How long after birth does menstruation begin? Restoring the monthly cycle after childbirth. The process of restoring menstrual function

The condition of the female body returns to normal when menstruation after childbirth occurs as usual. Sometimes critical days pass with deviations. In such situations, consultation with a doctor is required.

The menstrual cycle is a complex physiological process in the female body, which plays a large role in the mechanism of conception and birth of a child. This process occurs cyclically and affects the activity of the woman’s reproductive system. This affects the cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine and other systems of the body.

If we take a time period, the norm starts from the 1st day when menstruation begins until the 1st day of the next one. The duration of this cycle ranges from 21 to 35 days. Each woman's cycle should take the same amount of time. Under this condition, critical days after childbirth are considered regular.

In the process of normal menstruation, there are 2 phases:

• the first phase leads to the release of the hormone estrogen, which causes swelling of the endometrium. A mature follicle develops in the ovary. At the final stage of development, it ruptures, releasing a mature egg into the abdominal cavity;
• During the second phase, progesterone is produced, which promotes the implantation of a fertilized egg into the endometrium of the uterus. At the same time, the egg moves through the fallopian tubes towards the uterus. This stage lasts 3 days. If the egg is not fertilized, it dies. In this case, the inner layer of the uterus is rejected. This is caused by a sharp decrease in progesterone production. This layer is released through the genital tract and has the appearance of bloody discharge. They last approximately 3-7 days, blood loss is 50-150 ml.

When a woman becomes pregnant, she experiences amenorrhea - the absence of menstruation.

The first menstruation after childbirth may not appear immediately, since in a woman’s body after childbirth, all the functions and systems of the body that have been changed first occur. When will my period come after childbirth? The duration of the recovery period is 6-8 weeks after the discharge of the placenta. At this moment, the flourishing of activity and adaptation of the mammary glands take place.

Both during menstruation and during involution, the processes of restoration of the activity of the uterus and ovaries proceed smoothly. The uterus quickly returns to its normal size. This is facilitated by muscle contractions. The full size of the uterus is restored at 6-8 weeks. The weight of the uterus is restored at the same rate, which is no less important. During this period, the internal os and cervical canal are restored.

There are many reasons that can affect the rate of involution (recovery): the general condition of the woman’s body, age characteristics, artificial or breastfeeding. Involution slows down in the following cases:

• in women who have given birth many times or are in a weakened state;
• in women who give birth for the first time after the age of 30;
• after childbirth, which proceeded unfavorably;
• in case of non-compliance with the regime.

When the placenta is separated, the lining of the uterus turns into a continuous wound. In most cases, it recovers within 6-7 weeks. In the process of restoring the internal state of the uterus, more biomaterials called lochia can be released. In the postpartum period, lochia can be different. They appear taking into account the stage of recovery:

• at first, the lochia contains a little blood and parts of the rejected inner layer of the uterus;
• starting from 3-4 days, lochia has the appearance of a serous-sucrose substance;
• until the 10th day their number decreases. They acquire a transparent color;
• from 3 weeks they become scarce;
• Lochia stops at 5-6 weeks.

There are 500-1400 g of them. They have a specific smell, reminiscent of rotten leaves. If involution is delayed, lochia discharge may continue longer than usual. If the passage of the cervix was closed by a blood clot, lochia accumulates in the uterine cavity. This complication is called lochiometer. It requires immediate treatment, since it can, like any pathology, affect the ability to give birth in the future.

When should you get your period after giving birth? The time for the return of menstruation is individual for each female body. It depends on the course of pregnancy and childbirth. Menstruation after childbirth with artificial feeding may return to normal after 6 weeks, or may not occur throughout the entire period of breastfeeding. Menstruation after childbirth while breastfeeding can begin after 8 weeks. There is no accepted norm in this process, since the body of each mature woman is absolutely individual.

Basically, the first menstruation after childbirth depends on the secretion of milk. During breastfeeding, a woman produces prolactin, which stimulates normal milk production. This hormone inhibits the maturation of follicles, and, accordingly, the occurrence of menstruation.

If the baby is fed only breast milk, menstruation will begin when complementary foods are introduced into the diet. The first menstruation after childbirth passes without rupture of the follicle. The egg undergoes a return to its immature state. But it is rejected and bleeding from the uterine tract occurs. The next menstruation is already normal. Sometimes a new pregnancy and ovulation occur in the first months after the birth of the baby.

The following factors influence how long after childbirth your period begins:

• How did the pregnancy and childbirth go?
• age;
• nutrition;
• does the woman have chronic diseases;
• state of the nervous system.

