Menstruation after childbirth: relevant information for women. Menstruation after childbirth

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When do your first periods come after childbirth and what should they be like? How long after childbirth does the cycle return? Is very heavy menstruation normal or abnormal?

You carried your baby for 9 months, and completely forgot about such a phenomenon as menstruation. However, after childbirth, the appearance of menstrual periods becomes a pressing topic for most young mothers. We will talk about restoring the cycle after the birth of a child, the main features of the first menstruation, the time of their onset and common deviations in today’s article.

Restoring menstruation after childbirth

The onset of menstruation is directly related to the activity of hormones. During pregnancy, the hormonal levels change dramatically, and the expectant mother spends the entire pregnancy without menstruation. After childbirth, the body begins to recover and gradually switch to the previous regime: hormonal levels return to normal, and bleeding again appears in the life of a woman who has already given birth.

No doctor can give a specific date for the onset of menstruation after childbirth. This phenomenon is strictly individual. Most often, critical days occur after the baby stops breastfeeding.
Also, normalization of the menstrual cycle depends on the following factors:

• Regular eating;
• Daily routine, rest time;
• State of mind, presence of depression;
• The presence of chronic diseases and/or their complications.

The appearance of menstruation after the birth of a child

As already mentioned, the restoration of menstruation occurs differently for each woman. But we can still name the average indicators when menstruation begins, which differ from each other by the presence of various factors.

1. If the mother does not breastfeed her child, then menstruation should appear after 1.5-3 months.
2. If a non-breastfeeding mother has complications of chronic diseases, a weakened state, depression, etc., critical days may come after 4-6 months.
3. If the mother feeds the baby every 3 hours, and the night break does not exceed 6 hours, then menstruation can be expected after six months to a year.

To fully restore the cycle, at least 2-3 menstruation must pass. When complementary foods are introduced into the baby's diet, as well as if the baby is switched to mixed feeding, menstruation may begin even earlier.

Important: do not confuse menstruation with characteristic postpartum discharge. They last approximately 7-10 days as dark blood clots or fresh blood. The described discharge will be replaced by yellowish discharge; gynecologists and obstetricians call them lochia. Their number will decrease over time, and after 1.5 months the uterus should become toned after the birth.

Personally, my first period came 8 months after Maxim was born, at which time we were already actively introducing complementary foods. The first ones were very plentiful, as if in all the previous months, but practically painless! This made me very happy, because before pregnancy I suffered terribly during my menstrual periods. The next ones arrived literally after 2 weeks, only after 3-4 cycles everything more or less returned to normal.

Features of the onset of the first menstruation

As a rule, the first periods of a new mother are scanty and spotty. Some people, on the contrary, experience very heavy discharge, perhaps even 2 times in one month. Their complete recovery can be expected only after 2-3 cycles, not earlier.

In most cases, the first menstruation is less painful, the feeling of discomfort in the lower abdomen disappears. This condition is justified by a slight change in the location of the abdominal organs, which helps straighten the bend of the uterus and improve the outflow of blood.

It is also possible to change the nature of bleeding. This phenomenon directly depends on the chosen method of contraception. When using an intrauterine device, menstruation may become bright and profuse, and sometimes discharge with dark burgundy blood clots is possible. When using birth control pills, you can expect scant spotting. This phenomenon is associated with the presence of gestagen hormones in the tablets, which change the hormonal balance, which is why the endometrium grows less than normal before the end of the cycle. If a woman does not use contraceptives, or her partner uses condoms, then the nature of the discharge changes for the better. Premenstrual syndrome, pain and other unpleasant sensations that a woman experienced during menstruation before pregnancy may disappear.

Remember that conception is possible even in the absence of menstruation and while breastfeeding continues. The egg will be ready for fertilization 2 weeks before the arrival of the critical days, so during this period of time the woman has every chance of becoming pregnant again. The onset of menstruation after the birth of the baby cannot be called a sign of the body’s readiness for the next pregnancy. It will take at least 2 years for complete recovery; only after this period do doctors advise planning the next conception.

Possible deviations

After the onset of menstruation, a new mother should carefully monitor the nature of the fluid secreted, as well as the duration and course of the menstrual cycle.

