Periods After Pregnancy
Can you tell me when to expect my periods after pregnancy? It has been over a month now and I’m not on my regular menstrual cycle just yet, this is normal?
Yes, it is perfectly normal not to have your first period after pregnancy until between six to eight weeks after you have given birth. However, there are a couple of factors that go into exactly when you will get back onto a routine cycle or not.
Some of these factors may include any type of medications you are on, if you are feeling stressed after having your baby, how active you are, and most importantly, whether you are breast-feeding or not. Whenever a woman is breast-feeding, this can delay how long it takes for her to start ovulating again.
While it does a vary from woman to woman whenever ovulation will begin again, some women can begin as early as 6 to 8 weeks, while other women may not start ovulating until almost a year later or longer. In most cases, ovulation does take longer to begin in breast-feeding mothers. Some women may discover that ovulation is postponed even after they stop breast-feeding, if they continue to pump breast milk.
It is also important to note that after giving birth a new mother will experience what is known as lochia, which is a bright red and bloody discharge that continues for several days. This should not be confused with your period.
How Will My Period Change After Childbirth?
The first period you will have after your childbirth will usually be much heavier than what you were generally used to with your regular periods before becoming pregnant. You will also notice that there may be some clotting with this first period and it may last longer than usual. This is perfectly normal and no reason for concern.
As time goes along, some women may notice that their periods actually become lighter than before. However, the chances are very high that your menstrual cycle will eventually go back to what it normally was.
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