How long after childbirth does menstruation begin? Features of the formation of the cycle after a miscarriage. The cycle after the pathological course of pregnancy or childbirth

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All women who have gone through childbirth sooner or later ask the following question: “Why are there no periods after childbirth, and when will they come?” But really when the monthly cycle should come and return to normal?

When should menstruation occur after childbirth?

It is not possible to give an unambiguous answer, for each girl the process of restoring menstruation occurs individually, for someone it will take two months, and for someone it will take two years. Many girls who immediately begin discharge are mistaken for menstruation. But that's not the case at all. These blood discharges are not related to menstruation, and they are called lochia. They stand out from the uterus, or rather from her wound. The placenta during childbirth is separated from the wall of the uterus, and a wound forms in place of the placenta. This wound bleeds heavily in the early days, but as it heals, the discharge becomes less and their appearance changes. Lochia begins to stand out immediately after childbirth and ends after 6 weeks or 8.

On average, girls who breastfeed their babies start their period 14 to 16 months after giving birth. In the first six months after childbirth, menstruation occurs in 7% of girls. After 7 - 12 months, menstruation occurs in 37% of girls. After a year and up to 24 months, menstruation begins in 48% of girls. And 2 years after birth, menstruation begins in 8% of girls.

For those mothers who do not breastfeed the baby, menstruation is restored after 10 or 15 weeks. In most cases, initially the cycle becomes regular. But it is permissible that at first there will be a delay, or vice versa, menstruation will come ahead of schedule. In this case, everything should be settled after 2 - 3 cycles.

Why are there no periods while breastfeeding?

The restoration of menstruation is a hormonal process in the body of a girl and it depends on how soon the hormonal background of the body is restored after childbirth. And in restoring the hormonal background, the way breastfeeding plays an important role. The restoration of menstruation does not depend on how the baby was born: with the help of a caesarean section or in a natural way.

In nursing mothers, lactational amenorrhea may occur, i.e. no menses after 6 months, a year or more. To worry and think why there is no need for menstruation, this delay occurs physiologically. If, from the very birth of a child, a mother feeds him with both a mixture and a breast, then menstruation will come within 6 months. If the baby eats only mother's milk, drinks it on demand at any time, then menstruation can begin 2 years after birth, after lactation is complete. If the child was introduced to the diet of complementary foods, and he began to eat the breast less actively, then menstruation may come even before the end of lactation.

During the onset of menstruation, many mothers notice that the amount of breast milk decreases. Do not worry, as soon as menstruation is over, the volume of milk will be the same. And while they are going, it is advisable to apply the child to the breast more often.

Many mothers believe that it is impossible to get pregnant during amenorrhea. This is not so, conception can occur even with such a delay. It is better to go to a gynecologist, and he will select the method of contraception that will not harm the baby and protect against unwanted pregnancy.

Other factors

Also, when menstruation comes after childbirth, in addition to HB, the following factors also influence:

1. Mom's daily routine.
2. Her food. It must be complete and nutritious.
3. Dream. In addition to sleeping at night, you need to rest during the day.
4. Psychological condition. There should be no stress and nervous tension.
5. Illness or complications that began after childbirth. It is advisable to identify and cure them in a timely manner.

Menstruation after childbirth, what are they?

When menstruation comes after childbirth, you will notice that they are slightly different from the menstruation that was before childbirth. If before the birth, the girl's periods were not regular, then after the birth they will become more regular, without delay.

On average, the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but it can vary from 21 to 35 days. Menstruation lasts from 3 to 6 days, sometimes it can reach 8 days. It also reduces pain during menstruation. And monthly can be either less or more plentiful. The largest volume of blood during menstruation is released on days 1 and 2. Before the cycle is restored, tampons and pads, the surface of which has an absorbent mesh, should be discarded.

When to see a doctor

A doctor should be contacted immediately in the following cases:

1. When, after the completion of lactation, after 2 months there is a delay in menstruation.
2. When severe pain is felt in the uterus.
3. When there are large clots in the blood or the color of the discharge has a bright red tint.
4. When the discharge of menstruation is accompanied by a pungent odor.
5. When abundant and prolonged discharge goes on for more than 7 days.

