating-why-it-happens-and-how-to-manage-it) --- Reviewed by Dr Shree Datta, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist | [Medical Board](https://blog.bloume.com/postpartum/medical-board.md) | July 2026