The following phenomena are considered abnormal:

• Too much menstruation after childbirth. If you change your pad frequently (more than once every 2 hours), this can be considered bleeding. In addition, you should be alerted by the dark color and unpleasant smell of the discharge, as well as severe pain.
• Irregular periods. If after 3 months the cycle has not returned to normal, then you should visit a gynecologist. Perhaps your body has undergone serious hormonal imbalances, which are considered a deviation.
• Lack of menstruation. If you switched your baby to artificial feeding and suppressed lactation, but critical days have not arrived for 2-3 months, then this indicates the possible presence of diseases of the genitourinary system. The most common postpartum ailments include the appearance of tumors, inflammation of the ovaries, pathologies after childbirth, imbalance of hormone levels and endometriosis. Do not allow the disease to progress, and do not delay your visit to the gynecologist.

Proper genital hygiene helps to avoid many fungal, infectious and bacterial diseases. After childbirth, do not use “intimate” gels, but regular baby soap. Wash your genitals at least three times a day.

The appearance of menstruation and complete restoration of the menstrual cycle after childbirth takes quite a long time. Monitor your physical condition and health; if there are any deviations, immediately go to the doctor and complete the full course of prescribed treatment.

It is known that after childbirth, a woman’s body needs some time for those organs and systems that underwent changes during pregnancy and childbirth to return to normal. This usually takes 6-8 weeks. The exception is the mammary glands and the hormonal system: their recovery requires more time. The restoration of the menstrual cycle is associated with hormonal changes. This complex process deserves to be discussed in detail.

A short excursion into physiology

Immediately after childbirth, the level of proteins that were produced by the placenta and regulate many metabolic processes in the body of the expectant mother sharply decreases. Special parts of the brain - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland - are a kind of “conductor” of the endocrine glands. They regulate the activity of various endocrine glands - the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries in women and testes in men. In the postpartum period, the endocrine system, in particular the pituitary gland, produces the hormone prolactin, which is sometimes also called the “milk hormone”, because it stimulates the formation of milk in women after childbirth and at the same time suppresses the cyclic production of hormones in the ovary, thereby preventing maturation processes oocytes and ovulation - the release of an egg from the ovary. This is why most women do not have menstruation during the entire period of breastfeeding. If the baby is fed only breast milk, then menstruation is likely to occur at the end of the lactation period, and in the case of mixed feeding, menstruation is restored by the 3-4th month after birth. But it should be noted that there are exceptions to every rule, and in women who breastfeed babies for up to a year or more, menstrual cycles can resume within the same period.

I would like to warn against a mistake: often a young mother is sure that in the absence of regular menstrual cycles during the feeding period, pregnancy cannot occur. This is wrong. Ovulation, and therefore conception, can occur during this period.

In the absence of lactation, ovulation occurs on average at the 10th week after birth, and the first menstruation occurs at the 12th. Menstruation may appear 7-9 weeks after birth; in such cases, the first menstrual cycle is usually anovulatory, i.e. is not accompanied by the release of an egg from the ovary.

After a cesarean section, the restoration of the menstrual cycle occurs in the same way as after a natural birth, and depends on the method of feeding.

What can you feel

Discharge from the genital tract continues from the moment of birth until the 6-8th week of the postpartum period. Despite its similarity to menstrual blood, especially in the first 3-4 days, these discharges differ in origin from menstrual discharge; they are called lochia. At the site of the separated placenta, an extensive wound surface is formed; in the first three days, the discharge from it is bloody in nature, then, as the wound heals (from the 3-4th to the 7-10th day), it becomes serous-sanguineous, and from the 10th day it acquires a yellowish-white color, at the same time their number decreases. At 5-6 weeks, the discharge from the uterus stops and is of the same nature as before pregnancy.

Most often, resumed menstruation after childbirth is of a regular cyclical nature, but it is permissible to establish a menstrual cycle during the first 2-3 cycles, which can be expressed by a delay in menstruation, or, conversely, a decrease in the interval between menstruation. Despite the likelihood of these phenomena being normal, if such symptoms occur, you should consult a doctor to rule out diseases such as inflammatory processes of the internal genital organs, endometriosis, tumors of the uterus and ovaries, etc.

A normal menstrual cycle lasts on average 28 days (21-35 days). The first day of menstrual bleeding is called the first day of the menstrual cycle. Menstruation usually lasts 4-6 days (+ 2 days). The greatest amount of blood loss is observed during the first and second days. The average blood loss per cycle is 30-35 ml (range 20-80 ml). Blood loss of more than 80 ml per menstrual cycle is considered pathological.