If there is no menstruation even a year after giving birth, you should not panic and be nervous. It is better to come for an examination to a gynecologist, and identify the reasons why there is a delay, and begin to eliminate them. If there are no problems, you can safely wait for the onset of the menstrual cycle and enjoy motherhood.

Video about why menstruation disappears

It is always interesting for new mothers when menstruation begins after childbirth. During the restoration of the cycle, it can change the length, menstruation often acquire a different character, intensity, duration, become more or less painful than before pregnancy. Often this is 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, which is formed at the site of the separated fetal membranes and placenta. They last during 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 childbirth, and then gradually weaken.

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

Normally, the cleansing of the uterus after the process of natural childbirth lasts from 30 to 45 days. After a surgical delivery, this time may increase, which is explained by the formation of a scar and longer healing.

How to distinguish between menstruation and bleeding after childbirth?

Lochia gradually change their character. By the end of the 1st week, they become lighter, after 2 weeks they acquire a mucous 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. There must be at least 2 weeks between the cessation of lochia and the onset of the first menstruation. In case of 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 normal hormonal status of a woman 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 of the child: natural or artificial. Breast milk is produced 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 childbirth, more often when feeding “by the hour”.

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

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

When a baby is fed only breast milk, a woman may not have her period all this time. In this case, the first menstruation after childbirth will begin within 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 the period of breastfeeding, menstruation can be restored.

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

How long do periods last in the postpartum period?

Often the first menstruation is very heavy. There may be strong discharge, menstruation 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 that has begun. Subsequent periods usually become normal.

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

Additional factors affecting the rate of recovery of a normal cycle:

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

Changes in the menstrual cycle

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 need to consult a gynecologist.
• The regularity of menstrual flow is disturbed, that is, the cycle goes astray.
• Painful periods may occur, even if a 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

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

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

When a child eats only mother's milk, and “on demand”, and not “by the clock”, and a woman has no menstruation 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 the chance of conception, it is still possible. For example, if menstruation began after childbirth and then disappeared, the most likely reason for this is a second pregnancy. It should also be remembered that ovulation occurs before the onset of menstrual bleeding. Therefore, pregnancy is quite possible even before the first menstruation. If a woman is worried about why there is no menstrual bleeding for a long time, you must first do a home pregnancy test, and then contact a gynecologist. You may need to consult an endocrinologist.

It is not necessary after the appearance of the menstrual cycle to refuse breastfeeding. Menstruation does not change its quality. It happens that a child these days does not eat well, is naughty, refuses to breastfeed. Usually this is due to emotional disturbances in a woman, her worries about the quality of feeding.

During menstrual bleeding, the sensitivity of the nipples may increase, feeding becomes painful. To reduce such sensations, it is recommended that before giving the baby a breast, massage it, warm it, apply a warm compress to the nipples. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the chest and axillary area. 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 the menstrual cycle has become irregular:

1. In the first months of the postpartum recovery period, do not panic. In most cases, this is the norm. For each woman, the normalization of the cycle occurs individually, usually during the first months of the resumption of menstrual bleeding. Irregularity is more common in women who are breastfeeding.
2. It takes about 2 months to restore the normal function of all organs and systems. Balance in the endocrine system comes later, especially if breastfeeding is used. Therefore, a woman can feel quite healthy, but at the same time she will experience the absence of menstruation.
3. Pay attention to the irregular cycle should be only after 3 cycles. This may be due to an inflammatory process, or a tumor of the genital organs. A delay in the second period is not dangerous, unless it is associated with a second pregnancy.

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

The cycle after the pathological course of pregnancy or childbirth

Menstruation after a frozen pregnancy is not restored immediately. Only in some women regular bleeding appears after a month. In most cases, the hormonal imbalance that led to the termination of pregnancy causes the irregularity of the cycle.

After the termination of a missed 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 such causes of amenorrhea as the remaining part of the fetal egg in the uterus or inflammation, 10 days after the termination of a frozen or normal pregnancy, an ultrasound scan is necessary.

The first menstrual flow after begins in the period from 25 to 40 days after its completion. If they started earlier, it is probably uterine bleeding, which requires a visit to the doctor. A delay of more than 40 days also requires a consultation with a gynecologist. If the disease caused severe stress in a woman, it is considered normal to lengthen the recovery time 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 in physiological and in childbirth by caesarean section, in a small part of women, the cycle is not restored within a year. If no other pathology is found, this is considered normal.

