Features of the first menstruation after childbirth. Features of menstruation after childbirth while breastfeeding

The cycle is not established immediately and creates many questions for women who have recently left the maternity ward.

Wise Mother Nature protected a woman from the double burden of simultaneous breastfeeding and repeated pregnancy, making sure that those hormones that are responsible for lactation simultaneously suppress ovulation.

The first appear only when the level of prolactin, the lactation hormone, begins to decrease with a decrease in volume and cessation of breastfeeding. Early introduction of complementary foods, supplementary feeding with formula, supplementation with water, juice, infrequent breastfeeding (less than once every 3 hours) and lack of night feeding (break more than 6 hours) lead to an acceleration of the appearance of menstruation.

And even after the first bleeding occurs, the cycle may remain irregular for quite a long time. It will be fully restored when you restore your health and the delicate hormonal system for regulating the sexual sphere starts working again like a clock.

The second discharge often comes with a large deviation in timing, but after 2-3 months everything returns to normal.

Postpartum discharge, lochia, is similar to menstrual discharge, but it is not them; immediately after childbirth, a woman bleeds from the place where the placenta was previously attached, and this discharge has nothing to do with the normal process. The uterine cavity after the separation of the placenta has a real wound, and until it heals completely, there will be increasingly diminishing discharge, first bloody, then brown, then just yellowish, and this can last up to 8 weeks. Then, if you are breastfeeding, your period may not bother you until 6 - 12 months, and this is completely normal.

Lactation is a constant loss of nutrients, iron, calcium, and restoration of the cycle means the likelihood of a second pregnancy. Of course, the mother’s body is unlikely to be able to provide for two babies at once without harming itself.

Long delays are normal. There is no need to rush things and look for a way to do it, the time will come, and they will begin on their own as soon as the mother’s body has fully recovered and breastfeeding has stopped.

When do periods start after childbirth?

If in the time of our great-grandmothers a baby up to a year or longer knew nothing but mother's milk, today, even if the baby is breastfed on demand, complementary foods are introduced from 6 months, which means that less and less breast milk is needed. Lactation fades away, and everything returns to its rightful place.

If the mother does not breastfeed, the ability to conceive can be restored within one and a half to two months. There is a common belief that during breastfeeding it is impossible to conceive a baby until the ovulation process resumes, but in reality it is not so important when your period comes, because ovulation can occur despite the fact that you are still breastfeeding. At the same time, at least another two weeks will pass before you find out that you are fertile again, and during this period conception is possible. This is how most weather children are born.

Think in advance about a more reliable method of preventing unwanted conception; during lactation, you can use mini-pills, an intrauterine device and all barrier contraceptives.

How much a particular woman recovers is even influenced by how often the baby is put to the breast, whether he receives breastfeeding at night, whether he is supplemented with food, and whether he receives complementary foods in addition to breastfeeding.

The average period for most women is 6 months after the birth of the baby, provided they are breastfed.

If there is no lactation, it all depends on the general state of health and how the birth proceeded, on average this is a period between one and a half and three months after the birth of the child. As soon as the lochia is over, two weeks pass and you can resume the normal process of ovulation again.

A difficult, complicated pregnancy and childbirth, a weakened body, the presence of complications in the postpartum period affect this clean period, lengthening it, even if there is no breastfeeding, you may need 2-3 months more time.

The nature of menstruation after childbirth

In many cases, the resumption of the menstrual cycle after the birth of the child occurs with a change in it. How the discharge occurs depends primarily on the method of contraception.

If you choose an intrauterine device for prevention, be prepared for the discharge to become more abundant. In such cases, the color can be very bright in the first days, and even discharge with clots is possible.

If mini-pills are chosen, in the future there may be very scanty discharge, and even spotting, this is due to the fact that gestagens, hormones contained in birth control pills, change hormonal levels and the endometrium grows by the end of the cycle less than normal.

If there is no contraception and the woman is completely healthy, in most cases the nature of the fluid changes for the better. If before becoming a mother there was premenstrual syndrome, and everything proceeded painfully, this can pass. Previously painful critical days can become completely imperceptible.

How long does your period last after childbirth?

The ovulation process does not return to normal immediately, however, it should not be delayed too much. If spotting persists for more than 7-10 days or is profuse, this is a reason to be alarmed and consult a gynecologist. How many days the first usual bleeding lasts is not so important, the second may turn out to be completely different, gradually everything will return to normal.

They should not be too abundant, if you need more than 1 pad for 2 hours, this is no longer the norm, you need a doctor. If the bleeding is not very heavy and subsides to the point of spotting, do not worry, even if it lasts a week or a little more, this is normal for the first time.

Irregular menstrual cycle after childbirth, how to cope?

The regularity of sexual processes is not restored immediately; it is completely normal if it takes several months.

If you have already had one menstruation, a delay next time if you have reliable contraception is not a reason to worry, but if you are protected by such unreliable methods as interrupted intercourse or were hoping for breastfeeding, it is worth doing a test; its possibility should not be discounted.