The interval between menstruation and the duration of bleeding after childbirth may vary; it is important that they “fit” within the physiological norm described above.

It should be noted that sometimes the nature of menstruation changes after childbirth. So, if a woman had irregular periods before giving birth, then after giving birth they can become regular. Menstruation that was painful before childbirth may become painless after childbirth. This is due to the fact that the pain is caused by the so-called anterior bending of the uterus, which impedes the outflow of menstrual blood from the uterus. During pregnancy and childbirth, the relative position of organs in the abdominal cavity changes, and the uterus acquires a more physiological position.

Possible menstrual irregularities

One of the reasons for the disruption of the menstrual cycle after childbirth may be hyperprolactinemia. The pituitary gland produces the hormone prolactin (this hormone is also produced in smaller quantities in men). Normally, a woman's blood level of prolactin increases during pregnancy and breastfeeding, which leads to the secretion of milk by the mammary glands. As soon as a woman stops feeding her baby, prolactin levels drop to normal. If prolactin levels increase regardless of pregnancy or do not return to normal after stopping breastfeeding, then this condition is called pathological hyperprolactinemia (PH). As already noted, prolactin suppresses ovulation. This is why maintaining elevated levels of prolactin after breastfeeding can cause a lack of menstruation.

This situation is often associated with the increased function of prolactin-secreting cells of the pituitary gland, the number of which remains normal or increases very slightly. Another cause of hyperprolactinemia may be prolactinoma, a tumor (adenoma) of the pituitary gland that produces prolactin. This is the most common cause of PG during periods not associated with lactation. Pituitary prolactinoma is a benign tumor. Experts call this formation a tumor only because it leads to an increase in the size of the pituitary gland. The cause of hyperprolactinemia at the end of breastfeeding may be insufficiency of thyroid function (hypothyroidism), which is quite easily detected by measuring the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood and is easily corrected during replacement therapy with thyroid hormone preparations (L-Thyroxine).

One of the symptoms of PG may be a disturbance in the rhythm of menstruation (oligo- or opsomenorea - a decrease in the amount of menstrual blood or shortening of menstrual bleeding), up to their complete cessation (amenorrhea), since an increased level of prolactin disrupts the formation of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). ) regulating the menstrual cycle. Such patients often suffer from headaches. At the end of breastfeeding, milk formation continues in small quantities - a few drops when pressing on the nipple. Against the background of existing hormonal imbalance, mastopathy often develops. Women with PG may develop obesity.

The diagnostic tests that are performed to confirm the diagnosis are quite simple. They usually include a blood test for various hormones and a study of the pituitary gland to determine the form of the disease. By the way, primary tests (blood tests for prolactin and hormones characterizing the function of the thyroid gland) can be prescribed by a doctor at the antenatal clinic, but for further research, consultations with a number of specialists may be necessary.

If the results of a blood test reveal that the prolactin level is elevated, but there are no other manifestations of PG, then it is advisable to repeat the test to make sure that this is not an error. It is necessary to check the function of the thyroid gland, as well as determine the level of other hormones. Tomography is used to study the pituitary gland.

Usually, medications in tablet form are prescribed for the treatment of PG. The most tested drug for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia is Bromocriptine (Parlodel). Other drugs are also used: Lisenil, Abergin, Metergoline, Cabergoline (Dostinex). All of these drugs help reduce the secretion of prolactin, the level of which in the blood often decreases to normal within a few weeks after the start of treatment. In women, as prolactin normalizes, the menstrual cycle is restored.

Another complication leading to menstrual dysfunction after childbirth is postpartum hypopituitarism (Sheehan syndrome). This disease develops as a result of necrotic changes - “cell death” in the pituitary gland. Such changes can occur as a result of massive bleeding in the postpartum period, after severe septic (bacterial) complications of childbirth, such as postpartum peritonitis 1 or sepsis 2. Severe gestosis in the second half of pregnancy, manifested by edema, the appearance of protein in the urine, increased blood pressure, and rarely, convulsive syndrome, can also cause Sheehan syndrome due to the development of intravascular coagulation (DIC syndrome). The incidence of Sheehan syndrome is 0.1%, but with massive postpartum or post-abortion bleeding it reaches 40%.

