Period FAQs

when do you get your 1st period after birth

by Elvera Macejkovic Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Your period will typically return about six to eight weeks after you give birth, if you aren't breastfeeding. If you do breastfeed, the timing for a period to return can vary. Those who practice exclusive breastfeeding might not have a period the entire time they breastfeed.Feb 28, 2018

Full Answer

When do you get your first period after birth?

Getting your period after birth depends greatly on whether you are breastfeeding or not. Most women who choose not to breastfeed often start their first period within the first ten weeks. However, hormone levels will normalize after childbirth and different women normalize at different rates.

How long to get first period after having a baby?

You can get your period while breastfeeding, although it is typically much later than non-breastfeeding moms. Both research and anecdotal evidence show that most breastfeeding moms do not get their periods until at least 3-6 months after birth.

What was your first period like after Baby?

The reason why the first period after delivery is painful, longer, and heavier is that the body is adapting to this change. It hasn’t gone through the cycle for nine months now and it is a little new for it. Soon your body will adjust and from your next period, you won’t face a problem.

Can you use tampons on your first period after giving birth?

If your period does return quickly after giving birth and you had a vaginal delivery, your doctor might recommend that you avoid using tampons during your first menstruation post-baby. This is because your body is still healing, and tampons could potentially cause trauma.

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When should you expect your first period after giving birth?

While it’s impossible to pin down the timing with any certainty, your first postpartum period may hinge on your breastfeeding regimen. The reason? It’s a hormonal thing.

Will your first postpartum period be heavy?

In short, there’s no typical pattern for the first period after having a baby. Some women may have heavy, painful periods. Others may enjoy light, easy periods. Many women are surprised to find that their first period after baby has more blood clots in it. You can use tampons once it's been four to six weeks since you gave birth and with your doctor's okay.

Is it normal to have irregular periods after giving birth?

There are no guarantees when it comes to your period after pregnancy. You could start having periods like clockwork — two to seven days of bleeding every 28 days, on average.

How long does it take for a woman to have a postpartum period?

That said, there’s a lot of variability. It’s completely normal for women who breastfeed exclusively to have their first postpartum period six weeks after delivery or a year or more later — even 18 months after giving birth.

How long after giving birth can you take estrogen?

Because estrogen can reduce a woman’s milk supply, birth control methods containing the hormone aren’t recommended until breastfeeding is well-established, around six weeks after giving birth. Instead, your practitioner may prescribe what's known as the "mini pill," which is considered safe during breastfeeding.

How soon after giving birth can you get your period back?

If you’re not breastfeeding, your period could return as soon as four weeks after giving birth, although that’s not typical. Six to 12 weeks is about average. Most new moms are back on track by week 24 postpartum.

How many months of no period during pregnancy?

Here's what you need to know. One of the peculiar perks of pregnancy is nine-plus months of no period.

What to Expect in the First Period After Birth?

The first period is often heavier than your normal menstrual flow. It is normal if you see the presence of blood clots in your period. But if the blood clots persist for a few subsequent cycles, see your doctor.

What happens after childbirth?

After childbirth, the body has to revert to the non-pregnant state and many changes will occur. For example, the menstruation cycle has to return. When does the first period after delivery occur? This is just one of the many questions that arise after childbirth.

When do you start your period after birth?

Most women who choose not to breastfeed often start their first period within the first ten weeks. However, hormone levels will normalize after childbirth and different women normalize at different rates.

How many inches of mucus do you need to stretch to ovulate?

If your cervical mucus has an “egg-white” consistency and can be stretched about an inch or two , you’re most probably ovulating.

When do you ovulate after birth?

It is usually improbable that you will ovulate within the first six weeks after childbirth. When you have your doctor’s check-up at six weeks after childbirth, it is wise to discuss a method of birth control even if you don't have your first period after birth.

Is breastfeeding a form of contraception?

Many women depend on breastfeeding as a form of contraception. This has a failure rate of roughly 2%. Using breastfeeding exclusively as a means of birth control is also termed as Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM). In some women, ovulation doesn’t commence until after breastfeeding has completely stopped. It is a reliable form of contraception provided:

Can you have a period after delivery?

The first few periods after delivery could be irregular. However, if your menstrual cycle does not become regular after a few months, see your doctor to check for hormonal imbalances or uterine problems.

Can I Get Pregnant Before My Period Returns?

Some women find out the hard way that not having their period doesn't mean there's no risk of pregnancy. "I've seen women who are already pregnant at their six-week postpartum visit ," says Angela Jones, M.D., an OB-GYN in Freehold, New Jersey. Keep in mind that ovulation occurs before menstruation; once you ovulate, you're fertile, so you can get pregnant even if you haven't had a post-baby period.