In the first few months after a frozen, intrauterine pregnancy or caesarean section, the cycle may be irregular. Subsequently, its duration may change compared to the previous one. But normally it is not less than 21 days and not 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 for several cycles so that they normalize, but immediately consult a doctor.

• The sudden cessation of postpartum discharge is a sign of a bend in the uterus or, accumulation of lochia in the uterine cavity - lochiometers.
• Scanty periods for 3 or more cycles. Perhaps they are a symptom of hormonal disorders, Sheehan's syndrome or endometritis.
• Irregularity of menstruation six months after its restoration, a break between spotting for more than 3 months. Most often associated with ovarian pathology.
• Excessive bleeding for 2 or more cycles, especially after a surgical delivery or abortion. 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, dizziness.
• Abdominal pain, fever, foul odor, and discoloration of vaginal discharge are 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 curdled discharge is a sign.
• Bleeding twice a month that persists for more than 3 cycles.

In all of these cases, you need the help of a gynecologist.

Sometimes, despite the apparent health of a woman, menstruation does not occur at the right time. This may be a symptom of a complication of childbirth - Sheehan's syndrome. It occurs with severe bleeding during childbirth, during which blood pressure drops sharply. As a result, the cells of the pituitary gland, the main organ that regulates 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's syndrome, there is a deficiency of gonadotropic hormones. Violated egg maturation in the ovary, no ovulation, no menstrual bleeding. Therefore, if a woman who has given birth does not have milk, and then the cycle is not restored, she needs to urgently consult a doctor. The consequences of Sheehan's 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 an increase in the production of prolactin in the pituitary gland after the end of lactation. This hormone inhibits the development of the egg, causes anovulation, 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 the ongoing synthesis of milk.

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

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

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

When the first menstruation appears after childbirth, when the cycle becomes regular, what deviations are possible and how to prevent their occurrence.

Excessive anxiety for a woman who has recently given birth is harmful, but it is necessary to know what phenomena indicate the presence of a pathology in order to consult a doctor in a timely manner. Therefore, you should study this topic and consider important features.

Why are there no periods after childbirth?

Some women believe that the cycle will be restored immediately after the birth of the child. But it's not. There will be no menstruation for a certain period of time, and this is natural. A new mother has lochia - this is the name of postpartum discharge. But these are not menstruation, although they resemble them in their color.

Lochia is uterine discharge, which is associated with the need for the body to reject all traces of a past pregnancy. Within a few weeks, the remnants of the endometrium, placenta and other waste products of the fetus come out of the uterus. At first, the color is lochia rich red, but gradually these secretions become darker, and their number decreases. After about 1.5 months, the lochia should stop. This is because the inner layer of the uterus has returned to normal. However, menstruation will be absent for some time.

The absence of menstruation in the postpartum period is due to hormonal changes in the woman's body. In order for her to breastfeed her baby, a large amount of prolactin is released into the blood. This hormone interferes with the functioning of the ovaries, so eggs are not produced and the endometrium is not formed. Accordingly, menstruation does not appear.

When does menstruation start after childbirth?

It is difficult to name the exact time when the first menstruation appears after childbirth. This is influenced by many factors (diseases, individual properties of the body, hormonal levels, etc.). Although in general, menstruation depends on how complete breastfeeding is.

You should be guided by such circumstances as:

1. The presence or absence of complementary foods. If the baby is exclusively breastfed, menstruation does not appear until the baby is weaned. But a year after the birth of a child, periods can appear regardless of whether breastfeeding continues.

2. Amount of milk. When there is a shortage of milk, a woman has to use milk mixtures. In this case, the production of prolactin decreases, which allows the ovaries to start working. In such a situation, menstruation may appear in 4-5 months. So there is absolutely nothing to worry about here.

3. The choice in favor of artificial feeding. Some mothers are unable or unwilling to breastfeed their babies. In this case, menstruation after childbirth begins much earlier - after about 2 months.

4. Features of childbirth. If the baby was born by cesarean section, then the start of menstruation in the mother depends on the type of feeding. When breastfeeding, there are no periods until the baby begins to feed.

The period when menstruation should begin after childbirth is influenced by features:

• Execution of the daily routine
• woman's age,
• Emotional condition.

Therefore, even a doctor cannot provide accurate information.

