Pregnancy is that blissful time of nine months when you are ridden off the menstrual mess. But of course, pregnancy comes with its own discomforts. However, it is still a party for nine months or more with no worrying about your monthly feminine dues. But the glee doesn’t last for long. Whether you underwent a normal delivery or a C-section, your periods will come back haunting you once again. The point is how bad or good will your periods be after pregnancy and what can you expect on the flow front.
Your period after pregnancy depends on breastfeeding and how soon your hormones return to normal among other factors. After a C-section, your estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone levels drop significantly.
However, if you breastfeed your prolactin levels do not drop. Prolactin suppresses your reproductive hormones and does not let your body ovulate or produce an egg for fertilization. This is why you don’t menstruate in the initial phase post pregnancy. According to various studies, if you are breastfeeding regularly, your prolactin levels stay high preventing you from ovulating for a good six months at least. If you don’t breastfeed, you can expect your periods to begin approximately six to eight weeks post-delivery.
In most women, until you stop breastfeeding your periods may not return. In a few others, menstruation could begin after a couple of months. Moreover, the less your baby nurses, the faster you will get back on your periods. If your sleeps through the night without breastfeeding or if you supplement your baby with formula bottle, you can expect your periods sooner than six months.
Since you’re not ovulating you may think you won’t get pregnant while you’re breastfeeding. But this is a wrong notion many women have. Breastfeeding should not be a substitute for birth control pills as there is no guarantee that you will not ovulate. If you don’t take your birth control pills, there is a high possibility you might get knocked up even before you get your first period post pregnancy.
Factors That Affect Menstruation Post Delivery
The hormonal changes that take place in your body post delivery have a direct effect on your first few periods. Your first few periods depend on factors such as — your hormone levels, irregular menstruation before your pregnancy and any health issues you endured prior to your pregnancy.
Other factors that affect your first period are:
- Stress
- Any loss or gain in weight
- Irregular physical activity
- Thyroid disorder
- Exhaustion
Furthermore, though C-section does not affect the beginning of your period, it highly affects the way you bleed.
How Does Your Period Differ After Pregnancy?
Your menstruation cycle after c-section or a vaginal delivery will not be the same as it was before your pregnancy. Your body has to adjust to these new changes of the menstrual cycle due to which you may notice a few changes like:
- Small blood clots
- Stronger or lighter cramps
- Irregular flow
- Heavy flow
As your body gets adjusted, your cycles become more continuous and the changes may decrease. But, until your hormones are back on track and your body heals completely, your periods will be abnormal.
When To See Your Doctor?
If you notice your periods are abnormal even after a few months or you notice any sudden unusual changes, you should vivit your doctor.
- If you are bleeding heavy for more than 2 or 3 cycles, this may point towards hormonal or uterine issues.
- If your period is not back even after six months or longer post delivery, you may be suffering from secondary amenorrhea, pregnancy or any other condition.
Apart from these, if you notice any foul-smelling discharge or fever check with your doctor. These symptoms usually lead to postpartum infection.
