How my period is going to be after delivery? When will I get periods after delivery? What to expect from my first period after my delivery?
These are some of the most frequently asked questions of all time and it’s completely normal to have such queries. After enjoying the freedom from periods for 9 months, every woman has these doubts about periods post delivery and therefore we decided to break the ice to answer all your queries.
When will you get your first period after pregnancy?
Typically, your period is supposed to return within 6-8 weeks after you give birth. But this happens only when you are not breastfeeding. However, if you are breastfeeding, the time for your period to return may vary. It is usually unpredictable as few get their periods after a couple of months whereas few get it only after they stop breastfeeding completely.
Why women who do not breastfeed get their period quickly?
It’s all about hormones. Your body’s hormones are responsible for your periods and vice versa. There’s a hormone in your body called Prolactin which produces breast milk. This hormone tends to suppress reproductive hormones which are responsible for getting your periods. Due to this suppression, one does not ovulate or releases an egg for fertilization and therefore does not menstruate.
What to expect from your first period after a baby?
As mentioned earlier, your first period after giving birth will be different from how it used to be before pregnancy. This happens because your body is re-adjusting to menstruate after a wide span of 9 months. Few differences you may experience are:
- Cramping; stronger or lighter than usual
- Blood clots
- The flow that seems to stop and start
- Intensified pain
- Irregular cycle lengths
Due to an increased amount of uterine lining during pregnancy which needs to be shed, one experiences clotting during periods accompanied by intensified cramping but you don’t have to worry about it as these changes will likely decrease as your cycle continues. Besides that, another thing which also takes place during post-delivery periods is vaginal discharge. After giving birth, you may encounter vaginal discharge which is also known as Lochia. Lochia is a bodily fluid which is clear to creamy white to red colour in appearance. Your body may continue discharging this fluid for about six weeks, which is about the time your periods return if you are not breastfeeding.
Postpartum symptoms one should watch out for?
- Soaking through more than one pad every hour
- Sudden and severe pain while bleeding
- Sudden feverish sensation
- Bleeding continuously for more than a week
- Bigger and heavier blood clots
- A severe headache
- Trouble breathing
- Pain while urinating
We recommend getting in touch with your doctor if you face any of the above-mentioned symptoms or feel anything out of the ordinary about your periods post-delivery.
Happy periods, happy parenting!
FAQs
- What is postpartum period?
- When periods start occurring soon after the delivery.
- What to expect from your first period postpartum?
- Cramping, clotting, irregular flow, etc. (Refer blog)
- What if you have irregular periods after pregnancy?
- It’s normal.