A failure after childbirth that lasts more than three months is not the norm and requires examination by a gynecologist; perhaps there is a reason that requires treatment. As a rule, such reasons are always quite serious, from a malfunction in the hormonal system to diseases of the uterus and appendages, do not look for a way to restore everything on your own, self-treatment can exacerbate problems.

Starting to take OK on the advice of a friend, you run the risk of missing such a severe pathology as an inflammatory process in the genital organs or a tumor, and this is dangerous both for health and for the ability to have more children in the future. Remember that a new pregnancy may also be the reason for the delay.

Getting started and recovering can be quite an unpleasant and difficult process. There are some symptoms and signs that indicate that things are not going as smoothly as we would like.

It should be noted that how the pregnancy ended, whether it was childbirth, abortion, miscarriage, caesarean section, also has an impact on the process under discussion.

Menstruation after cesarean section

A caesarean section is an operation, an intervention on the uterus, accompanied by an incision in its wall. If after a normal birth the uterus only has damage to the endometrium, as a result of a cesarean section the entire wall of the uterus is injured to its full depth.

After a caesarean section in cases where a woman is breastfeeding, the results are the same as if there had been no operation, however, if they occur early, the surgery may cause them to proceed differently than normal.

Recovery from a cesarean section occurs in the same time frame as if you gave birth on your own.

Since the intervention does not allow early installation of an intrauterine device, and a repeat pregnancy in the first two years from a cesarean section is extremely undesirable, one has to take the choice of a contraceptive method very seriously. You cannot rely on PPA and breastfeeding as a method of preventing conception; your obstetrician-gynecologist will tell you how to protect yourself.

Heavy discharge after cesarean section, too scanty, irregular - require consultation with a doctor, since all these problems can also be associated with hormonal disorders and intrauterine infection.

Menstruation while breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and menstrual periods are a completely possible combination. If you breastfeed your baby, this does not guarantee that your breasts will recover late.

It is important to remember that a high level of prolactin is responsible for lactation only in the first month after birth, then it also remains somewhat elevated, but already from 3-4 weeks after the birth of the child, the mammary gland begins to work autonomously. Milk is produced as much as the child sucks out, if his needs become less, then the amount of breast milk decreases.

Due to a decrease in prolactin levels, early menstruation after childbirth with HB is not uncommon, as is re-pregnancy in those women who counted on lactation as a method of contraception.

If you start bleeding while breastfeeding, it does not stop you from continuing to breastfeed your baby. There is an opinion that if menstruation has come, the child may refuse to breastfeed. There is some truth in this, but it is not due to a change in the taste of milk, as many people think, but to the fact that the mother's smell is changing, and the child is very sensitive to this.

If you and your baby have given up breastfeeding gradually, as recommended, reducing the number of feedings and gradually replacing them with complementary foods, everything can start even with breastfeeding.

An abrupt termination of lactation with the use of drugs that suppress it, sudden weaning before the child is even 6 months old, means that the body is not yet ready to resume the cycle. On average, the normalization of processes should be expected in a month and a half; at least one obstetric month will pass before they are restored; the egg must first mature, and only then will ovulation and normalization of the cycle be possible.

Remember:

Breastfeeding is not a method of contraception; pregnancy is quite possible

Cases when menstrual periods began during breastfeeding are not uncommon, and this is not a reason to quit breastfeeding.

If the cycle has already recovered and you are not really taking protection, a delay in breastfeeding should first of all concern you about the risk of a possible re-pregnancy.

Menstruation after abortion

Abortion is the interruption of fetal development, prematurely and violently. When the first leaks come and how long they last after the artificial interruption of the baby’s life depends on the duration of the intervention. After a medical abortion, as a rule, everything is restored within one cycle; delays are rare.

After a mini-abortion for up to 7 weeks, everything comes within a month and a half after the procedure, and they also recover after a regular abortion.

If an artificial birth took place at a late stage, the critical days may not recover for up to three months, as after a normal birth after which there was no breastfeeding.

Complications are possible after any intervention. Bleeding or normal discharge? If something confuses you or seems wrong, consult a gynecologist.

Periods after miscarriage

A miscarriage at any stage is difficult for the mother to bear. This is not only stress due to the loss of a child, but also possible hormonal imbalances. After a miscarriage in the early stages, the body recovers quickly, but normally it always takes at least 1 month; after late miscarriages, recovery can take 2-3 months, it all depends on the specific obstetric situation and the cause of the incident.

Restoration of menstruation after pregnancy, deviations from the norm

Copious discharge

These are the ones where you need more than 1 pad for 2 hours. They should be regarded as bleeding and consult a doctor. Strong discharge should also alarm you if the blood is scarlet and with a lot of clots.

In general, the duration should be up to 10 days - this is normal, but they may be more abundant than before birth. As a rule, in the future they become the same as before the birth of the child or even less abundant. Brown discharge may last for several days, but if the total duration of bleeding exceeds ten days, be sure to consult a gynecologist.

Long, prolonged menstruation is not the norm; the cause may be either a hormonal imbalance or the presence of a tumor in the uterine cavity or inflammation.