How long are periods after childbirth

Often, after the birth of their first child, women talk about the elimination of discomfort during menstruation and the regularity of the cycle. But it is worth drawing conclusions only 3 months after their first appearance. Prior to this, the cycle may vary, and the menstrual periods themselves sometimes pass unusually (with a shorter or longer duration, excessive abundance or scarcity of discharge). This is considered normal, although consultation with a doctor is still needed. This will ensure that there are no pathologies.

The frequency of menstruation is normally 21-34 days with a duration of 3-8 days. The volume of secretions should not be less than 20 ml or more than 80 ml. The duration of the first postpartum menstruation does not matter (with normal indicators), it is important that they become regular within 3 months.

Some women experience changes in the characteristics of the premenstrual period. They note an increase in PMS symptoms, which may bother them. This is usually due to hormonal changes in the body. It is difficult to neutralize this feature - most often you have to put up with it. But its appearance does not mean that there are problems in the body.

If PMS is too severe, you should consult a doctor - perhaps the difficulties are associated with disturbances in the hormonal system.

When you need medical help

After the birth of a child, a woman should not forget about her health. You need to go to the doctor to assess the condition of the internal organs and make sure there are no pathologies. It is urgent to consult a specialist in such situations as:

1. Too heavy first period. If pads need to be changed more than every 2 hours, this indicates bleeding. Also, a large amount of discharge can be caused by endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia, and hormonal abnormalities.
2. The appearance of bloody discharge with an unpleasant odor after the lochia has stopped. This means that there are remnants of the fetal egg in the uterus.
3. The scarcity of discharge or their absence within 3 months after the completion of breastfeeding. This happens with an increased content of prolactin in the body, although its amount should decrease by this time.
4. The presence of an unpleasant odor in menstrual flow. If the blood secreted in this case has a dark tint, and the woman is in severe pain, this may indicate the presence of disorders in the body.
5. Irregularity of the cycle 3 months after the start of menstruation. This is also a sign of pathology associated with the hormonal system.

In all these cases, a visit to the gynecologist should not be delayed. It is worth addressing violations at their first manifestations, since the situation may worsen further.

Is it necessary to protect

Some women, due to the lack of menstruation in the postpartum period, believe that there is no need to use contraceptives. Theoretically, this is true, since the ovaries do not function, eggs are not produced, and therefore pregnancy cannot occur. But there are many cases when pregnancy did occur, and its presence was found out already at a later date.

The reason for this is the lack of accurate information about the beginning of menstruation. It is not known when the amount of prolactin produced will decrease, this can only be guessed at. Ovulation occurs 2 weeks before menstruation. Therefore, with unprotected intercourse, a woman can become pregnant again, and the absence of menstruation will be explained by hormonal changes associated with breastfeeding (especially if it is not stopped).

This means that even during lactation it is necessary to protect yourself. If a couple wants to have a second child, this can be avoided, although doctors recommend waiting about two years for the female body to fully recover after childbirth.

Why there are crashes

The first three months from the onset of menstruation, you should not worry about their irregularity. But if menstrual irregularities persist after that, you should consult your doctor. This is especially important if additional adverse symptoms are observed. The causes of menstrual irregularities can be different. It:

1. Sheehan syndrome (postpartum hypopituitarism). This pathology can be caused by peritonitis, sepsis, or heavy postpartum bleeding. It can also be provoked by histosis. The result of the disease may be the absence of menstruation or their scarcity, which is associated with necrotic changes in the pituitary gland. Additional symptoms of the syndrome are fatigue, headache, swelling, hypotension.
2. Hyperprolactinemia. The absence of menstruation in this case is due to disturbances in the functioning of the thyroid gland or the presence of a pituitary adenoma.

Both pathologies can be cured, but for this you need to contact a specialist.

Breast milk is the healthiest food for a baby. If a child is breastfed, this significantly reduces the risk of developing infectious diseases. But after the onset of menstruation, many women do not know whether to continue breastfeeding the baby, doubting its benefits.

The presence of menstruation does not affect the quality of milk, therefore don't stop breastfeeding. But you need to take into account some circumstances:

1. With continued lactation, the period of normalization of the cycle may be delayed.
2. During menstruation, the sensitivity of the nipples increases, which makes feeding unpleasant for a woman.
3. Milk during critical days is excreted in smaller quantities, so the child may be nervous. You can solve this problem by applying the baby to one or the other breast alternately.

