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Menstrual Cycle After Childbirth

What You Need to Know About Your Period After Pregnancy

Menstrual Cycle After ChildbirthDuring your pregnancy, you'll probably spend a lot of time learning what to expect from labor, delivery and even how to care for your baby after birth. But many women neglect to research what to expect from their own bodies after delivery – including what happens to your menstrual cycle after childbirth.

In terms of menstruation after delivery, you can expect a couple of weeks of lochia, a postpartum vaginal discharge containing blood, mucous and placental tissue. You may continue to spot for up to six weeks after that. But when can you expect to have a real period again? Many women are surprised by the answer.

The most common thing to affect periods is whether or not you breastfeed.

Menstruation After Childbirth
"After my son was born, I had significant postpartum bleeding for about six weeks, and then no period until several weeks after his first birthday," says Liza Barry-Kessler of Milwaukee, Wis. "I'd also been told that as soon as we started dropping middle-of-the-night nursing times, I'd get my period again. It didn't happen when we went down to two, or down to one, or at all. By the time it came back, I felt like I'd been in the world's longest countdown."

Madelin Zero, on the other hand, got her period only eight weeks after delivery. "I was shocked!" says the New York City resident. "I wasn't expecting to have it until about six months after my daughter was born. I was really bummed."


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Menstrual Cycle After Childbirth

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Anonymous says
4 days, 6 hours ago

I gave birth on April 1008. I quitted breastfeeding in October 2009. Still, the periods are not comming. Should i be visiting a doctor on this?

onlineposter says
1 week, 4 days ago

Seems as if everyones bodies are just different... Looking at many different online and asking other moms- it seems menstruation can start up as early as 6 weeks postpardum regardless of breast feeding or formula feeding (tho the breast feeding is supposed to delay a bit). For those who think they might be pregnant- go take a test. Milk porduction slows when youre expecting and also when youre about to menstrate, so the only way to know for sure is to pee on a stick. Hope this helps a bit.

Anonymous says
2 weeks, 4 days ago

My period arrived four months after my son was born, and I breastfeed. My periods have always been heavy and horrible, and I was hoping to get a reprieve from them for a while longer. It's very frustrating.

Anonymous says
January 8, 2010

I am 26 yrs of age and my daughter is 13 months, still breastfeeding plus i am on a microval pill and i have not seen my menstrual cycle ever since i got pregnant. i am starting to worry now, is this normal?

Anonymous says
January 4, 2010

I just reported to having my period every two weeks, but forgot to say how old my son is. He is 4 months old, and after he was born i bled for approximately 5 weeks and now every 2 weeks since.

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