How long do postpartum periods last? Unpleasant odor, bright color, itching. Regulations for combining breastfeeding and artificial feeding

One of the main indicators of women's health is the menstrual cycle. After childbirth, restoration of the cycle becomes especially important. Therefore, when and how the first menstruation came after childbirth and how long it lasts, you can determine whether there are hidden postpartum complications or not, find out about the recovery of the body and find out whether everything is normal with the health of the young mother.

First time after giving birth

Many new mothers mistakenly believe that postpartum bleeding is the first menstruation after pregnancy. This is completely false. After labor is completed, the uterus begins to actively contract, pushing out the remaining blood and clots. This discharge is copious in the first days. Later, lochia, as postpartum discharge is called, gradually decreases. There is less blood and by the sixth week after the birth of the baby, lochia stops.

Your period will come much later after childbirth. When menstruation begins after childbirth, and how long it will last, worries every young mother. The recovery time of the menstrual cycle is individual for each mother. If you are breastfeeding, you will not have your period until six months after giving birth. If for some reason you feed your baby formula, menstruation a month after birth is not a deviation.

Critical days after childbirth are very different from regular periods. It is for this reason that women may not even realize that their period has begun. The discharge is scanty, more spotting. The first menstruation may take 2–3 days.

Features of cycle recovery

The first period after childbirth comes at a time when the level of lactation hormone decreases. While the hormone level is high, there are no periods. This hormone is called prolactin, and it is responsible for the production of breast milk and suppression of ovulation. It is precisely because of the high content of prolactin during breastfeeding that there are no periods until a year after childbirth. It is worth considering that in order to use breastfeeding as contraception, you must feed the baby on demand. You cannot feed or supplement your baby, or use pacifiers or bottles. Feeding at night is mandatory.

The menstrual cycle is the main indicator of the health of the female body, so it is very important that periods after childbirth are restored at the right time and with the correct regularity.

Changes can only affect the nature of the discharge itself; in the very first menstrual cycle after childbirth, it will be scanty, more reminiscent of daub. They should last no more than 2-3 days. If the first menstruation is too heavy, and one pad is not enough even for 2 hours, the woman is most likely bleeding and should immediately consult a doctor.

At first, the menstrual cycle will range from 21 to 30 days. This will continue until ovarian function is completely restored. This will take several months; this period is individual for each woman.

Signs of pathological menstruation

In some cases, discharge after the birth of a child is pathological. If you see the following signs, do not wait for your cycle to normalize, but immediately go to the gynecologist:

if the discharge after childbirth “lochia” suddenly stops. This may indicate a bend of the uterus, endometritis, or stagnation of lochia inside the uterus;
if there are very scanty menstrual flows for more than 3 cycles. This may be a sign of hormonal imbalance, endometritis or Sheehan syndrome;
6 months after its recovery. Breaks between menstruation of 3 months or more. This may be a sign of ovarian pathology;
very heavy periods for 2 or more cycles in a row, especially after surgery or termination of pregnancy. This may be caused by retained membranes on the inner walls of the uterus;
and accompanied by general weakness and dizziness;
if menstrual discharge has an unpleasant, pungent odor, while the woman has a fever and severe abdominal pain, this may mean the presence of infection or oncology;
“daub” before and after critical days is a sign of endometriosis or inflammation;
curdled discharge and itchy sensations in the vagina - a symptom of “thrush”;
bloody, from 3 cycles in a row.

What changes may occur in the menstrual cycle?

Irregular monthly menstrual discharge may appear in a woman for several cycles after the birth of the baby. But this is not permanent. There shouldn't be any after 1-2 months. Menstruation should be the same as before pregnancy, only a slight change in its duration is allowed:

2-3 initial cycles may be observed, especially if the child is on mixed feeding;
The first cycles after the birth of the baby for some mothers, on the contrary, occur with more abundant discharge. If after a couple of cycles the intensity of menstruation does not decrease, and pain also increases, you should definitely consult a specialist;
the appearance of menstrual flow may be irregular;
Painful periods may appear even in those who did not complain of pain before pregnancy. Pain during menstruation after childbirth can be caused by intense contractions of the uterine walls or infection. Most often, after the birth of a baby, previously painful menstruation becomes normal due to a change in the position of the uterus;
premenstrual syndrome or its precursors may appear: swelling, nausea, mood swings, dizziness.