Since we are talking about a violation of the restoration of the menstrual cycle, it should be said that one of the manifestations of Sheehan syndrome is amenorrhea - absence of menstruation or oligomenorrhea - a decrease in the amount of menstrual blood down to small spotting. The degree of disruption of menstrual function, as well as the function of other endocrine glands, depends on the extent of damage to the pituitary gland. Even before the manifestation of menstrual irregularities, signs of Sheehan syndrome appear, such as headache, fatigue, weakness, chilliness, hypotension (low blood pressure), significant loss of body weight, slight swelling (pasty) of the lower and upper extremities, dry skin, baldness .

Diagnosis is based on medical history (the connection between the onset of the disease and complicated births), characteristic manifestations and hormonal test data, which show a decrease in ovarian pituitary hormones.

Treatment of this disease is based on hormone replacement therapy, when, with the help of special drugs, they try to replace the hormones that should be produced in the pituitary gland and other endocrine glands, including the ovaries. Glucocorticoid drugs and thyroid-stimulating drugs are prescribed. For oligo- and amenorrhea, sex hormones are prescribed to compensate for the lack of hormones produced by the pituitary gland and ovaries. Treatment is carried out by a gynecologist together with an endocrinologist.

Once again, I would like to remind you that if you have any doubts regarding the restoration of the menstrual cycle, you should consult a doctor. By the way, a long absence of menstruation after childbirth may also indicate the beginning of a new pregnancy...

1 Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, a thin membrane of connective tissue covering the walls and organs of the abdominal cavity.

2 Sepsis is a condition in which an infectious agent enters the blood.

Marina Pilnenskaya
Obstetrician-gynecologist,
Central Customs Hospital

Discussion

Is it really impossible to go to a gynecologist and ask all these questions there? Is it really impossible to use contraception if you don’t want to get pregnant? You need to think before you spread your legs!!! And they will protect themselves! The guy has nothing to lose! Then you women suffer!! Is it really necessary to write about all this here?

Good evening. I have a son. He is 4 months old. After birth I had my period. But for January there are none. The test is negative

My period started 6 months after my second birth on 10/28/2018 and now I don’t have it, the tests are negative, what should I do and think...?

Hello, I gave birth to a daughter on October 18, 2007. She is now 4 months old. I haven't had a period for 1.5 months. then they started to smear, then they started applying it liberally for 5 days, then they started smearing again and to this day they haven’t stopped. Please give me some advice. Do I need to see a doctor?

Why did everyone want their period so quickly? I actually developed the first cramps after a month of taking OK at 10 months and immediately refused to breastfeed. And my godmother told me (she already has three children) that as soon as her period came (the first two times at 6 months, the third at 3) the children immediately refused to breastfeed. It's better without a month. but with normal feeding. And there are savings on gaskets.

my child is already 4.5 months old. and I still don’t have my period, I bought a test and it showed negative. Please advise what I should do.

Hello. My first bleeding (lochia) stopped at 6 weeks. But a week later new bleeding began, very similar to menstrual bleeding. But I'm worried about his character. The vaginal discharge is copious, clotted, and has lasted for the 8th day. Is this normal for the postpartum period? Should I calmly wait for the end or is it time to see a doctor? Thank you.

Hello. My 11 month old daughter was breastfed for two weeks because there was no milk, after giving birth her periods came as expected, then for 3 months in a row they came as before the birth (after 30-32 days), then with a delay of 10-14 days ( the tests were negative, in July there was only a small discharge and passed, 4 tests were negative. In August they came back fine, now again with a delay and a little different than always, I’m afraid to go to the doctor, what is the reason for this failure? I’ve also recovered. I was pregnant increased CS, took doximethasone, and the first trimester was Utrozhestan. Please help me, what could be the reason, I understand that the doctor is inevitable, I’m worried. I had an internal ultrasound in the spring, they said everything is fine. Thank you.

Hello. My baby is already 7 months old, but has not yet reached the postpartum month. Please advise what should be done? Thank you.

Hello. I gave birth 2 months ago, I don’t breastfeed, I don’t have periods, I’m very worried about this. Tell me when should my period start? Thank you

My period started 6 weeks after giving birth. It was definitely menstruation, not lochia. Since then there have been 2 more times, at intervals of a month and a half - this is much longer than it happened before. But the gynecologist said that everything was fine.

