First period after childbirth

As soon as a woman becomes pregnant, she stops menstruating. After birth, lochia then comes out, and if the woman breastfeeds her baby, her period will not start right away. However, there are mothers whose period returns much earlier than they expected, or vice versa. So what is the first period after childbirth really like, and what should a mother prepare for?

Menstruation after childbirth when a woman is not breastfeeding

If the mother is not breastfeeding her baby, the first period after childbirth usually comes immediately after the postpartum period. It is therefore usually in the range of 6-8 weeks after childbirth, although it may happen a few days earlier or later. 

Menstruation after childbirth while breastfeeding

If a woman is breastfeeding, then the first period is a little more complicated. Some women, just like those who are not breastfeeding, get their first period immediately after the postpartum period, even though they are fully breastfeeding. 

Most women start menstruating with the first reduction in breastfeeding, that is, with the first complementary foods. Once the demand for breast milk decreases, it is usually a sign to the body that it is time. 

To make matters less clear, there are women whose period does not return until breastfeeding is reduced more significantly (for example, they only breastfeed when falling asleep and after waking up), or even only after weaning from breastfeeding. 

If a woman breastfeeds her toddler on demand, then menstruation usually returns around the 17th month of the child’s age.

If a woman has not started menstruating even a few weeks after weaning her child, she should consult her gynecologist. 

What to expect with the first period after childbirth

Since childbirth and the subsequent breastfeeding period are a matter of hormones, a woman’s menstrual cycle may be a bit irregular at first. Menstruation may be irregular, very heavy, and long-lasting. All of this is normal. A woman should therefore pay attention to proper nutrition while breastfeeding so that her body can regenerate well and receive all the necessary nutrients and vitamins it deserves. 

It may also happen that a woman does not even notice her period until she goes to the toilet. There are also mothers whose premenstrual syndrome disappears after giving birth and who have no problems associated with menstruation. 

A woman should definitely have menstrual products in her kit so she is not caught off guard, for example when going to baby swimming with her baby or when visiting someone. Menstrual tampons, pads, a menstrual cup, or period panties—whatever suits the woman. 

What to watch out for

We certainly should not forget that breastfeeding is not contraception. The fact that a woman usually does not menstruate while fully breastfeeding does not mean that she cannot get pregnant. Menstruation is preceded by ovulation, so if intercourse happens right during the first ovulation, pregnancy can occur. A woman usually does not notice the first ovulation after childbirth, and it does not even occur to her that she could now conceive another baby. Since she had not menstruated before this ovulation, she does not even know that her period has been missed, and only when she senses that something is different does it occur to her that she may be pregnant. So if you are not planning to conceive another baby soon, it is better to protect yourself even while fully breastfeeding.

Just as every mother is unique, so is her first period after childbirth different.