If you have doubts, do not understand what is happening to you, this is a sufficient reason to set aside some time for yourself and consult a doctor.

Violation of regularity

The cycle is not restored immediately. Irregular bleeding after the first time is normal for no more than three months; if the cycle is not established, the cause may be hormonal imbalances.

Discharge in the absence of breastfeeding can recover after 40 days, and as soon as postpartum discharge stops, you will be ready to conceive again. Having a period a month after giving birth is impossible, if your discharge has already stopped and then resumed again, complications of the postpartum period should be ruled out and consult a gynecologist.

Sometimes there are frequent leaks, literally twice a month. If your bleeding resumes every two weeks, this is also not normal. The most common cause is hyperplasia (overgrowth) of the endometrium due to hormonal disorders and this requires examination by a doctor.

Normally, even with breastfeeding, the process is restored within 6 months after the birth of the child; they rarely come later than this period. If you have not had a period for a year or more, or have not had one for more than two months after you have finished breastfeeding, you should consult a gynecologist.

Delay and absence of menstruation is one of the indirect signs of pregnancy. But after a woman carries and gives birth to a child, her natural hormonal cycle is restored and menstruation begins. This takes time. And for each individual organism this time comes individually. But still, there are certain generalized data by which one can judge the norms for the onset of menstruation under various circumstances (for example, breastfeeding).

In this article you will learn all the important information regarding your first menstruation. How long should it last and when should it start? How to distinguish the first menstruation after childbirth from lochia and terminated pregnancy. We will also find out how to understand that a woman can become pregnant after childbirth, even before her first period.

How to distinguish l ohhi and menstruation after childbirth

Lochia is postpartum discharge from the uterus. At first they are bloody, and 3-4 days after the birth of the child they begin to gradually change their color, becoming brown. By the end of the first week, the lochia becomes serous. This is an important indicator that the uterus is returning to normal after pregnancy. The presence of a small amount of discharge from the genital tract during the first month after childbirth is considered normal.

But there are also deviations from the norm, the appearance of which must be immediately responded to and contact your gynecologist or obstetrician-gynecologist (in the first week after birth):

the appearance of blood in the lochia a week after birth;
changing their color to greenish;
excessive pain in the lower abdomen of a constant nature;
the appearance of massive clots of brown and dark red color in the lochia;
the presence of an unpleasant odor of discharge;
elevated temperature and symptoms of intoxication.

All of the above symptoms are signs of pathologies of the postpartum period. Most often, endometritis occurs in women who were delivered via cesarean section or who had feto-placental insufficiency during pregnancy. This is an inflammation of the mucous layer of the uterus of infectious etiology. Its further development leads to panmetritis, pelvic inflammation and even infertility.

All about the first menstruation after childbirth

Most often, the time that passes between childbirth and the onset of menstruation depends on whether the woman is breastfeeding or not. For breastfeeding women, the first menstruation usually occurs 6-12 months after the birth of the child, and for those who have never put a baby to the breast, it can occur much earlier - after 3-4 months. These periods depend on the hormone prolactin, which is actively synthesized in the body of a nursing woman and promotes milk production. It acts as an antagonist of progesterone (the hormone that initiates the menstrual cycle).

Practice shows that in some cases the start dates of cycles may not coincide. And in women with excellent lactation who are actively breastfeeding, menstruation begins at 4 months. But it is believed that normally the first menstruation after pregnancy should occur no earlier than two months after its end.

Good afternoon, I gave birth to my first child in June, but I haven’t had my period for 3 months. Mixed-fed baby. Tell me, is this normal, and when will the menstrual cycle be restored? Zhanna, 31 years old.

Good afternoon, Zhanna. Absence of menstruation during the first three months after birth, provided that the child is mixed-fed, is the norm.

How long does your period last after giving birth?

Normally, the duration of the first menstruation is not too different from those that a woman had before pregnancy. The discharge should last 3-7 days, during which 50-70 ml of blood is lost. Since pregnancy and childbirth are two natural and physiological processes, a slight increase in the duration of menstruation should not be alarming. But, if the bleeding continues for more than a week, it is accompanied by severe cramping pain, and also large bloody clots are released, you can suspect an ectopic pregnancy or even a miscarriage.

What should your first period be like after childbirth?

Normally, discharge in the first critical days after birth should not differ from what it was before pregnancy. A slight extension (by 1-2 days) of this period is allowed. Too much menstruation or too long menstruation are signs that you should contact your gynecologist about.

Lactation and pregnancy

It is believed that if a woman breastfeeds, she cannot become pregnant. Unfortunately, ovulation after pregnancy occurs somewhat earlier than the first menstruation. And the lactation method of contraception has long shown its ineffectiveness. There have been cases when nursing women already began to feel fetal movements, and only then did they realize that they were pregnant.

Hello, what could be the reason for the fact that after giving birth, periods last longer than usual? Did it start 6 months after the baby was born and continue for 7 days? Anna, 24 years old.

Hello, Anna, if the discharge is not accompanied by severe pain, and there are no other alarming symptoms, slightly longer menstruation is not a pathology.