Will My First Periods After Birth Be Irregular?

One menstrual cycle might be 24 days, the next one might be 28 days, and then another one could be 35 days. Your cycle should stabilize within a few months or after you've stopped breastfeeding.

Is Something Wrong With My Postpartum Period?

You can expect some heavier bleeding and increased cramping with your initial postpartum period. But if you need to change your tampon or pad every hour or more frequently, alert your doctor, says Dr. Jones. It could signal an infection, fibroids, or polyps.

Why do babies get accidents?

That's because levels of breastfeeding hormones may not be high enough to suppress ovulation.

What are the rewards of pregnancy?

Of course, the biggest reward of pregnancy will be your adorable new baby. But if you're like many expectant moms, another huge perk is having your period go on an extended vacation. When do you get your period after birth, and how will it be different? We asked experts to answer some pressing questions about your postpartum period.

How long does it take for a woman to get her period back after she has her baby?

Women who don't breastfeed typically find that their period returns four to eight weeks after childbirth, explains Amina White, M.D., clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Why does my period change?

White says. It's also possible to have increased or decreased cramping. This is because your uterus grows during pregnancy; then it shrinks after delivery (although it may remain slightly larger). The endometrial lining—what is shed during a period—has to remodel itself as it goes through these changes, says Dr. White. This process occurs with each pregnancy, so you may notice changes in your period after each baby.

When Should My Period Return After Giving Birth?

The return of your period can happen anywhere from a few weeks postpartum to months- even a year+ after giving birth. On average the return of period is around 74 days, but breastfeeding can draw out the time it takes for your period to return because of the hormone levels. While it is not common for a woman to ovulate while she is breastfeeding, it can happen (and yes, you can get pregnant while breastfeeding!) Your body produces more prolactin when you are breastfeeding to stimulate milk production. This usually keeps your ovaries from releasing eggs and, in turn, not experiencing periods.

Are Periods After Baby Different?

It’s likely going to take a few cycles for you to feel like your period is back to “normal.” You may have fewer or more days between cycles, your flow may be heavier or lighter and PMS, cramping and other symptoms can feel different after giving birth. If you are noticing a difference in your menstrual cycles, don’t be alarmed. Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum cause many fluctuations in your hormones and the impacts go beyond the days of birth and early postpartum. This means we can’t give you a direct answer about what to expect from your period after baby, which is probably frustrating, but know that if periods feel different or you don’t know what to expect, you’re in good company. Most women notice some kind of change at least for the first couple of cycles.

Do you feel cramps after giving birth?

Some women wonder if their menstrual cycle is returning just days (or hours!) after giving birth. Do not fear, you are not experiencing the return of your period. This is most likely involution- afterbirth cramping.

Why does breast milk stop your period?

This is because the hormone that causes your body to make breast milk can stop your body making the hormones that control your periods.

What to do if you have a blood clot during your period?

If you have blood clots in your period, or have much heavier blood loss than you have had before, you should speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP.

When do you start your period again?

If you bottle feed your baby, or combine bottle feeding with breastfeeding, your first period could start as soon as 5 to 6 weeks after you give birth.

How long does it take to get your period after birth?

Some women get their period as little as eight weeks after birth, others may not get their period for a year or longer—that’s a pretty big range! Our bodies are all different and countless factors can influence when you get your period after pregnancy, but the biggest one is whether you’re breastfeeding or not.

How often do you change your tampon?

Any period that requires you to change your tampon, pad, or cupevery hour

How does solid food affect periods?

2. Introducing solids. Introducing solid food can also affect periods if baby eats a lot of solid food and nurses less. When baby eats more and nurses less, this signals mama’s body to produce less milk, and that little shift can be enough to trigger menstruation. Many babies start solid foodsaround six months.

What hormone is responsible for milk production?

Prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, has the ability to suppress the hormone that manages periods.  This is called lactational amenorrhea.

Why does my baby have a period at night?

The more baby wakes up at night to eat, the more milk mama continues to produce , and that milk-producing hormone , prolactin, works to suppress menstruation . When baby starts to sleep through the night, mama’s body slowly produce s less prolactin and milk, which in turn can trigger mama’s period to return. 2.

When does a baby's period come and go?

To confuse matters even more: A breastfeeding mama’s period may come and go. If your baby starts sleeping through the night at three months, mom may get her period back.

When do you get your period while breastfeeding?

Both researchand anecdotal evidence show that most breastfeeding moms do not get their periods until at least 3-6 monthsafter birth. Why?

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