Menstruation after giving birth, what are the normal conditions?

During pregnancy, you have no menstruation or menstruation for at least nine months. Later, you just get your first period after giving birth or after the puerperium, even though the time is different for each mother.

Maybe you are wondering about when to have your period (menses) again after giving birth in the puerperium, menstrual cycles, or the length or interval of periods.

So, to make it clearer, let's look at all the things about menstruation or menstruation after giving birth below!

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When did the first period come again after giving birth?

Exactly when menstruation returns again after normal delivery or cesarean section will vary from mother to mother.

There are many factors that determine when a mother will return to menstruation after giving birth, for example the condition of her own body and how she breastfeeds her baby.

If you exclusive breastfeeding, your first period will probably come in a slightly longer period of time which is approx 6-8 months after delivery.

Moreover, if your baby is diligently breastfeeding in the morning and at night accompanied by the production of milk that comes out smoothly, usually the first menstruation will take longer to arrive.

It is a different story if the mother does not exclusively breastfeed her baby, maybe the first menstruation can come quickly just a few weeks after giving birth.

If you not breastfeeding exclusively, the first period will generally come in about 5-12 weeks after delivery.

Menstrual cycle after cesarean delivery or normal, the average returns within a period of 45 days.

Meanwhile, how long menstruation lasts after childbirth cannot be predicted and varies from mother to mother.

During this time, the mother can also perform normal postpartum care as well as post-caesarean section care, such as treatment of SC wounds.

Why are breastfeeding mothers having menstruation late after giving birth?

During the exclusive breastfeeding period, the body produces a lot of the hormone prolactin to meet the production of breast milk.

This large amount of prolactin hormone production can suppress the production of hormones that support the ovulation process (the release of an egg for fertilization).

As a result, you don't ovulate, so you probably won't have a period after giving birth until the breastfeeding period is over.

The first menstrual period after giving birth usually comes back when the mother no longer provides exclusive breastfeeding for her baby.

The longer the mother has not experienced menstruation after giving birth, the less likely it is to get pregnant again.

It is on this basis why exclusive breastfeeding after giving birth is considered to be an effort to postpone another pregnancy for a while.

Prevention of pregnancy by breastfeeding without menstruation after childbirth is known as the lactation amenorrhea method.

How is the menstruation process after giving birth?

Mothers generally experience bleeding and vaginal discharge after giving birth, both after normal delivery and by caesarean section.

This normal bleeding is known as lochia or puerperal blood which does occur during the puerperium.

After giving birth, your body will continue to excrete the blood and tissue in the uterus as residue from the previous pregnancy.

The blood that comes out in the first few weeks after delivery may be solid and clot-like.

After a few weeks, the blood that came out turned white.

This discharge will continue for about six weeks, which is approximately the time your menstruation returns after giving birth if you are not breastfeeding.

If the discharge has stopped for a while and you are bleeding profusely, this may be a sign of the onset of your first period after giving birth.

Here are some things that mothers need to pay attention to when experiencing bleeding or their first menstruation after giving birth:

1. Lokia is light in color

Lokia or puerperal blood is usually not bright red in the first week after delivery.

Usually, lochia or postpartum blood is more fluid and less thick than normal blood.

Lokia is not the same as postpartum hemorrhage. This is because postpartum hemorrhage is sometimes abnormal and indicates complications of childbirth.

Lokia or postpartum blood that comes out in the early postpartum period is usually a bright red color that gradually turns brown.

Only about 40 days after delivery, lochia or postpartum blood slowly began to disappear.

If within 40 days or 6 weeks you have experienced profuse bleeding, this is probably the first sign of your period after giving birth.

2. The distinctive aroma of lochia is different

Nokia also tends to smell different from the smell of blood in general.

Lokia may have a slightly "sweet" smell because the smell mixes with the tissue residue from the pregnancy.

If you experience foul-smelling vaginal discharge, consult a doctor immediately.

3. The number of lochia increases during activity

Postpartum blood or lochia generally can come out in greater amounts when doing activities and less when you are resting.

While menstrual blood tends to be the same when doing activities or resting, although sometimes the amount can be less when you are resting.

4. The first postpartum period may be heavier

The first menstrual cycle after childbirth or after the puerperium, may not immediately return to the same smooth as before pregnancy.

The first period after giving birth may also feel heavier than usual.

You may feel heavier and more frequent cramps in your first period after childbirth or after the puerperium.

This occurs because the uterine cavity becomes larger after pregnancy, so that more of the uterine lining has to be shed during menstruation.

In addition, menstruation after childbirth also causes small blood clots accompanied by pain that is stronger than before.

In fact, the length of the menstrual cycle after giving birth can be irregular.

Your periods may recur more frequently and quickly than usual before pregnancy and childbirth.

During the first year after giving birth, you may experience changes in the amount of bleeding, longer menstrual times, and longer cycles.

All of these things are nothing to worry about and are normal.

When to see a doctor

According to the Cleveland Clinic, most women's menstrual cycles will return to normal after about the first year postpartum.

As previously explained, the factor of breastfeeding the baby or not can be a determinant of how quickly the first menstrual period after giving birth returns.

It is very difficult to determine when and how long you will get your period after giving birth.

Pay attention if you are not giving exclusive breastfeeding but your period has not or does not come out smoothly after giving birth.

We recommend that you check with your doctor so that you can find out the cause of the first menstruation after childbirth that does not come.

Irregular menstrual cycles for one to three months in the beginning since the first menstruation after childbirth are still normal.

Because during this time, your body is still trying to balance the hormones after pregnancy and childbirth.

However, if the menstrual cycle or menstrual irregularities after childbirth lasts for several months, it is better to consult further with a doctor.

In rare cases, complications such as thyroid problems or adenomyosis can cause heavy bleeding after delivery.

See your doctor if you feel any unusual and irregular changes in your postpartum menstrual cycle.