How long does it take for menstruation after childbirth in women who have had a caesarean?

The restoration of the menstrual cycle of women after pregnancy and childbirth is absolutely independent of whether they gave birth naturally or they were given a caesarean. In both cases, the mother can initiate breastfeeding and delay the onset of the first menstruation by several months.

The myths that women who had a caesarean section, menstruation occurs much earlier, have come from ancient times. Then mothers after operative delivery were forbidden to reproach the child with the breast. Thus, women did not put their children to the breast and did not stimulate lactation. And already low levels of prolactin contributed to the fact that they had menstruation earlier.

What to do if your period comes 2 weeks after giving birth?

Menstruation that began two weeks after childbirth is an alarming signal. These can be early complications that most often occur after natural childbirth.

uterine bleeding;
infectious inflammation of the uterine cavity;
bleeding from the genital tract;
presence of placental remains;
blood clotting pathology.

Too early onset of critical days after childbirth should always be an occasion for immediate medical attention. None of the above reasons should be delayed. Because otherwise, it can lead to infertility and even death.

What is the reason if aftergiving birth, menstruations are coming within a month

Abundant menstruation for a month should also cause concern, as well as its too early onset. If critical days last a month, two pathologies can be suspected. This dishormonal uterine bleeding and miscarriage.

It often happens that 3-6 months after the birth of a child, a woman can become pregnant with her next one. But due to the absence of menstruation, it is difficult to guess at first about the presence of a second pregnancy.

Irregular periods after childbirth

Regular periods are those that begin at regular intervals (23-32 days). All other options are an example of an irregular cycle. For example, every two weeks, or once every two months. Often the cause of this condition is one of the following pathologies:

dishormonal violations;
irregular breastfeeding (restoration of lactation, and subsequently repeated refusal to breastfeed);
secondary polycystic ovary syndrome, which arose against the background of hormonal changes;
proliferation of uterine fibroids;
postpartum complications.

Among the postpartum complications that lead to irregular periods are hormonal disorders. In some cases, when a woman experiences postpartum depression too severely, she may experience irregular menstrual cycles. Treatment involves frequent walks in the fresh air, positive emotions and normalization of the regime. And the normal psycho-emotional state of the mother is the key to good psycho-emotional health of the child.

Hello, please explain why after giving birth you sometimes get your period and sometimes you don’t? There was IVF and a caesarean section. Before pregnancy I had a regular menstrual cycle. Marina, 42 years old.

Hello Marina, your problem may be related to complications that could arise during a cesarean section. In addition, after 40 years, statistically, women experience a decline in reproductive functions. And an irregular cycle can be one of the manifestations of the onset of menopause.

What to do if you don't get your period after giving birth

The absence of menstruation after childbirth for a long time (more than a year) is a sign that a malfunction has occurred in the woman’s body. This situation is quite rare, since childbirth is a natural process, and in most cases the woman’s body, on the contrary, “adjusts” to a normal rhythm.

Of course, the opposite also happens. For example, with Sheehan syndrome (infarction of the pituitary gland or part of it). It happens to women who have suffered more blood loss during childbirth than normal. In addition to the absence of critical days, women complain of rapid weight loss, dry skin, decreased performance and worsened mood.

Hello, can you tell me how long your period lasts after childbirth if you are breastfeeding? Thank you, Oksana, 18 years old.

Hello, Oksana. The menstrual cycle after pregnancy in a woman who regularly breastfeeds her child, on average, is restored by 6-12 months. There should be no change in the duration of menstruation. It is possible that this period will now be less painful to bear. But critical days normally last before and after pregnancy for 3-7 days.

Ask a free question to a doctor

Finally, the long-awaited baby pleased his parents with his birth. Mommy is calm and happy, but the very next day she is overwhelmed by a wave of worries - how to properly care for the baby, whether he has enough milk, how to say goodbye to extra pounds and when the first period after childbirth will “please”. We will try to carefully understand the last question, since it interests almost everyone.

Periods after childbirth - what explains their absence

Many people often confuse postpartum spotting - lochia - with menstrual discharge. In fact, they are not the same thing at all. At first, the lochia are deep red, then they darken, and their volume gradually becomes smaller. The mucous layer of the uterus returns to its normal state within 1.5 months, which is how long the discharge will bother you. If a caesarean section was performed, this period may even increase slightly. The appearance of lochia changes every day, and by the end of the first month only bloody streaks are visible in them.

After the birth of the baby, the mother’s body again undergoes hormonal changes, this time the culprit turns out to be prolactin. Its accelerated production is associated with the need to saturate the newborn, because it is this hormone that is responsible for lactation. An increased level of prolactin has a depressing effect on the functioning of the ovaries, so there are no periods after childbirth - the female body has higher priority tasks. Once again, you can be surprised and admire the wisdom of nature - a newborn baby is so in need of mother’s attention and healthy milk that conceiving a new life at this stage is simply impossible. Our great-grandmothers did not wean their babies from the breast for two or three long years, and for the entire period of lactation they were spared the invasion of “critical” days.