The period when menstruation comes after childbirth is affected by complications that may occur in women during the birth process. What complications are more common? Possible disruption of the regularity of the menstrual cycle. Regular menstruation may begin from the first cycle. Sometimes regularity is established over 4-6 months. The duration of the cycles may differ by 2-3 days. When the cycle has not stabilized during this period, you need to see a doctor.

The birth of a child can be accompanied by various complications (infection). In this case, deviations in cycle duration are possible. If the cycle time was 21 days, then after childbirth it can increase to 25 days. Disturbances in the duration of menstruation itself, that is, the time when bleeding occurs, are rare. Menstruation lasting 1-2 days is considered too short.

The normal volume of beginning menstrual flow is 50 -150 ml. But pathologies are also possible that manifest themselves in too small or large volumes. Another reason to see a doctor is spotting before the start of a normal cycle. In most cases, their presence indicates endometriosis.

Severe pain can be triggered by a psychological factor, inflammation. Algomenorrhea may occur - this is a pathological condition that is characterized by excessive pain during menstruation. A woman cannot endure such pain without using medications.

A condition where menstruation is accompanied by pain before pregnancy can be caused by an incorrect position of the uterus, and during pregnancy the position is corrected. The first menstruation after childbirth may be accompanied by an exacerbation of chronic inflammatory diseases. As a result of these diseases, painful sensations or voluminous discharge may occur that smell unpleasant and contain inflammatory products. If you have this condition, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Many women complain about the presence of premenstrual syndrome. During this pathology, a woman exhibits not only the usual signs of menstruation (irritability, bad mood, tendency to cry), but also additional symptoms:

• swelling due to fluid accumulation in the body;
• migraines may occur;
• painful sensation and hardening of the breast;
• sleep disorders;
• allergy.

The causes of this syndrome are many factors. Therefore, there is no specific drug to treat it. Symptomatic treatment is most often carried out. After childbirth with complications, problems with the release of hormones from the pituitary gland are often observed. Against this background, pathologies are observed in the maturation of eggs and hormonal metabolism in the body. In this case, you should consult your doctor. Women should know that it is possible to become pregnant without normal menstruation. This is due to the fact that ovulation occurs 2 weeks before menstruation.

C-section

When complications occur during childbirth, the restoration of the menstrual cycle may be disrupted. This is especially true for caesarean sections. How long after birth do menstruation begin if a caesarean section is performed? In case of surgical intervention in the uterus, the involution time may increase (due to the presence of a suture). For such problems, special therapy is prescribed.

When menstruation begins after childbirth depends on the behavior of the mother. After childbirth, the load on all systems in her body increases, especially on the endocrine and nervous systems. If you are breastfeeding, you need to consume all the necessary vitamins and minerals. The normal functionality of the ovaries and the production of hormones depend on their content.

If there are not enough vitamins in the body, a woman may experience pain during menstruation, and the volume is significantly reduced. It is possible to use vitamin-containing medications. Even after the nursing period has ended, problems may arise. Mental and physical exhaustion often appears, which affects menstruation. You need to set aside time for rest and good sleep.

We must not forget about the possibility of chronic diseases. After childbirth, the body is weakened. He may be affected by the disease. It is necessary to prevent exacerbations of chronic diseases.

After giving birth, it is recommended to periodically consult a doctor. It is necessary to undergo an examination by a gynecologist immediately after the first menstruation, even if the beginning of the cycle did not cause problems or concerns. If signs of various pathologies appear, you need to make an appointment with a gynecologist.

No matter what new mothers say, any pregnancy comes with difficulties, but a huge plus is the absence of menstruation for as much as 9 months, and maybe longer. But you can’t argue with nature, the female cycle is restored, and, alas, menstruation resumes. But sometimes their character may differ slightly from the usual. For example, women often note that the first periods after childbirth are very heavy or, on the contrary, scanty. Is this the norm or a deviation, we will analyze it in this article.

Discharge after childbirth

Immediately after the birth of the child and rejection of the placenta, uterine bleeding begins. They are in no way connected with menstruation and in medicine such discharge is called lochia. The duration of lochia depends on many factors, such as: complications during pregnancy, woman’s physiology, labor, breastfeeding, etc. On average, this discharge lasts about 2 months.

After childbirth, a woman loses a lot of blood, because there is now a wound at the place where the placenta was attached. The duration of the discharge will depend on how quickly it heals. Therefore, heavy bleeding in the first days after childbirth is normal. Naturally, you should be alarmed if you do not have time to change the pads, and the sheet or diaper turns out to be very dirty. In this case, you must immediately notify your doctor.