These features can cause discomfort. But there is no need to doubt the benefits of breastfeeding at this time - it can and even should be continued.

Hygiene features

It is very important to observe the rules of hygiene in the postpartum period. The female body at this time requires careful care, since it has not yet recovered from stressful circumstances for it.

1. Until the menstrual cycle is restored, Do not use tampons or pads with absorbent mesh. They are also not suitable for lochia. The best hygiene product in this case is pads with a smooth surface. They are supposed to be changed every 3-4 hours.
2. The genitals at this time need to be washed more often. to prevent infection from entering. It is undesirable to use gels for intimate hygiene or scented soap. These funds should be replaced with baby soap.
3. Sexual life must be abstained at least 6 weeks. After the resumption of sexual activity, it is necessary to use barrier contraceptives - this will help to avoid pregnancy and infection in the uterus.

The onset of menstruation after the birth of a child is an individual phenomenon, which is influenced by many circumstances. The woman herself cannot influence this, but she can take care of her body in order to prevent the development of postpartum complications.

Pregnancy is the most important period in the life of the fair sex. At this time, expectant mothers are interested in many questions: how to eat right, what physical activity is acceptable, is it possible to have sex, etc.

After childbirth, the situation changes slightly. A woman begins to worry about issues related to the newborn, as well as her own health. For example, one of them is when menstruation begins after childbirth.

All future mothers should know the answer to this question. So it will be easier to determine which changes in the female body are normal, and which indicate abnormalities and require a visit to a doctor.

The period of recovery of menstruation after childbirth

After conception, the menstrual function "turns off". Within 9 months, a woman is not disturbed by critical days. Their absence is associated with a change in hormonal levels. Only after childbirth, the body begins to recover: the hormonal background returns to normal, and menstruation begins again.
There is no specific period after which menstruation can begin after childbirth. The time of its onset for each woman individually. In most cases, menstruation begins after the completion of breastfeeding. This is due to the fact that during breastfeeding, the pituitary gland produces a hormone called prolactin.

It not only controls the production of milk, but also suppresses the functioning of the ovaries. This is the reason for the lack of a normal menstrual cycle. If breastfeeding continues for a long time and complementary foods are introduced late, then the onset of menstruation after childbirth occurs after the child is one year old.

Some women introduce complementary foods early. In the pituitary gland, prolactin begins to be produced in smaller quantities and ceases to suppress the work of the ovaries. Most often, menstruation in a similar situation begins six months after birth.

There are cases when young mothers immediately after childbirth combine artificial nutrition for the baby with breastfeeding. This leads to the fact that the menstrual function 3-4 months after birth the child is recovering.

In certain situations, women may not be able to breastfeed their baby at all. In this case, menstruation may begin after childbirth in 6-10 weeks.

The restoration of menstrual function is affected not only by the moment of cessation of breastfeeding, but also by many other factors, both internal and external. Among them are the following:

• daily routine and rest;
• food;
• the presence of chronic diseases, complications;
• psychological condition.

The beginning of menstruation after childbirth: features

In most cases, after giving birth, the menstrual cycle quickly becomes regular. Only the first couple of months, critical days may come ahead of schedule or be slightly delayed.

There are many rumors about the menstrual cycle and the speed of its recovery. You can often hear that the restoration of menstruation after childbirth is directly dependent on how the child was born. Actually it is not. The onset of menstruation has nothing to do with whether the birth was natural or carried out.

After the onset of menstruation, many women note that menstruation has become less painful, discomfort is no longer felt. This phenomenon is physiologically explainable. Pain during menstruation is usually caused by bending of the uterus which interferes with normal blood flow. After childbirth in the abdominal cavity, the location of the organs changes slightly, the bend straightens. In this regard, in the future, pain disappears during critical days.

Very often menstruation is confused with secretions, called lochia. They are a mixture of blood clots and mucus. The cause of lochia lies in damage to the lining of the uterus. The first few days after birth, they are plentiful and have a bright red color. After a week, the lochia acquire a brownish tint, and their number is noticeably reduced. Gradually they become more and more scarce. This is due to the fact that the lining of the uterus heals. Lochia can stand out within 6-8 weeks. After that they stop.