Periods after childbirth - when to expect them to appear

The timing of the appearance of the first menstruation after childbirth is influenced by many individual reasons - frequent stress, the presence of diseases, hormone levels and others. However, the main one is the completeness of lactation. It is approximately possible to name the following time indicators:

- with full breastfeeding, without additional complementary foods, there are no periods after childbirth for the entire lactation period. An exception may be the continuation of breastfeeding after a year - in this case, the appearance of menstruation is quite possible;

- if mother’s milk is sorely lacking and you have to use formula as a supplement, periods after childbirth, even with breastfeeding, may appear after 4-5 months. This occurs due to a decrease in prolactin production and a weakening of its effect on the ovaries;

- Artificial feeding is not at all uncommon. Some mothers are deprived of the opportunity to breastfeed due to health reasons, and some, unfortunately, refuse to do so on their own. In any case, menstruation after childbirth will occur one and a half to two months after birth, although individual options are possible;

- after a cesarean section, if it passed without complications, the onset of menstruation after childbirth also depends on the baby’s menu - when breastfeeding, menstruation is not expected until the end of lactation or the gradual introduction of complementary foods.

To find out how long after giving birth menstruation begins, it is necessary to take into account other factors - the mother’s adherence to the correct regimen, the availability of a varied healthy diet, age, chronic diseases, and emotional state. To this should be added the characteristics of the body, so no one can name the exact timing of when to expect the first menstruation after childbirth.

Menstruation after childbirth - its duration and permissible intensity

Having decided how long after childbirth menstruation begins, we will try to find out no less pressing questions - whether they will be painful, how long they can last and how intense the discharge should be. Most often, after the birth of their first child, mothers note the disappearance of unpleasant sensations and the establishment of a regular cycle. However, it is possible to determine the correct indicators only three months after menstruation has returned after childbirth. The first cycles may have some changes, and doctors do not consider this a deviation - menstruation can cause anxiety because it is heavy and lasts longer than it was before childbirth. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor to refute possible abnormalities. You especially need to hurry to do this if the first menstruation after childbirth is accompanied by persistent weakness, unpleasant dizziness, and arrhythmia.

Normally, menstruation should repeat every 21-34 days, the volume of discharge should not exceed 20-80 ml (about 5-6 tablespoons), and the duration of the process should be no less than three and no more than eight days. How long your period lasts after giving birth for the first time is completely unimportant; it can last for 7-8 days, or it can be limited to two or three days. It is much more important that their duration normalizes within two to three months.

Alas, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of premenstrual syndrome even after the birth of a child, but periods after childbirth, as a rule, become less painful. This is due to the location of the uterus and normal conditions for blood outflow. However, inflammatory processes or the presence of complications can change the natural course of menstruation, so in case of any deviations you should consult a doctor.

Menstruation after childbirth - when doctor's help is important

After the birth of your baby, despite the understandable lack of free time, you must not forget about your health and ignore visiting the gynecologist. It will help assess the size and condition of the uterus and ovaries, tell you how long after birth your periods begin, and determine the presence or absence of signs of trouble. It is necessary to visit a doctor without delaying the visit in the following cases:

1. Excessively heavy first periods after childbirth - this sign may indicate endometrial hyperplasia, imbalance of hormone levels, endometriosis. If one regular pad lasts less than two hours, bleeding should be recognized.

2. Bloody discharge with an unpleasant odor shortly after the cessation of lochia signals the presence of remnants of the fertilized egg in the uterus.

3. Extremely scanty periods after childbirth or their complete absence 3 months after the end of breastfeeding - the cause could be an increased level of prolactin, which should have decreased by this time.

Lack of regularity, too much or, on the contrary, scanty discharge, the presence of additional symptoms are serious reasons to consult a doctor.

There are no periods after childbirth - is it possible not to use protection?

You can, if you don't mind having another baby. Many married couples, hoping for no menstruation after childbirth, were surprised to discover the presence of a long-term pregnancy. The thing is that ovulation occurs two weeks before the appearance of the first menstruation after childbirth and does not communicate about the process even in secret. As a result, the egg is fertilized, and the absence of menstruation is attributed to hormonal changes by the young mother. Late detection of pregnancy plunges young parents into a real shock, because the mother’s body is not yet ready for new challenges. Its complete recovery requires at least two years, so it is advisable to plan the birth of the next baby taking this circumstance into account.

Menstruation after childbirth - causes of cycle disruption

For three months after the first menstruation after childbirth, there is absolutely no need to worry about cycle irregularity. But only if you reliably protected yourself during sexual intercourse. Otherwise, if there is a delay, it will not hurt to take a pregnancy test. If two to three months have passed since the appearance of the first menstruation after childbirth, and the regularity of the cycle has not improved, or abnormal symptoms are present, one of the reasons may be Sheehan syndrome or postpartum hypopituitarism. The disease occurs as a result of heavy bleeding after childbirth, the presence of peritonitis or sepsis. The causes of Sheehan syndrome can also be histoses, which manifested themselves in the second half of pregnancy with severe edema, protein in the urine and high blood pressure. As a result of necrotic changes in the pituitary gland, a disruption in the restoration of the cycle occurs - menstruation after childbirth is either absent or appears as spotting. The disease is accompanied by headache, excessive fatigue, hypotension, and slight swelling.

