The majority of women aren’t really looking forward to having periods after pregnancy. Most probably it was good to be period free for months, and after delivery you will have to be thinking about sanitary towels and tampons again.
On the other hand there are also some good sides of it. Think of the post pregnancy periods as a sign that your life is getting back to normal. This is something that women are usually pleased about.
Blood loss duration in periods after pregnancy
The blood loss that women experience after birth is called lochia. At the beginning it is quite heavy, and gradually the volume decreases. Regarding menstruation after pregnancy you should know that the volume of blood could increase while you are breastfeeding because of the hormones.
Keep an eye out for the alarming signs such as the blood having an unpleasant odor or the bleeding lasting for a longer period of time. It should stop six weeks after delivery.
In any other case we aren’t referring to post pregnancy menstruation, but you are faced with a vaginal infection. This may be caused by some placenta that has been left behind.Also in case the blood has a fresh red color, this may too be an indicator of an infection.
If you see any of the abnormal signs of periods after delivery you should make sure to talk to your doctor before you go to the check up six weeks after childbirth.
Most probably you will be examined and you will receive some antibiotics.
When do the periods after pregnancy start?
There are two main factors that determine this question. One of them refers to your body and the other one to the way that you are feeding the little one. If you opt for bottle feeding then you could have your first period after pregnancy about 6 weeks after childbirth, but this could also take 8-10 weeks.
On the other hand, if you choose breastfeeding, most probably you won’t have periods until you regularly breastfeed. This is because the estrogen and progesterone levels drop after pregnancy and they are maintained low by prolactin.
Most probably the periods after childbirth will return when you will start feeding the baby with solid foods. Nonetheless there are some women who don’t have post pregnancy periods until they stop breastfeeding, for about 18 months.
Will your menstruation after childbirth be normal?
In about half a year the periods will become regular again. However if the periods start early, it may take 12-18 months for them to become regular. Most probably you will have the same pattern of periods.
Heavier periods?
There are some women who say regarding their menstrual cycle after pregnancy that they are having heavier periods, while there are also some others who see no changes at all regarding this matter.
Your periods after pregnancy will remind you that you are still a woman that is able to reproduce and things will get back to normal as soon as everything gets settled in their place.
