Severe pms after kids – anyone else dealing with this?

I'm in my late 30s and a mom of two. My youngest is now three years old, and ever since I gave birth, I’ve been struggling with what feels like extreme PMS. It hits hard, and consistently, every single month, starting about a week and a half before my period. And honestly, it's starting to affect my quality of life more than I ever expected.

The symptoms are a mix of physical and emotional, and they’re relentless. I retain water and feel bloated and heavy. My self-esteem tanks, I think I'm unattractive, sluggish, and uncomfortable in my skin. Emotionally, it's even worse. My mood swings are intense, and the most minor things can make me snap or feel completely overwhelmed. There’s this buzzing, restless feeling under the surface like my body’s on edge for no real reason. I get irritable, down, mentally exhausted, and just drained from trying to keep it all together, especially at work or in social situations.

On top of that, I often feel a dull ache in my lower back, pelvis, and abdomen, which adds to the mental and physical weight of it all. I try to be mindful and step back a bit when I feel it creeping in, give myself space, slow down, and communicate with my partner, but it still spills over. I know it’s hard on hi,m too, even though I try to explain what’s happening. But unless you’ve experienced it yourself, it’s truly tough to understand what it does to your mindset.

I brought it up with my GP, but he’s a man and, to be honest, I didn’t feel like he had the knowledge or sensitivity to really address it. It felt brushed off, like it wasn’t a big deal, but to me, it is. I’m now on the waiting list for a new doctor, a female one I’ve heard great things about, and I plan to bring this up again when I finally get in.

Until then, I’m just trying to cope the best I can, but it’s not easy.

So I’m turning to you:

Has anyone else experienced this kind of intense PMS, especially after having children?

Did you find anything that helped, whether it was medical, dietary, hormonal, or even mental tools?

I’d appreciate hearing how others have dealt with it. Just knowing I’m not the only one going through this would honestly help a lot.