Irregular periods

Critical days after childbirth may be irregular for several reasons:

if irregularity is observed in the first few months after childbirth during the recovery period, then there is no reason to panic. Most often, this is normal behavior for them, since normalization of the cycle occurs individually for each woman. Irregular periods of menstruation are typical for breastfeeding mothers;
In about 2 months, all systems and organs in the mother’s body return to normal. But the normal functioning of the endocrine system occurs late, especially during lactation. For this reason, even with a good general condition of the body, a representative of beauty may not have her critical days;
if regularity has not been established in 3 or more cycles, this may indicate inflammation, endometriosis or cancer in the organs of the genitourinary system.

In order to prevent the development of dangerous pathologies and prescribe treatment in a timely manner, at the first questionable symptoms, seek help from a gynecologist.

Delay

There are cases when, after childbirth, menstruation does not occur, although more than six months have already passed, the lactation period is over, or the child is just supplemented with mother’s milk. The most common cause of delay is a new pregnancy, but if you do, you should seek help from a doctor, because in this case the delay may be a harbinger of hormonal disorders, for example, Sheehan syndrome, which also causes weakness, dizziness, low blood pressure and lack of lactation. This is a very dangerous disease that can cause adrenal insufficiency and various infectious diseases.

In women over 40 years of age, the absence of menstruation may mean the onset of menopause, and in younger women, premature ovarian failure may occur. To determine the reason for the long absence of menstrual periods, you should definitely visit a gynecologist.

Menstruation after pathological pregnancy or childbirth

The time of the first menstruation after childbirth depends both on the process of delivery itself and on the presence of any pathologies during pregnancy. Let's consider the features of critical days depending on the pathologies a woman has:

. Menstruation is restored after a month only in a small percentage of patients; most often, the hormonal imbalance that caused the termination of pregnancy becomes the cause of an irregular cycle;
abortion. will occur in 45 days, otherwise you need to go to the doctor;
the remainder of the fertilized egg in the uterus or an inflammatory process. To avoid such a situation, you need to undergo an ultrasound scan 10 days after childbirth or termination of pregnancy;
. The first menstruation should occur 25-40 days after its completion. If your critical days come earlier than this, it is most likely uterine bleeding, which requires urgent medical attention. A delay longer than the specified period is also a reason for a visit to the gynecologist. Very often, an ectopic pregnancy is very stressful for a woman; in such cases, recovery can occur in at least 2 months;
. In this case, the cycle is restored to the same as after a normal birth. When breastfeeding, menstruation comes no earlier than six months later. If the child is on artificial nutrition, the cycle should normalize within a maximum of 3 months. Very rarely does the recovery process drag on for a year; if there are no pathologies, then this is considered normal.

After suffering any of the above conditions, a woman is recommended to protect herself for at least 6 months from the onset of a new pregnancy, since the absence of menstruation does not mean that ovulation does not occur. This means that without critical days she can become pregnant, which is undesirable for a still fragile body.

Women in good health have no problems restoring their cycle after the birth of a baby. To avoid any failures, you should put some expert advice into practice:

To quickly restore hormone production, you need to properly structure your diet. It should include more fruit, vegetable and cereal dishes, milk, and meat. You should follow a drinking regime, do regular exercises and take multivitamins for mothers prescribed by your doctor;
no need to take oral contraceptives. They can affect hormonal levels, causing cycle irregularity. For sexually active ladies, it is better to temporarily give preference to condoms or other non-hormonal means of contraception;
follow the regime. If your baby keeps you awake at night, get some sleep during the day. Don't refuse help from your loved ones. Good rest speeds up the recovery process;
any chronic diseases can affect the duration of the recovery period, so for diabetes, anemia, thyroid diseases, etc. It is imperative to consult with a specialized specialist and adjust the treatment.

There are cases when the first periods after childbirth passed normally, but the next ones after them were delayed.

This may indicate the presence of a hormonal imbalance. In this situation, it may be useful to take hormone tests and undergo other additional studies. Such measures can prevent the development of various diseases, including oncology.

If these tips did not help and the cycle after childbirth did not recover in due time, you should definitely seek help from a gynecologist.

