Reasons for irregular menstruation after giving birth
Menstruation doesn’t always happen right after you give birth. There are a number of reasons why menstruation might not happen. Sometimes women might have irregular period for a long time. When a woman has no menstruation after giving birth at the expected time in the month, it is normal for her to be concerned about whether or not she is pregnant. Or is it a normal situation in postpartum period?
If you are worried about what will change in woman’s body after giving birth, when to expect the first period and what are the reasons for irregular menstruation keep reading the article. Here you can find the most important and useful information about yourself.
What does change in woman’s body after giving birth?
After giving birth a woman’s body immediately starts getting ready for its new role, being a mother. First of all, you need to know child birth is a very huge occasion. Due to sudden hormonal changes women can experience many visible and invisible changes in their body.
Besides irregular menstruation there are other changes in woman’s body after giving birth, including the following.
1. The number of days between periods increases. This can last for up to a year after giving birth.
2. Women may have headaches, constipation, backaches and urinary incontinence, which usually improve gradually. However, some people experience these conditions long term and they can be quite bothersome.
3. There will be changes in your hormones during the first few weeks of delivery and when you are breastfeeding. This will impact how you feel both physically and mentally. This can take some getting used to.
4. In the months following childbirth, many women will also notice increased energy, less anxiety and more movement.
5. Women who have given birth will experience a decrease in the number of dark patches on the skin. It happens most likely because there is less blood supply to those areas. This is a short-term change and will fade away in around six months to a year after childbirth.
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6. Women who have given birth may notice a decrease in their libido, or sexual desire. However, sexual satisfaction is something that every woman experiences differently and it will only return once you have had another child.
7. A woman’s body shape may also change after giving birth. Loose skin under the arms and belly can occur due to the removal of the womb and ovaries during childbirth. This leaves an empty space for your skin to return to normal shape. You can return back to your normal state in a month to a year depending on the intensity of exercise you do.
8. Some women experience changes in their skin, hair and nails as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. In some cases, thinning of hair may occur due to the increased level of hormones you are producing during pregnancy. Hair loss is a common situation after giving birth and it may continue longer in breastfeeding women.
9. Woman will also notice changes in the size and shape of her breasts, which is attributed to the release of oxytocin during childbirth. It causes her breasts to expand in order to prepare herself for breastfeeding the baby.
10. The vagina gets shorter and narrower as its muscle fibers shrink back from their stretched state during pregnancy. This may take a few months or even a few years after giving birth.
When to expect first period?
Right after giving birth for six to eight weeks you’ll have vaginal discharge of blood, mucus and uterine tissue. However, you shouldn’t mistake it for menstrual bleeding. It is not your period bleeding, it is lochia. It is bright red in color, but flow is heavier than period blood. There are special maternity pads for that case and they are thicker than usual ones.
Women who have had cesarean section delivery. will also have lochia, but amount and duration will be less. Because during surgery doctors manually remove placenta and clean the uterus.
When lochia finally ends for some time you won’t have your period. Your actual period may start after several weeks or even months. It is really difficult to predict when it will start, as everyone is different and our bodies differently react to changes. Basically, whether you are breastfeeding or not plays a key role on when your period will return.
When not breastfeeding…
When bottle feeding a baby your period will probably return in five to eight weeks after childbirth. If you combine breastfeeding with bottle feeding, you’ll get your period approximately at that time or a bit later.
When breastfeeding…
If you fully breastfeed your baby, you’ll get your menstruation much later. It may take from three to eight months to return or until you stop night-time breastfeeding. Prolactin hormone promotes breast milk production and it also has impact on reproduction system. High level of prolactin wards off ovulation, which causes delay in menstruation also.
Irregular menstruation after giving birth
Many women worry about irregular menstruation as it can be a warning sign of some kind of illness or health problem. However, in postpartum phase it is a normal situation and your period might look different from how it was before.
The changes you may have:
1. Irregular periods – it will continue from three to six months. It usually happens when period returns while breastfeeding.
2. Heavy periods.
3. Cramping.
4. Period containing small blood clots.
5. Lasts longer than before.
So, don’t worry if your period lasts eight or nine days, or if the cycle switches from 28 to 35 days. This is how your body reacts to hormonal changes. Once your hormones return to normal you will have regular cycles.
You should consult you’re your doctor if your period is super heavy, lasts up to ten days or contains larger clots. Besides, let your doctor know whether cramps are strong or not, or were there skips in menstruation. Because these symptoms are not normal and they may signal about infection, thyroid dysfunction, polyps or other problems.
Reasons for not having menstruation after giving birth
1. Some people experience a shorter or longer delay in return to regular cycles. It can be attributed to certain factors such as breastfeeding, hormonal change or stress levels.
2. For some people, it is normal to not have your period in the days before and after you ovulate, but there can be another cause for lack of periods. Namely menstrual irregularities caused by hormonal imbalance or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
3. If you or your partner has a condition that causes semen to have a foul smell, such as trichomoniasis, you may be less likely to menstruate.
4. Stress and anxiety will also cause lack of periods, since stress hormones inhibit the release of other hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle.
5. Certain medications you may be taking for pain or acne may also cause lack of periods in some people, especially anabolic steroids and birth control pills.
6. Lack of periods can also occur because of bleeding from the vagina or other abnormalities, such as a pregnancy outside the uterus.
7. Another reason women stop menstruating is because of surgeries such as hysterectomy. Also, can be removal of ovaries or fallopian tubes, or cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
8. Birth control pills can affect the return of menstruation. If you are taking birth control pills and do not have a period within six weeks of giving birth, it is worth talking to your doctor.
9. Factors such as stress, poor diet, and hormonal imbalances can also play a role in the return of menstruation after delivery.
For how long missing period is considered as normal?
Missing period is considered as normal if you do not have your period within a year after giving birth. After this time, you should seek medical advice. Missing period is also considered normal if you do not have any periods while breastfeeding your child. Particularly when the baby is less than six months old. Menstruation may not come back immediately after stopping breastfeeding the baby either.
What to do if period is missing for more than one year?
If you have no menstruation after giving birth for more than one year after giving birth, it is important to speak to your doctor or midwife. Although there is no definite answer whether it is the result of a medical condition or a side effect of medication, further tests will be required to determine the cause.
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