After childbirth during breastfeeding and in the absence of menstruation, conception. It is known that the maturation of the egg and its release from the ovaries begins about two weeks before bleeding. A few days before and after ovulation, there is a chance of getting pregnant.

The onset of menstruation after childbirth is not a sign that the female body is ready for the next pregnancy. Full recovery takes a couple of years. It is advisable to plan the next child after this period. Therefore, before the onset of menstruation, you need to take care of contraceptives.

Situations when you should see a doctor

After the birth of a child and with artificial feeding menstruation did not come? A similar fact may indicate the presence of diseases of the genitourinary system. After stopping breastfeeding, menstruation may also be absent.

The reason for this is postpartum pathologies, endometriosis, hormonal disorders, tumor, inflammation of the ovaries. In the absence of critical days, you should definitely consult a doctor to prevent the occurrence of undesirable consequences.

You should also contact a medical professional if periods are very heavy. If, with strong discharge, more than 1 pad is required for 2 hours, then this should be regarded as bleeding. Symptoms such as soreness, an unpleasant odor and a dark shade of blood should also alarm.

If 2-3 months after the onset of critical days, menstrual cycle is not restored, then this is already a deviation. In such a situation, you should ask the advice of a gynecologist. The reason may be hormonal disorders.

Sometimes women who have become mothers complain about worsening PMS. Answers to the questions: why this happens, and how to deal with the problem, you will find in the video at the end of the article.

Personal hygiene when restoring menstruation after childbirth

After the birth of a child, special attention should be paid to personal hygiene, because during this period the female body requires a more careful and careful attitude.

Before the restoration of the menstrual cycle, it is not recommended to use pads with an absorbent mesh and tampons. These funds are not suitable for lochia. During them, it is best to use pads with a smooth surface. They need to be changed every 3-4 hours.

Within 6 weeks after birth, sexual intercourse is undesirable. Unprotected sex is unacceptable, because infections can get into the uterus.

In conclusion, it is worth emphasizing that the moment when menstruation begins after childbirth does not occur in different women at the same time. The duration of the recovery process is purely individual. Personal hygiene plays a huge role after childbirth. At this time, you need to be very careful about your body in order to prevent infections from entering the uterus and the occurrence of any inflammatory processes.

Answers

Many women are afraid of menstruation after childbirth after 2 months, they consider this phenomenon to be abnormal and in a panic try to find their cause. In most cases, there is no cause for alarm, but it is worthwhile to figure out when the onset of menstruation is natural, and under what circumstances it is better to immediately consult a doctor.

The female body begins to recover and return to the prenatal period after the removal of the placenta. The uterus immediately begins to contract with varying intensity, this process depends on many circumstances. But after 2 months, it reaches its usual size and weight, returns to its usual place. During this period, the ovaries are ready to perform their functions, the hormonal background of the woman's body stabilizes. This process is not affected in any way by the method of delivery, it can even begin according to an individual schedule.

The occurrence of menstruation 2 months after delivery refers to the normal recovery process under certain conditions:

The bad factors of the early onset of menstruation include the likelihood of becoming pregnant. Therefore, a woman should avoid unprotected sex, use available contraceptives.

I started my period while breastfeeding

Young mothers are worried when they have periods after childbirth during lactation, they believe that this will reduce the amount of milk. And there is some truth in this. The fact is that in the body of a woman with the advent of menstruation, the level of prolactin decreases. If a mother incorrectly puts her baby to her breast, skips nightly feedings and supplements her with water from a bottle, then the likelihood of menstruation increases. Therefore, menstruation can begin 2 months after birth.

When breastfeeding, periods can mean serious health problems for a woman. Some chronic diseases, reduced immunity and hormonal disorders affect the production of prolactin.

When menstruation occurs during lactation without any unusual painful symptoms, do not panic. A nursing mother will not benefit from extra stress. Doctors do not consider such a situation as a pathological deviation, the woman should calm down and continue to feed the child. And on a free day, calmly go for a consultation with a gynecologist in order to dispel all doubts.

Can menstruation go a month after giving birth

Immediately after childbirth, women begin to bleed profusely, the medical name is lochia. Bloody discharge during the first 5 days is abundant, then 3-4 weeks are insignificant. Moms notice the appearance of pain in the lumbar region and abdomen at the time of feeding the baby. With its sucking actions, it stimulates the uterus, which begins to more actively get rid of bloody mucus.