Gradually, the lochia will change consistency and color. Within a week, the discharge will not be bloody, but lighter. If after 2-3 weeks, that is, after the lochia has acquired a light shade, bleeding starts again, you should definitely see a doctor; it’s a mistake to think that it’s your period.

When to expect your first period after giving birth

The menstrual cycle, in essence, is a guarantee of the health of a woman’s reproductive system. In order for a woman to ovulate again after childbirth, first of all, the body as a whole and the uterus in particular must recover. This process may take a different amount of time for each woman in labor, but on average, complete recovery takes about two months.

The resumption of the menstrual cycle is influenced by factors such as:

1. Lactation. The fact is that when a woman breastfeeds her baby, the hormone prolactin is produced, which inhibits the reproductive system, thereby preventing menstruation. In non-breastfeeding women, the cycle is restored much earlier.
2. Psychological condition.
3. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
4. Woman's age.
5. Lifestyle (nutrition, proper rest).

How soon will the menstrual cycle return?

Even the fact that you have already had your first period does not indicate that your menstrual cycle has fully returned. It is possible that the cycle will remain irregular for some time, and the volume of blood lost will differ each time. So, for example, usually after childbirth the first periods are very heavy, but they can also be very scanty, which confuses women.

We can talk about complete recovery only six months after the start of the first menstruation. If during this period of time the cycle has not returned to normal and continues to fluctuate, a hormonal imbalance has probably occurred and it is time for you to visit a gynecologist.

In any case, you should remain calm, your body has suffered a colossal load during pregnancy and childbirth, so problems such as very heavy first periods after childbirth are physiological in nature and are usually easily treated.

The first periods after childbirth are very heavy: normal or pathological?

So what is the reason for heavy periods after childbirth? Many factors can serve as sources of such unpleasant symptoms. The first thing the doctor may do is ask you how the birth went, whether you gave birth yourself or had a caesarean section. Usually, complicated labor is the root cause of why the first periods after childbirth are very heavy.

The second most popular cause of this problem may be the general condition of the woman. If you had any chronic diseases before pregnancy, then you should not be surprised if after childbirth the first periods are very heavy and do not end for a long time.

Thirdly, there are frequent cases of heavy menstruation after birth injuries or inflammatory processes of the reproductive system. Remnants of undelivered placenta can also be the result of severe bleeding.

When should you sound the alarm?

To begin with, you should distinguish between heavy menstruation and bleeding. In the first case, we are talking about normal periods, but with the difference that the duration of the discharge is a little longer than usual or, for example, a couple of pads are used more than the rest of the time. Such menstruation, although unpleasant, does not pose a significant danger. Enough to relax and spend time outdoors.

It’s a completely different matter if menstruation lasts more than 7 days, and the woman loses a lot of blood, resulting in a weakened state of the whole body, nausea and drowsiness. If after childbirth the first periods are very heavy and this is accompanied by severe pain and blood clots, you should immediately seek help from a doctor. You may need hospitalization and even curettage of the uterine cavity.

Signs of iron deficiency anemia

Abundant and frequent blood loss is not only unpleasant, but also extremely life-threatening. If you don't take action, nothing good will happen. We all know that the blood contains iron, and excessive loss of iron can lead to anemia, a condition that requires immediate treatment.

Thus, very heavy first periods after childbirth are primarily fraught with the development of iron deficiency anemia.

The following signs clearly indicate excessive blood loss and a dangerous condition of the woman:

• headaches, migraine;
• tachycardia;
• lack of air;
• nausea;
• dizziness.

In addition to the above, many people report irritability and aggression. Taking any medications containing iron on your own is extremely dangerous. Treatment should be carried out strictly under the supervision of a doctor, and in some cases even in a hospital setting. You can use traditional medicine recipes, but with great caution.

Discharge with clots

Bleeding with clots immediately after childbirth is quite normal. This is the uterus, contracting, as if pushing out the remnants of the fetal vital activity, thereby returning to its original state. Typically, such discharge occurs while in hospital and after discharge home noticeably decreases.

It’s a completely different matter if blood clots appeared during menstruation a few months after childbirth. Of course, this is not always bad and sometimes is physiological in nature, but more often it can indicate possible pathologies and abnormalities in the functioning of the body.

So, if after childbirth the first periods are very heavy and with clots, the reasons may be the following:

• Partitions on the walls of the uterus prevent the immediate removal of blood, due to which the blood has time to clot.
• Bicornuate uterus - with this structure of the uterus, women complain of prolonged periods with clots, accompanied by severe pain.
• Hormonal disbalance.