Physiological amenorrhea is one of the first signs of pregnancy. The process of restoring the menstrual cycle begins immediately after the birth of the baby, but it is impossible to predict exactly when menstruation will resume. This is influenced by many factors, which will be discussed below.

Menstruation, or as it is also called, menstruation or regula, is the rejection of the endometrium of the uterus, accompanied by bloody discharge from the vagina. Normally, it is repeated at regular intervals ranging from 3 to 5 weeks and has the same duration.

Is postpartum discharge considered menstruation?

Popularly, postpartum discharge is often called menstruation after childbirth. In fact, the correct name for these discharges is lochia. They have a different nature of origin from menstruation. Lochia occurs due to the fact that after separation of the placenta and membranes from the uterine wall, the latter becomes a wound surface. In addition to blood, lochia may contain fragments of the placenta, placenta, and endometrium.

How long does menstruation last after childbirth (lochia)

The duration of postpartum discharge is one and a half to two months with a tendency to decrease in abundance. After surgical birth, the recovery process of the uterus is slower, so lochia can last up to 10 weeks.

In the first days, the lochia is abundant and bright red, since the bulk of it is blood. They have a characteristic smell of rotten leaves. Further, the color of the discharge changes to pinkish-brown, and even later to pinkish-yellow. By the 10th day after birth, there is normally no blood in the lochia, the discharge becomes clear and liquid. By about the third week, the discharge becomes mucous in nature, and its quantity decreases significantly.

If the lochia does not become more sparse or, on the contrary, stops abruptly, lasts less than 5 and longer than 10 weeks, changes color to greenish or yellow-green, or acquires a putrid odor, then you should immediately consult a gynecologist.

How long after childbirth does the menstrual cycle resume?

The process of restoring the menstrual cycle depends on many factors, including:

• The course of pregnancy and childbirth, postpartum complications. Endometriosis, bleeding, and inflammatory processes negatively affect the involution of the uterus.
• Chronic diseases.
• Age of the woman in labor. It is believed that primigravidas over 30 years of age take longer to recover.
• Number of births. In women who have given birth multiple times, the uterus recovers more slowly.
• Natural or artificial feeding of the baby.
• Maintaining hygiene in the postpartum period.
• Nutrition. A diet poor in nutrients also negatively affects the restoration of the menstrual cycle.
• Neuropsychic state of a woman. Lack of sleep and mental exhaustion can also slow down the recovery of your menstrual cycle.

It is impossible to predict exactly when the cycle will return after childbirth. On average, for non-breastfeeding women, menstruation begins 2-3 months after birth, for mothers whose babies are mixed-fed - after 4-5 months, for breastfeeding women, menstruation may not occur throughout the entire feeding period, but most often the cycle is restored between 6 and 12 months postpartum.

Menstruation a month after giving birth, even among mothers of artificial babies, is an unlikely occurrence. Doctors tend to believe that menstruation resumes no earlier than 6 weeks after birth. Menstrual-like bleeding at an earlier stage is a reason to do an ultrasound to determine the cause of the discharge.

Why does the menstrual cycle recover later after childbirth while breastfeeding?

When breastfeeding, the hormone prolactin is produced in large quantities. This hormone has a direct effect on the luteinizing (LH) and follicle-stimulating (FSH) hormones responsible for ovulation and an indirect effect on endometrial growth. Therefore, in lactating women, the menstrual cycle after childbirth is restored later.

It is on this phenomenon that the lactational amenorrhea method is based - a natural method of contraception. Its essence is that until the child is six months old, and the mother breastfeeds him exclusively at intervals of no more than 3 hours during the day and no more than 6 hours at night, then the likelihood of getting pregnant is extremely low. However, women practicing this method of contraception need to listen especially sensitively to their body. Ovulation precedes menstruation, therefore, there is a risk of becoming pregnant again without knowing that the cycle has been restored.

Menstruation after childbirth

• Duration. The duration of menstruation and the intervals between them may become the same as before pregnancy, or they may shorten or increase. The main thing is that the duration of menstruation fits within the framework of 3-7 days, and the length of the cycle in the end is not shorter than 3 and longer than 7 weeks.
• Regularity. The menstrual cycle after childbirth may immediately become stable. Or maybe “tuning in” for a certain time. Normally, menstruation should become regular within six months after the cycle resumes.
• Soreness. How you feel during your period may also change. If pain during menstruation was caused by a bending of the uterus, then after childbirth there is a high chance of getting rid of discomfort. This is due to the uterus taking the correct position. But it also happens that the first menstruation after childbirth becomes more painful. This is due to strong contractions of the muscles of the uterus or the inflammatory process that began after childbirth.
• Volume of discharge. Heavy menstruation after childbirth is normal, especially in the first cycles. If the discharge has a characteristic dark red color, and the sanitary pad fills no faster than 4-5 hours, then there is nothing to worry about.