Menstruation is an important process in the life of every girl, which is a sign of her readiness for reproductive function. Ignorance of basic norms and possible violations during this period causes stress and anxiety in adolescents and adult girls. To understand how many days your period lasts normally, read the information provided.

How do normal menstruation days unfold in women?

It is impossible to specifically answer the question of how many days menstruation lasts. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the body. Within normal limits, menstruation should not exceed 2-8 days. Deviation from this pattern may indicate serious problems. The menstrual cycle should last from 21 to 35 days. The volume of blood and fluid released during menstrual periods is 50–80 ml.

The main signs of the onset of menstruation include:

Changes in skin condition (rash, redness, pimples).
Nagging pain in the lower back and abdomen.
Breast filling.

How to calculate the length of the menstrual cycle

Knowing how long your period lasts will help you monitor your health. To make the correct calculations, mark the date of the first day of menstruation in the current month and the next on your calendar. The number of days between them will be considered the correct number. Ideally, the cycle should be stable, but a delay of 1-2 days is allowed and considered normal.

How long do girls' first periods last?

The first critical days begin in adolescents aged 11-14 years. At this time, the girl will probably feel pain or other discomfort in the lower abdomen. The discharge will be both scanty and abundant. The period of bleeding may last for 2-8 days. At the same time, the second menstruation sometimes occurs only after 2-3 months, which is considered normal. At this time, a constant cycle is established, which over time will range from 21 to 35 days. After your first menstruation, it is better to see a gynecologist.

How long does your period last after childbirth or cesarean section?

After conceiving a baby, menstruation does not bother a woman throughout pregnancy. Everyone returns to a regular menstrual cycle at different times. This largely depends on the hormone prolactinoma, which is produced if you breastfeed a child. If you wean your baby off breast milk early, normal ovarian function will begin within six months. In some cases, mothers cannot breastfeed their child from birth. Then critical days will come in 4-10 weeks.

In addition, there are a number of reasons that cause a delay in the onset of menstruation or their unscheduled onset:

stress;
poor nutrition;
lack of sleep;
various diseases and disorders of the body.

After childbirth, lochia is released from the vagina - blood clots of mucus, which many confuse with menstruation. The reason for their appearance is considered to be stretching and then contraction of the uterus. The first days the amount of lochia is very high, but after 6-8 weeks the bleeding will stop. If after childbirth and in the absence of breastfeeding your period does not appear, you should consult a doctor.

Why do my periods take longer than usual?

A change in the length of the menstrual period may indicate a number of serious diseases. There are several reasons for this problem. The main ones include:

daily stress;
climate change;
hormonal disorders;
alcohol;
smoking;
poor nutrition;
great physical activity.

If you are concerned about how long your period is, you should definitely consult a doctor. Delaying treatment can lead to the following problems:

improper functioning of the ovaries (over time it will develop into infertility);
cyst formation;
tumors in the genitourinary system.

What to do in case of cycle disorders

If there is a disruption in the menstrual cycle, this indicates problems in the functioning of the organs of the genitourinary system. The result of such a violation can have serious consequences, so it is better to immediately contact a gynecologist for consultation. In addition, sometimes the question of how long periods last is raised by women when there is an ectopic pregnancy, cysts or tumors. Treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a physician. To restore the cycle, it is necessary to establish the main reasons that could cause the problem:

infectious diseases;
hormonal disorders;
inflammatory processes.

Video: how many days does menstruation last normally?

One of the happiest and at the same time one of the most painful moments that you have ever had in your life has passed - childbirth has passed. Now you have a little miracle snuffling in your arms, which you love and will take care of for a very long time. Life is gradually returning to normal. And when your period begins after childbirth, you realize that everything is back to normal, only there are a little more of you in the family than before.

Naturally, menstruation does not return immediately after childbirth - some time passes. This delay scares some people: if the menstrual cycle is restored, then everything is fine, the body is in order. But a month or two passes from the moment the child is born, and they still don’t come and go. Has something really happened?

Don't panic: your first period after giving birth doesn't come right away, no matter how long you wait. And there are several reasons for this in the body, which we will consider further. But first, calm down - you have a short respite from this painful process, which was given to you by Mother Nature herself. In the meantime, we will try to answer a few questions that you might have.

Why no periods?