If after childbirth the first periods are very heavy, what should you do?

To begin with, you should remain extremely calm and carefully monitor your well-being. If there is no serious pain or fainting, you can wait for the next cycle, perhaps everything will return to normal on its own and your periods will return as before. But this course of action is permissible only if there really are no serious complaints. In all other cases, there is no need to postpone your visit to the doctor.

If heavy menstruation is accompanied by pain, weakness and low blood pressure, it is strongly recommended to consult a gynecologist. At your appointment, the doctor will definitely examine you, evaluate vaginal discharge and the condition of the uterus, take a smear and refer you for additional blood tests. Of the instrumental diagnostics, ultrasound examination is most often prescribed. Usually the above is quite enough to identify pathologies and causes of heavy menstruation.

Treatment of heavy bleeding

If a woman sees a doctor on time, outpatient treatment is possible, but more often, after all the examinations, the woman is placed in a hospital and the following medications are prescribed:

• hemostatic drugs;
• drugs to restore iron in the blood;
• vitamins.

After the woman’s condition has stabilized, the doctor may prescribe preventative procedures. Traditional methods and even homeopathy may not be superfluous, but before doing anything, you must consult with a specialist. Answer to the question "After giving birth, the first periods are very heavy - is this normal or not?" Only a doctor can give it, since everything is individual.

Women who have given birth to a baby, one way or another, have to face a recovery period. It goes differently for everyone. Much depends on the individual physiological characteristics of the body, the type of delivery (naturally or by cesarean). Young mothers are worried and ask: periods after childbirth, when they start and how long they should last. It is important to know this, because this is the only way to notice possible abnormalities in the body in a timely manner in order to visit a doctor.

Ideally, menstruation after childbirth should quickly return to normal as soon as the lactation period ends. Even minor delays in the first 2-3 months should not be scary, because the restoration of hormonal status against the background of an imbalance during pregnancy, of course, must be given time. For most women, menstruation in the postpartum period is less painful than before childbirth, which is also normal, because the location of the female organs in the peritoneal cavity changes somewhat, the bend of the uterus straightens and nothing prevents the outflow of blood from coming out.

On a note! The method of birth of the baby does not in any way affect the duration of the recovery period of the mother's body. Of course, in the case of a cesarean section, the uterus is unnecessarily injured, it will take longer to return to normal, and menstruation will begin a little later.

What causes the absence of menstruation?

The lack of regulation in women during the postpartum period is directly caused by lactation and the constant attachment of the baby to the breast. This helps to increase the production of prolactin and enlarge the mammary glands. After childbirth, a delay in menstruation in the first few months of breastfeeding is normal.

Women should not confuse lochia with menstruation. It's not the same thing. the postpartum period is provoked by an excessively traumatized uterine cavity, the passage of particles of dead epithelium to the outside. . Normally, they first come off in a deep red color, then gradually change color to brown. After 1-2 weeks, slight bloody streaks begin to come off. Eventually they should stop completely.

If the birth proceeded without complications, then there should be no regulation throughout the entire lactation period due to the suppressive effect of prolactin on ovulation.

The body in the postpartum period is at the stage of regeneration and restoration. As a rule, the duration of the period is 3-6 months and a new pregnancy is excluded at this stage. Although the individual characteristics of women play a big role, and premature ovulation even in nursing mothers is quite acceptable.

REFERENCE! The absence of critical days after childbirth is not a reason for women to relax in terms of possible conception again. Of course, the cause may be amenorrhea, when even after the lactation period the regulation is absent for 1.5 years. But it is still better to protect yourself and not neglect contraceptive methods.

If the baby is immediately switched to formula milk, then lactation as such does not occur, and the regulation should begin in about 1 month. In women who do not breastfeed, recovery is observed after 6-8 weeks, when the first menstruation begins after childbirth. This time is quite enough for the maturation of a new follicle and egg, normalization of ovarian functions, and renewal of the uterine mucosa.

It is extremely important for mothers not to interrupt the lactation period and to feed the baby at the first call, even at night. Avoid skipping feedings, and if there is an excess of milk, do not forget to express your breasts in a timely manner so that the milk arrives promptly and normally.

Reference! If the lactation period is terminated, and CD does not occur after 1 month, then you should see a gynecologist. When asked whether women need to use contraception, even if there are no regulations during the postpartum period, doctors do not give a definite answer. You don't have to use protection if you plan to conceive a child again. Indeed, despite the absence of regulations in a woman in labor, the onset of ovulation and fertilization of the egg after 2 weeks is quite possible.