Conclusion

The restoration of the cycle after childbirth is influenced by many factors: from the method of feeding the baby to the balance of nutrition and the psycho-emotional state of the young mother.

The exact date of the resumption of menstruation cannot be known; the doctor can only guess when menstruation will begin after childbirth in a particular patient.

The first few cycles may be irregular, and the length of your periods and the interval between them may also change. If the new cycle fits within the normal limits, and the color and smell of the discharge does not cause alarm, then there is no reason to worry.

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 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 children of the same age 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 affects 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

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 you had premenstrual syndrome before becoming a mother and everything was painful, it may go away. Previously painful critical days can become completely imperceptible.

How long does your period last after childbirth?

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?

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 yourself, self-medication can aggravate the problems.

By starting to take OK on the advice of a friend, you risk missing such a serious pathology as an inflammatory process in the genital organs or a tumor, and this is dangerous both for your health and for the possibility of having 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 everything is not as smooth 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

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

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 baby sucks; if his needs become less, then the amount of breast milk decreases.

Due to a decrease in prolactin levels, early menstruation after childbirth with breastfeeding is not uncommon, as is repeated pregnancy in those women who relied on lactation as a method of contraception.

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

If you and your baby give up breastfeeding gradually, as is recommended, reducing the number of feedings and gradually replacing them with complementary foods, everything can begin even during 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

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

Restoration of menstruation after pregnancy, deviations from the norm

Heavy discharge

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

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.

Normalization of the menstrual cycle after childbirth depends on the speed of recovery of the body. Features of postpartum menstruation include irregularity, pain, and changes in cycle length.

Features of menstruation and body recovery after childbirth

Menstruation after childbirth has some peculiarities. The cycle can last a different amount of time: from 21 to 32 days is the normal duration of such a period. The main characteristic of the stability of menstruation is its regularity and, accordingly, the constant length of the cycle. There are various reasons that affect the stability of the intermenstrual period, and one of them is childbirth.

The menstrual cycle is the time period from the beginning of menstruation to the beginning of the next one. The process is characterized by cyclicity and biological complexity of regulation. The phases of the cycle prepare the female body for a possible pregnancy, but if the fertilization process has not occurred, menstruation occurs.

Another option is that fertilization has occurred and the woman becomes pregnant. The body changes, hormonal changes occur, the goal of which is now to maintain the pregnancy. During the period of gestation, menstruation does not occur.

After nine months of pregnancy, the baby is born, and the female body begins to restore functions. The hormonal balance is normalized, organs and systems return to their normal functioning, as they were before conception.

Postpartum recovery

All changes during pregnancy and after childbirth are physiological in nature, and recovery lasts up to two months. All organs and their systems return to normal. However, the mammary glands change: their functional development is directed towards the process of breastfeeding a newborn.

Restoring the reproductive system after childbirth begins with reducing the uterus. Then the cervical canal is formed, and the external os closes. The duration of the process depends on various factors:

• number of births experienced;
• body capabilities;
• correct mode;
• pathological childbirth.

Women who have given birth several times often have a weakened body and take longer to recover. Those who gave birth for the first time after 30 years or who have had a pathological birth experience physiological changes more severely, and it takes longer to return to normal. Doctors advise following a postpartum regimen, which significantly speeds up the resumption of prenatal functions.

The duration of recovery depends on the method of feeding the child. An important factor in this regard is lactation.

The timing of cycle resumption differs between breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women. The reason for this is related to the production of prolactin. The hormone causes the female body to produce milk, and the mother’s body directs energy to feeding the newborn. And since the birth has already occurred, a new conception is not expected. Based on this “logic,” prolactin inhibits reproductive function, and with it menstruation.

Mothers who are not breastfeeding and whose infants are formula-fed experience the onset of menstruation within 6-8 weeks after the birth of the child. In this case, prolactin does not suppress the development of the egg, and the first menstruation after childbirth begins. The specified period is considered average.