To answer when periods come after childbirth, you need to know why periods come at all. In the middle of your personal, internal month, which does not coincide with the calendar either in length or the day of its beginning, an egg matures in the body. Then she should be fertilized, and after 9 months you will have a child - you have been through this.

If the egg is not fertilized, it will die. And 2 weeks after that it will leave the body through the genital tract. This is a natural process that every woman knows as heavy periods. However, it does not occur immediately after pregnancy.

Blame it all on lactation. As long as it goes on, the delay will last. The fact is that during breastfeeding the hormone prolactin is produced. Its main function is to stimulate milk production so that there is something to feed the baby. But it also has another effect: among other things, prolactin suppresses the cyclic production of hormones in the ovaries. And it doesn’t matter how frequent and heavy your periods were before. The egg does not even mature, so the cycle has no chance of recovery.

The line of reasoning is simple: hormones in the ovaries are suppressed, the egg does not develop enough, it is not ready for fertilization, ovulation does not occur, the egg does not die and is not released. And here is the result: a long delay in menstruation. But do not be afraid: the cycle will be restored after childbirth. When the hormone decreases a little and it stops affecting the ovaries, everything will return to normal.

When should I expect my period?

As already mentioned, the main reason why heavy periods come late after childbirth is lactation. Therefore, the period by which menstruation has shifted depends directly on the method of feeding:

Completely natural.

If you breastfeed your child constantly, at the baby’s sole request, then the same thing is happening and will continue to happen in your body as in all the women who lived before you for the last few thousand years. Previously, when mothers did not know about the existence of complementary foods for their children, the only food for a newborn was milk for 1-1.5 years. And all this time the women did not have periods.

Therefore, don’t worry: you will wait for your period as long as you breastfeed your baby. That is, about a year from the date of birth, or even more.

Partially natural.

If you breastfeed your baby 1-2 times a day because it is healthy or because of your doctor's advice, your first period after giving birth will come approximately 16-20 weeks from the day of birth. The hormone prolactin will not be produced as much and will not have the same effect as in the first case, gradually losing its strength.

Weak lactation

If you breastfeed your baby little or nothing, the amount of prolactin is minimal. The delay will be short - about 10 weeks.

But remember: these are statistical averages. That is, everything is individual. If breast milk is not the baby’s main food, and more time has passed than the doctor said, do not panic. How long to wait for your period is a purely individual question, the answer to which depends on your physiology. Your delay may differ from the standard by several weeks.

What to do if your period starts too early?

If already in the first weeks after childbirth heavy, but not painful periods begin, you can calm down: this is not menstruation. This is a phenomenon called lochia. It is natural and normal.

The fact is that during childbirth the placenta separated from the uterus. As a result, a rather large wound was left there. Over time it will heal, but at first it will behave like a normal wound: it will bleed. These secretions will slowly come out of the genital tract because they have no other way out. And it will seem to you that heavy periods began a month after giving birth. But that's not true.

Lochia usually does not last very long - about a month. Then the wound inside heals, the discharge gradually becomes lighter, and there is less and less blood in it. Gradually they fade away.

Does a caesarean section affect your cycle?

Of course not. Hormones are the basis for the return of menstruation. If you had a cesarean section due to problems caused by hormonal imbalances, this may also affect your menstrual cycle after childbirth. But it is much more likely that this will not happen.

Therefore, do not worry: you gave birth by caesarean section or naturally, this is not significant, the delay does not depend on it.

When to sound the alarm?

You should start to worry if more than 2 months have passed since you stopped breastfeeding, and the first period after childbirth has not yet begun. This delay is not entirely normal. This may be the result of some kind of hormonal imbalance due to childbirth or pregnancy. And hormones are no joke. See your doctor as soon as possible. He will check you and tell you whether you need treatment or not. But under no circumstances take any hormonal medications yourself. It’s hard to even count how many problems there are due to self-medication.

When your period starts after giving birth, it shouldn't get any stronger. If you've had heavy periods before, they should ease up after your baby arrives. Therefore, if the process is accompanied by severe pain that has never happened before, consult a specialist. Do the same if they are not plentiful, but smell strange.

Is it possible to get pregnant if you haven't had your period yet?

Contrary to popular belief, you can get pregnant. Remember: menstruation is a consequence of ovulation. This means that approximately 2 weeks before the start there is already a ready, mature egg that can be fertilized. And if you fertilize her at this time, you can get into the situation again.