Many mothers are perplexed, attributing the situation to a hormonal imbalance, when regulation occurs even with breastfeeding, and a little later a new pregnancy is detected. These cases happen, although the body is completely unprepared for new challenges. It is recommended that women postpone planning a new pregnancy for at least 1.5 years.

Cycle recovery time

Many mothers worry when their periods will start after giving birth. The menstrual cycle immediately after conceiving a child seems to turn off. Critical days will not come and will not bother women throughout pregnancy, because the glands of the endocrine system function in an enhanced mode. Next, the body begins to recover, and with it the hormonal levels.

Returning to the usual rhythm after childbirth occurs gradually. On average it takes 7-8 weeks. The speed of recovery can be affected by:

• age;
• internal chronic diseases;
• course of pregnancy.

Normally, when the uterus gradually contracts and decreases in size, the external os closes, the mammary glands enlarge and milk production begins.

The menstrual cycle may take a long time to recover if:

• performing a caesarean section;
• complicated childbirth;
• sudden climate change;
• late birth after 30 years;
• nervous overstrain, stress;
• birth of 2-3 babies in a row at short intervals;
• hormonal imbalance due to the development of infectious diseases (adnexitis, cyst).

In these cases, there is a delay in menstruation after childbirth. If a woman does not breastfeed her baby, then a change in the menstrual cycle is quite possible.

When to expect your period?

Doctors do not indicate a specific period when menstruation should begin after childbirth while breastfeeding. Everything is purely individual. It is normal if after stopping it again approximately 1 month after the baby turns 1 year old. Although this only happens with the late introduction of complementary foods, when the ovaries temporarily fade away and stop functioning. As the lactation period ends, the production of prolactin in the pituitary gland begins and menstruation begins.

Read also 🗓 The first periods after cesarean are very heavy

In the case of a combination of artificial and natural feeding of the baby, regulation can begin 4-6 months after birth. If you do not breastfeed your baby right away, the first discharge will be noticeable after 8-10 weeks. This time is quite enough for the maturation of the follicle and egg, normalization of ovarian functions.

It happens that during a cesarean section, menstruation comes immediately, 1-2 weeks after the end of the process of discharge of lochia. At the same time, the follicle quickly forms, the endometrial layer grows and becomes lush. In this case, it is quite possible that ovulation will occur, which means an unplanned pregnancy. At first, women are still advised to avoid sexual intercourse, use protection, or constantly and with full dedication to breastfeed the baby.

REFERENCE! It is rare, but cases of pregnancy occur in women even while breastfeeding. The reason may be the early introduction of complementary foods, the infrequent attachment of the baby to the breast at intervals at night for more than 6 hours. It is important to understand that milk production may be significantly reduced. In this case, ovulation will not be suppressed and a new conception of a child is quite possible.

Menstruation during breastfeeding can begin much earlier due to hormonal imbalance, if childbirth occurred with complications, as well as with the following pathologies:

• fetal hypoxia;
• risk of miscarriage;
• ovarian dysfunction;
• early, late gestosis;
• digestive system disorders;
• osteomalacia;
• liver atrophy;
• asthma;
• dermatosis;
• nephropathy;
• eclampsia;
• dropsy.

Such complicated births provoke a failure of the reproductive system, so menstruation may begin earlier or later. As a rule, in such cases, women are under the strict supervision of specialists.

IMPORTANT! Critical days may be absent for a long time due to inflammatory and infectious processes in the body. If lactation has stopped and menstruation does not occur after 1-1.5 months, then this is a reason to see a doctor.

When to see a doctor

It is extremely important for mothers not to neglect their health after the birth of the baby, to promptly identify unfavorable signs and know when the first menstruation comes after childbirth, what the color and duration should be. The main factors when contacting doctors should be immediate:

1. The appearance of abundant regula in the first postpartum days is a sign of endometriosis and hyperplasia.
2. Severe bleeding, when you have to change the pad more often than every 2-3 hours.
3. Discharge of bloody discharge with an unpleasant odor, pus, and ichor immediately after the discharge of lochia. This may indicate residual effects of the fertilized egg in the uterine cavity.
4. The absence or appearance of scanty discharge 3 months after the end of the lactation period, provoked by an increased level of prolactin. Reduction measures are required.
5. Lack of regularity of menstrual flow.

One of the main indicators of women's health is the menstrual cycle. After childbirth, restoration of the cycle becomes especially important. 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. This discharge is copious in the first days. Later, lochia, as postpartum discharge is called, 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.