Many women think postpartum has a fixed pattern, but the truth is—it doesn’t. And what makes it trickier is that some mothers, especially in their mid-30s or early 40s, also start experiencing early perimenopause without realizing it. So one moment you're dealing with night feeds and hair fall, and the next moment you're wondering why your periods look completely different or why you're feeling hot at random times of the day. Many moms ask themselves, “Is this normal? Is this postpartum? Or is this perimenopause?” And that’s exactly why understanding the difference matters.