What To Expect From Your Periods After Pregnancy?

The biggest gift of pregnancy is your adorable cute baby isn’t it? Basically, you have a nine months long break from your periods. During pregnancy, women do not experience their regular periods. However, after delivering your baby, you may become curious about your menstrual cycle. Majorly return of periods hugely depends on whether you are breastfeeding your baby or not.Also read : Understanding Postpartum Bleeding: Tips And Advice For New Moms How Soon To Expect The First Period After Pregnancy? Breastfeeding the baby is the biggest factor which affects your periods. This is because prolactin suppresses the process of ovulation. Prolactin is responsible for breast milk production in women. Women who do not breastfeed their little ones usually expect the return in the period within 1-2 months post childbirth. Women who breastfeed and formula-feed their little ones can expect their first periods after a few months for delivery. But, women who exclusively breastfed their babies usually get more time off from aunt flow. It is usually 6 months or more. In fact, most of the moms do not get their first periods until they stop breastfeeding. Is It Possible To Get Pregnant Before The Return Of Periods? Some women feel that they won’t get pregnant because they are exclusively breastfeeding and don’t ovulate. But, there are some cases where women can get pregnant as early as 1.5 months after childbirth. This is because ovulation occurs before menstruation. You are usually fertile after ovulation and there are high chances of getting pregnant even if you have not had a post-delivery period.This is applicable to breastfeeding mommies too. Due to a lack of awareness, a lot of mommies consider breastfeeding as a form of contraception. But it is not a good practice, you still have high chance of getting pregnant. Always consult your doctor regarding an effective and safe birth control method. Taking birth control pills with estrogen can hinder breast milk production. Also read: Maternity Leave And Policy In India- 2023 Will Post Childbirth Periods Will Be Same As Before? You can experience a change in periods sometimes. Some may have longer, shorter, lighter or heavier menstruation cycles. In fact, there can be an increase or decrease in cramping, this is mainly due to the growth of the uterus and then shrinking of it during pregnancy and childbirth.During menstruation, the endometrial lining is shed and it has to be remodelled again. This happens with every pregnancy, this is why most women notice a change in the menstruation cycle after every delivery. Some women also experience heavy bleeding after childbirth, it can be due to IUDs or hormonal birth control pills. Hormonal contraceptives usually cause thinning of the uterus lining. Will My Periods Be Regular? It takes some time for the hormones to secrete normally post-pregnancy, it can take more time if you are a nursing mommy. Some women experience a change in menstruation cycle, one cycle might be for 28 days and another one for 35 days. Once you have stopped nursing, the menstruation cycle generally stabilizes. How To Identify If Something Is Wrong? Some women expect heavy bleeding and killer cramping during the initial periods after delivery. But, if the flow is heavier, contains blood clots and lasts for more than 7-10 days, consult your doctor. It can be due to some infection or fibroids and can also lead to anemia and fatigue. Conclusion The return of periods can greatly vary depending on factors such as breastfeeding, birth control use and hormonal changes. If you are a breastfeeding mother, your periods are more likely to be late than those who do not. Breastfeeding reduces reproductive hormones due to prolactin hormone. While breastfeeding can delay the return of menstruation, it is still possible to become pregnant before the return of periods. Lochia, a discharge after delivery, is not the same as a period. Your postpartum period will be different than usual, with more cramps, small blood clots, increased pain and irregular cycle lengths. Do seek medical help if postpartum bleeding is heavy or more than usual. Shop all Morph essentials including Post delivery period panties for an extra 10% off using code "AFTERBABY" We have a very special offer for you from our sister brand Baby Munkin, where we specialize in making baby friendly, poke free and eco-friendly diapers. You can shop them here. Related Products Related Products