Mothers who exclusively breastfeed their babies note that menstruation may begin after the introduction of complementary foods. Prolactin controls milk production by suppressing hormonal processes in the ovaries, and those who breastfeed for more than a year do not have periods. But there are also opposite cases: with established breastfeeding, periods can begin from 3-4 months after the birth of the baby.

Breastfeeding mothers are advised to undergo regular gynecological examinations to detect pregnancy that is not noticeable in the absence of menstrual periods, and to diagnose possible diseases.

Another case is mixed feeding, containing breast milk and complementary foods. Representatives of the fairer sex, who combine these types of nutrition for the baby, note the onset of menstruation within 3 to 4 months. The reason is that in this case less prolactin is produced.

And independent childbirth is a little different. The time for the appearance of critical days and the normalization of the cycle are the same, but there are additional factors that change the described process:

• psychological condition;
• food quality;
• possibility of rest, duration of sleep;
• age of the woman in labor;
• complications.

These factors influence the onset of menstruation, the timing of which greatly depends on the characteristics of the body. The duration of postpartum is always individual.

Peculiarities

The following features are characteristic of the first postpartum menstruation:

• irregularity;
• soreness;
• changing cycle length;
• duration of “critical days”;
• abundance of discharge.

The menstrual cycle that begins after childbirth is characterized by irregularity. The failure lasts from 2 months to six months (2-3 cycles). An important detail: a monthly cycle that has not returned to normal within six months indicates possible problems. childbirth is an important issue. In this case, a woman needs professional consultation with a gynecologist.

Representatives of the fairer sex often feel pain during the first postpartum “critical days”. The reasons are hidden in the complicated course of childbirth, exhaustion of the body, psychological fatigue, and pathologies. After six months the pain gradually goes away. On the other hand, girls who felt menstrual pain before childbirth often stop complaining about it after. Why? The uterus finds its correct position, and any possible bending is smoothed out.

Often after the birth of a child, changes in the length of the menstrual cycle are noted. The standard duration becomes different. Normal prenatal rates (21 or 32 days) often average out to 26 days.

Normally, periods last 3-5 days, but after childbirth their duration varies, reaching 7-10 days. If longer than this period, it means bleeding has developed. Young mothers who notice a reduction in the duration of discharge to 1-2 days or a continuation of more than 10 days require medical consultation.

After a complicated birth, the amount of discharge often changes. Blood loss of 50-150 ml is considered standard. The following parameter is considered normal: with the most heavy discharge, do not replace a regular pad for 4-5 hours. At the same time, heavy menstruation after childbirth is a condition when each new pad is used for 1-2 hours.

Large volumes of unpleasant-smelling, dark-colored discharge and pain are a reason to consult a doctor.

The timing of the restoration of the menstrual cycle is also influenced by other features: exacerbation of chronic diseases, increased premenstrual syndrome. Sleep, proper daily routine, quality nutrition, and a stable psychological microclimate help normalize reproductive function.

Doctors advise following basic recommendations. The mother's body, which gave birth to a child, has special needs. You should get enough rest and not exhaust yourself physically. Vitamins and microelements will help improve the functions of the ovaries and mammary glands. But the course and medications must be prescribed by a doctor.

You can get the vitamins you need by eating right. Nutritionists advise eating lean meat products, preferably boiled, and drinking plenty of milk. The most healthy cereal is oatmeal. Heat-treated fruits and vegetables are also considered beneficial. Nursing mothers are advised to avoid allergens in food.

Newborns require careful care, but do not forget about the health of the mother. Stable, restful sleep helps to avoid overwork, weakness, and psychological depression. Lack of sleep reduces the ability to quickly restore the menstrual cycle. Night sleep and daytime rest will support the health of the new mother.

An important tip is to undergo examinations on time. In the postpartum period, chronic diseases become more active, and new ones may appear. Unsettled menstruation after childbirth, an abundance of discharge, long delays, the duration of menstruation for more than ten days - all these are very serious reasons, if you notice them, you should consult a doctor.

Having a child greatly changes a woman's body. Normalization is a complex process that takes varying amounts of time and is determined by individual characteristics, as well as the health status of the young mother. It is important for a woman to eat healthy foods, maintain a good psychological mood, and rest, then the restoration of reproductive function will be faster and without complications.