If postpartum bleeding has not stopped even 40 days after childbirth, and pain does not allow a normal life and care for the newborn, then the woman should think about going to the doctor. Abundant discharge with a pungent odor and elevated body temperature can be symptoms of an inflammatory process in the uterus. This condition of a young mother requires immediate treatment.

There are cases when the uterus contracts and clears in the first 2-3 weeks after childbirth. Therefore, a woman already by the first month of her baby's life begins full menstruation after childbirth. At the same time, their cycle is also quickly adjusted. This phenomenon, although rare, does not refer to something abnormal. More often, menstruation at this time appears in women who easily passed the test of the pregnant period.

How many months after childbirth do menses come?

Recovery of the uterus after childbirth occurs on an individual basis, the time of arrival of menstruation depends on external and internal factors. The physiological characteristics of a woman's body are repelled by the level of prolactin, and it, in turn, depends on the presence of breastfeeding.

For nursing mothers

The absence of a menstrual cycle during lactation is a normal and natural phenomenon. When the baby is actively and regularly breastfeeding, the hormone prolactin dominates in the female body, and it just suppresses the work of the ovaries. The possibility of maturation of the egg is absent, and menstruation does not occur. Recovery of the female body can take quite a long time: from six months to 2 years. At the same time, it is important to visit a gynecologist every 2–3 months to exclude pathological changes in the female genital organs and select individual contraception.

If you express milk

Many mothers are sure that menstruation after childbirth means the end of breastfeeding. Some of them complain about the refusal of the baby to breastfeed because of the spoiled taste of milk. But menstruation does not affect the quality of milk in any way, it also contains all the useful substances necessary for the baby. Women are looking for a way to prolong natural feeding and use the method of expressing milk. On the one hand, there are cases when menstruation does not affect the amount of breast milk, and on the other hand, it disappears altogether.
Of course, you can try to express milk and thereby provide the baby with food, but the mechanisms of nipple stimulation are completely different, and prolactin is unlikely to be produced with the same intensity. Expressing milk in combination with regular breastfeeding can delay the onset of menstruation by a couple of months.

If you are not breastfeeding

Artificial feeding from the very birth of a child affects the body of a woman. In it, the level of prolactin drops rapidly immediately, due to this, the eggs begin to produce and the appearance of menstruation can be expected immediately after the end of the removal of lochia from the uterus. When a mother is not breastfeeding, the first menstruation usually begins 2 months after delivery. By this time, the uterine mucosa has already been restored and returns to normal.

The situation when there is no breastfeeding, and menstruation does not come, is dangerous. There is a possibility of inflammatory processes in the female organs, endometriosis and even cancerous growths.

If heavy bleeding began - what to do?

After childbirth, the stabilization of the menstrual cycle can take more than one month. A woman may be disturbed by heavy discharge, lasting up to 7 days. This is considered normal if their color, smell and consistency have not changed, and the pads last for 4-5 hours.

When menstruation after childbirth goes for more than 10 days, their intensity increases, and unnatural clots are noticeable in the discharge, then we can talk about the beginning of heavy bleeding. In this case, you should promptly visit a doctor for timely assistance. He will conduct a study of the pelvic organs on an ultrasound machine to detect postpartum complications, inflammation of the uterus or other problems that provoked heavy bleeding. After identifying the causes, a woman can be hospitalized and even prescribed curettage of the uterus if heavy bleeding is caused by placental remnants.

With heavy bleeding, especially if they began immediately after the discharge of lochia or 2 months after childbirth, it is important to make up for the lack of iron in the body. After all, iron deficiency affects the general health of a woman. Fatigue, drowsiness, palpitations appear, and the young mother also experiences psychological difficulties - irritability, a sharp change in mood. To help the body during heavy bleeding, it is not enough just to introduce iron-rich foods into the diet. Medical iron preparations are required, while it is better to use specimens intended for oral administration. They should also contain other minerals that help the hematopoietic system to function normally.

A woman needs to carefully monitor her health and respond quickly if menstruation after childbirth causes concern. It is worth once again to be checked by a gynecologist than to treat the consequences of a delay in timely assistance for a long time. After all, the well-being and mood of the baby depends on the health of a young mother.