The problem is that you yourself cannot say that the first ovulation occurred after childbirth, because you have not had your period yet. Therefore, it is better not to take risks if you do not have another child in your plans.

After childbirth, every woman in labor experiences bloody discharge, which is also called lochia. Many people call them periods, but this is a misconception.

Menstruation (critical days) is the rejection of the endometrial layer, which is accompanied by bleeding every month. Critical days last from 3 to 7 days. Lochia, in turn, consists of 80 percent pure blood, and the remaining 20 percent is dying epithelium and mucus residues. There is a significant difference between these two processes.

As we have already figured out, lochia is postpartum discharge. Thus, the uterus is cleansed and returned to its original size. How many days does the discharge after childbirth, the so-called lochia, last? It all depends on the woman’s body. In the first 6 days after birth, lochia is very abundant and can sometimes contain small blood clots. The color of the discharge these days is the same as that of ordinary blood.

The next week is characterized by the same heavy discharge, but the color of the lochia becomes brown. Then, with each passing day and week, the discharge decreases and turns from light brown to light yellow, then becomes scanty. The duration of lochia is up to 40 days.

A woman's hygiene is very important these days. Pads should be changed as often as possible, since there are many microorganisms in the discharge; thanks to comfortable conditions, heat and humidity, they easily multiply in the pad and can cause a number of diseases of the genitourinary system.

It takes a little longer and differently for suckers after a caesarean section. Caesarean is a surgical intervention in the process of childbirth, and cleansing and contraction of the uterus does not occur so quickly and can last many days. An injured uterus contracts poorly, and therefore the outflow of secretions is very poor. This results in stagnation in the uterus. To improve this outflow of postpartum discharge, doctors recommend maintaining breastfeeding, due to which the uterus contracts, as a result of which the discharge successfully leaves the uterine cavity.

When do you urgently need medical help?

Postpartum discharge does not always go as well and quickly as we would like, and often it lasts for a long time, even up to forty days. The process of restoring the body is individual for each woman. It happens that many symptoms appear when you urgently need to see a specialist. Signs such as:

bright red profuse discharge that lasts more than 1 week;
an increase in discharge over a short period of time;
the discharge contains a lot of clots;
unpleasant odor of discharge;
sudden cessation of discharge;
lower abdominal pain;
the presence of mucus and pus in the discharge;
chills;
temperature.

These signs indicate that an inflammatory process is occurring in the woman’s body or that part of the baby’s place remains. If any of the above symptoms are observed in a woman in labor, you should immediately seek help from a doctor, especially if there is heavy discharge. This is very dangerous for your health.

Hygiene after childbirth

After childbirth, a woman’s body is very weakened. Bleeding genitals can become easy prey for microorganisms. To avoid such troubles, it is necessary to strictly observe the personal hygiene of the woman in labor, as long as lochia is observed. First of all:

wash after every trip to the toilet;
use baby soap for intimate hygiene;
use gaskets;
do not use tampons under any pretext;
change gaskets at least every 4 hours;
do not swim in hot water.

All these precautions will help you avoid many problems.

When and how long to expect your real period?

The process of recovery of the body after childbirth is very long. The onset of your first period can be different for everyone, so you shouldn’t ask yourself how long this period will last. All this depends on the woman’s hormonal background.

If a woman is breastfeeding, the hormone prolactin is present in her body. And while it is present in normal quantities, menstruation does not come. If for some reason there is a decrease in lactation, the production of prolactin decreases. Thus, your period may come soon.

The first 2-3 months, they may not be regular. Then, the cycle is gradually restored. There are cases when, even with breastfeeding, menstruation occurs soon after the end of lochia. This should not always be considered a deviation, but you still need to see a doctor to prevent and exclude bleeding.

The sensations of the first menstruation may differ sharply from those before childbirth. For many, menstruation was characterized by severe pain in the lower abdomen, and after childbirth the unpleasant pain went away. This is sometimes explained by the bending of the uterus, which after childbirth takes its correct shape. The number of days of menstruation may increase or, on the contrary, decrease.

If, after the end of lactation, your period does not come after a couple of months, this is also a reason to contact a gynecologist. Many diseases, tumors, as well as a new pregnancy can be hidden behind such a seemingly trivial absence of critical days.