Another reason for scanty or absent periods after childbirth is hyperprolactinemia - increased levels of prolactin. The disease occurs due to insufficient function of the thyroid gland or the presence of a benign formation - prolactinoma (pituitary adenoma). Both diseases are treatable, but require a timely visit to the doctor. Therefore, you should not discuss with your friends how long your period lasts after childbirth and when it starts, but it is better to get professional consultation and advice from a specialist.

Menstruation after childbirth - is it possible to continue breastfeeding?

Many years of research by specialists around the world have convincingly proven that long-term breastfeeding is not only beneficial for the baby, but also helps the mother solve many of her own problems. Ideally, a baby can regularly enjoy his mother’s luxurious treats until he is two years old and be reliably protected from various infections. But periods after childbirth can also occur during breastfeeding, and many mothers do not know whether to continue breastfeeding their baby.

It is possible and even necessary, experts say, one does not interfere with the other. In this case, it is difficult to predict how long your periods will last after childbirth and what their intensity will be, but the initially unstable cycle will confidently recover within three months. When introducing complementary foods, you should not reduce the number of breastfeedings. On critical days, nipples become more sensitive; warming them after feeding and a light neck massage help relieve discomfort. The baby also shows slight anxiety associated with slightly difficult milk production. By changing breasts during feeding, you can avoid this inconvenience.

The timing of the arrival of the first menstruation after childbirth is purely individual. Therefore, do not worry if your friend has already had her first period after giving birth, but you don’t even show any signs. Another indicator that should not be compared is how long your period lasts after childbirth; here, too, everything depends on many individual factors. But if you notice one or more signs of trouble described above, do not delay your visit to the doctor, take care of your health. After all, now you have a baby who desperately needs a healthy mother!

One of the main indicators of women's health is the menstrual cycle. After childbirth, the restoration of the cycle is of particular importance. Therefore, when and how the first menstruation came after childbirth and how long it lasts, you can determine whether there are hidden postpartum complications or not, find out about the recovery of the body and find out whether everything is normal with the health of the young mother.

First time after giving birth

Many new mothers mistakenly believe that postpartum bleeding is the first menstruation after pregnancy. This is completely false. After labor is completed, the uterus begins to actively contract, pushing out the remaining blood and clots. These discharges are abundant in the first days. Later, lochia, the so-called postpartum discharge, gradually decreases. There is less blood and by the sixth week after the birth of the baby, lochia stops.

Your period will come much later after childbirth. When menstruation begins after childbirth, and how long it will last, worries every young mother. The recovery time of the menstrual cycle is individual for each mother. If you are breastfeeding, you will not have your period until six months after giving birth. If for some reason you feed your baby formula, menstruation a month after birth is not a deviation.

Critical days after childbirth are very different from regular periods. It is for this reason that women may not even realize that their period has begun. The discharge is scanty, more spotting. The first menstruation may take 2–3 days.

Features of cycle recovery

The first period after childbirth comes at a time when the level of lactation hormone decreases. While the hormone level is high, there are no periods. This hormone is called prolactin, and it is responsible for the production of breast milk and suppression of ovulation. It is precisely because of the high content of prolactin during breastfeeding that there are no periods until a year after childbirth. It is worth considering that in order to use breastfeeding as contraception, you must feed the baby on demand. You cannot feed or supplement your baby, or use pacifiers or bottles. Feeding at night is mandatory.

Young mothers are always interested in when their periods begin after childbirth. During the restoration of the cycle, it may change in length; periods often take on a different character, intensity, duration, and become more or less painful than before pregnancy. This is often the norm, but in some cases a consultation with a gynecologist is required.

Bleeding in the postpartum period

Postpartum bleeding, or lochia, is the cleansing of the wound surface that forms at the site of the separated membranes and placenta. They last throughout the entire period of restoration of the inner surface of the uterus.

At this time, the uterus is especially vulnerable to infection, so you should regularly change sanitary pads and monitor the nature of the discharge. They are maximally expressed within 3 days after birth, and then gradually weaken.

Sometimes such discharge completely stops within a day. This occurs due to blood retention in the uterine cavity (), which leads to an increased risk of infection. In this case, the help of a doctor is necessary.

Normally, cleansing the uterus after natural childbirth lasts from 30 to 45 days. After surgical delivery, this time may increase due to scar formation and longer healing.

How to distinguish menstruation from bleeding after childbirth?

Lochia gradually changes its character. By the end of the 1st week they become lighter, after 2 weeks they acquire a slimy character. Within a month, an admixture of blood may appear in them, but its amount is insignificant. Usually a woman easily distinguishes this process from menstruation. At least 2 weeks should pass between the cessation of lochia and the beginning of the first menstruation. If in doubt, it is better to consult a gynecologist or at least start using barrier contraception that protects the uterus from infections.

Start of menstruation

There are no periods during pregnancy. This is a natural protective mechanism for preserving the fetus, which is regulated by hormones. After childbirth, the restoration of the woman’s normal hormonal status begins. It lasts for a month if breastfeeding is not started.

When should menstruation start after childbirth?

This period is determined primarily by the type of feeding the child: natural or artificial. Breast milk production occurs under the influence of the pituitary hormone prolactin. It is he who inhibits the growth of the egg in the ovary during lactation. The level of estrogen does not increase, therefore, when breastfeeding, menstruation begins, on average, 2 months after birth, more often when feeding “by the hour.”

For many young mothers, this period extends to six months or more, especially when feeding “on demand”. In very rare cases, while breastfeeding continues, even periodically, women note that they have not had periods for a year, and sometimes longer. In such cases, you need to regularly use contraception, and if necessary, take a pregnancy test. You should also consult your doctor to rule out hyperprolactinemia.

With artificial feeding from birth, the duration of the cycle is restored in a month to a month and a half. At this time, and occurs, so a new pregnancy is possible.

When a baby is fed only breast milk, the woman may not have menstruation all this time. In this case, the first menstruation after childbirth will begin during the first six months after the end of lactation “on demand” or the introduction of complementary foods. However, this is not necessary, and even during breastfeeding, menstruation may resume.

With mixed feeding (from a bottle and naturally), the restoration of menstruation develops faster, within 4 months after birth.

How long do periods last in the postpartum period?

Often the first menstruation is very heavy. There may be heavy discharge, periods with blood clots. If you have to change the pad every hour, you should seek help from a doctor: this may be a symptom of bleeding. Subsequent periods usually become normal.

In other cases, women experience irregular spotting in the first months. This is typical for breastfeeding, when prolactin synthesis gradually decreases.

Additional factors affecting the speed of restoration of the normal cycle:

difficulties in caring for a child, lack of sleep, lack of help from relatives;
unhealthy diet;
the mother is too young or has a late birth;
concomitant diseases (diabetes, asthma and others), especially those requiring hormonal therapy;
complications after childbirth, for example Sheehan syndrome.

Menstrual cycle changes

Irregular periods often persist for several cycles after childbirth. These changes do not have to be permanent. Within 1-2 months, the cycle normally returns to prenatal characteristics or changes slightly in duration.

Scanty periods can normally occur during the initial 2-3 cycles, especially if mixed feeding is used.
During the first cycles after childbirth, on the contrary, some women experience heavy periods. This may be normal, but if menstruation does not become normal in the next cycle, you should consult a gynecologist.
The regularity of menstrual flow is disturbed, that is, the cycle goes astray.
Painful periods may occur, even if the woman never complained of pain before pregnancy. The reason for this is infection, too much contraction of the uterine wall. In most cases, on the contrary, painful periods before pregnancy become normal. This is due to the normalization of the location of the uterus in the body cavity.
Some women develop or its precursors: nausea, swelling, dizziness, emotional changes before menstruation.

Causes of postpartum menstrual changes

A delay in menstruation after childbirth appears under the influence of changing hormone levels:

secretion of prolactin in the pituitary gland, which helps secrete breast milk and suppresses ovulation;
suppression of estrogen production under the influence of prolactin, which leads to irregular menstruation or its complete absence during breastfeeding (lactational amenorrhea).

When a child feeds only on mother’s milk, and “on demand”, and not “by the clock”, and a woman does not have periods for six months after giving birth, this is the norm.

After the onset of menstruation, it is advisable to start using contraception. Although breastfeeding reduces your chances of conceiving, it is still possible. For example, if your period started after childbirth and then disappeared, the most likely reason for this is a repeat pregnancy. It should also be remembered that ovulation occurs before menstrual bleeding begins. Therefore, pregnancy is quite possible even before the first menstruation. If a woman is concerned about why she has not had menstrual bleeding for a long time, she must first take a home pregnancy test and then consult a gynecologist. You may need to consult an endocrinologist.

You should not stop breastfeeding after your menstrual cycle appears. Menstruation does not change its quality. It happens that these days the child does not eat well, is capricious, and refuses to breastfeed. This is usually associated with emotional disturbances in a woman, her worries about the quality of feeding.

During menstrual bleeding, the sensitivity of the nipples may increase, and feeding becomes painful. To reduce such sensations, it is recommended that before giving the baby the breast, massage it, warm it, and apply a warm compress to the nipples. It is necessary to keep the chest and armpit area clean. During menstruation, the composition of sweat changes, and the baby smells it differently. This may be another reason for feeding difficulties.

Irregular periods

What to do if your menstrual cycle becomes irregular:

In the first months of the postpartum recovery period, there is no need to panic. In most cases, this is the norm. For each woman, normalization of the cycle occurs individually, usually during the first months of the resumption of menstrual bleeding. Irregularity occurs more often in women who breastfeed.
It takes about 2 months to restore the normal function of all organs and systems. Balance in the endocrine system occurs later, especially if breastfeeding is used. Therefore, a woman may feel quite healthy, but at the same time she will experience a lack of menstruation.
You should pay attention to an irregular cycle only after 3 cycles. This may be due to an inflammatory process or tumor of the genital organs. A delay in your second period is not dangerous unless it is associated with another pregnancy.

If you have any doubts, it is better to consult a gynecologist, get diagnosed in a timely manner and begin treatment.

Cycle after pathological pregnancy or childbirth

Menstruation does not return immediately after a missed pregnancy. Only some women experience regular bleeding within a month. In most cases, hormonal imbalance that led to termination of pregnancy causes cycle irregularity.

After termination of a frozen pregnancy or abortion, the first menstruation occurs within 45 days. If this does not happen, the woman should seek help from a gynecologist.

To exclude causes of amenorrhea, such as the remaining part of the fertilized egg in the uterus or inflammation, an ultrasound scan must be performed 10 days after the termination of a frozen or normal pregnancy.

The first menstrual flow after begins from 25 to 40 days after its completion. If they start earlier, it is probably uterine bleeding, which requires seeing a doctor. A delay of more than 40 days also requires consultation with a gynecologist. If the disease has caused severe stress in a woman, the norm is to extend the recovery period to 2 months.

Menstruation after surgery is restored in the same way as after normal childbirth. During lactation, periods do not come for six months. With artificial feeding, there is no period for 3 months or even less. Both during physiological and during childbirth by cesarean section, in a small proportion of women the cycle is not restored within a year. If no other pathology is detected, this is considered normal.

In the first few months after a frozen pregnancy, intrauterine pregnancy, or cesarean section, your cycle may be irregular. Subsequently, its duration may change compared to the previous one. But normally it is no less than 21 days and no more than 35 days. Menstruation lasts from 3 to 7 days.

Pathology of menstruation

Sometimes bleeding that begins in a woman after childbirth is pathological. In this case, you should not wait several cycles for them to normalize, but immediately consult a doctor.

A sudden cessation of postpartum discharge is a sign of a bent uterus or an accumulation of lochia in the uterine cavity - lochiometers.
Scanty periods for 3 cycles or more. Perhaps they are a symptom of hormonal disorders, Sheehan syndrome or endometritis.
Irregularity of menstruation six months after its restoration, a break between bleeding for more than 3 months. Most often accompanied by ovarian pathology.
Excessive bleeding for 2 or more cycles, especially after surgical delivery or termination of pregnancy. They are often caused by the tissues of the membranes remaining on the walls of the uterus.
The duration of menstruation is more than a week, which is accompanied by weakness and dizziness.
The appearance of abdominal pain, fever, unpleasant odor, change in color of vaginal discharge is a sign of a tumor or infection.
Spotting before and after menstruation is a likely symptom of endometriosis or an inflammatory disease.
Itching in the vagina, an admixture of cheesy discharge is a sign.
Bleeding twice a month, persisting for more than 3 cycles.

In all of the above cases, the help of a gynecologist is needed.

Sometimes, despite a woman’s apparent health, her menstruation does not occur at the right time. This may be a symptom of a childbirth complication - Sheehan syndrome. It occurs when there is heavy bleeding during childbirth, during which blood pressure drops sharply. As a result, the cells of the pituitary gland, the main organ regulating the function of the reproductive system, die.

The first sign of this disease is the absence of postpartum lactation. Normally, in the absence of milk, menstruation appears after 1.5-2 months. However, with Sheehan syndrome, a deficiency of gonadotropic hormones occurs. The maturation of the egg in the ovary is disrupted, there is no ovulation, and there are no menstrual bleeding. Therefore, if a woman who has given birth does not have milk, and then her cycle does not recover, she urgently needs to consult a doctor. The consequences of Sheehan syndrome are adrenal insufficiency, which is accompanied by frequent infectious diseases and a general decrease in the body's resistance to various stresses.

There is also the opposite problem - . This condition is caused by increased production of prolactin in the pituitary gland after the end of lactation. This hormone inhibits the development of the egg, causes anovulation, and disrupts the normal thickening of the endometrium in the first phase of the cycle. Its excess leads to the absence of menstruation against the background of ongoing milk synthesis.

The main causes of hyperprolactinemia are pituitary adenoma, gynecological diseases, and polycystic ovaries.

When a woman is healthy, her cycle returns normally. To avoid possible failures, you need to follow some simple recommendations:

To give the body the opportunity to quickly restore the synthesis of hormones, you need to eat well. Plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and water, combined with regular exercise, is an effective method of restoring hormonal balance. The menu should include dairy products, cottage cheese, and meat. After consulting with your doctor, you can take multivitamins for nursing mothers.
Not to accept . They can change hormonal levels and cause unpredictable changes in the cycle. If a woman is sexually active, it is better for her to use condoms or other non-hormonal methods of contraception.
Organize your routine as efficiently as possible. If your baby doesn't sleep well at night, you should try to get enough sleep during the day. You should not refuse any help from your loved ones. A woman's good physical condition will help her recover faster.
If you have chronic diseases (diabetes, thyroid pathology, anemia and others), you need to visit an appropriate specialist and adjust your treatment.