After the birth of a baby, a woman’s body needs time to recover. The work of the young mother’s organs and systems is also being restructured, because now the main task is to produce nutritious fluid for feeding the child. Hormonal changes affect not only the formation of lactation, but also the menstrual cycle: menstruation in women who have chosen breastfeeding may not resume for several months, more than six months or a year after delivery. It all depends on the characteristics and individuality of the young mother’s body.

Why does this happen: delayed menstrual bleeding during lactation

The menstrual cycle is one of the most important indicators that the body of the fairer sex is functioning normally. Of course, each woman is an individual person, so the duration of the cycle can be completely different and vary from twenty to thirty-five days. But the main factor that indicates that the reproductive system is working without failure is the regularity of menstruation.

Gynecologists warn that failures menstrual cycle- a signal about a problem or malfunction in the functioning of a woman’s organs and systems. However, after childbirth and during the period of natural feeding of the child, such a delay in menstrual bleeding (lactation amenorrhea) is a normal situation that should not cause alarm in a young mother.

During breastfeeding Many women experience delays in menstruation

By delayed menstruation, doctors mean the absence of menstrual bleeding for more than five days from the expected start of a new cycle. For example, a woman's cycle lasts twenty-eight days. After this time, menstruation should have started, but this did not happen for five or more days. This is already a delay; if menstruation is delayed by one to four days, this is the norm and you should not panic and immediately run to the doctor. However, you need to understand that while feeding a baby with breast milk, the monthly cycle often malfunctions. The situation is strongly influenced by surges of hormones, which are responsible not only for the reproductive function, but also for the formation and production of valuable fluid for the child:

• the hormone estrogen is responsible for preparing for conception: in the first twelve to fifteen days of the new cycle, the egg matures, the epithelium in the uterus grows, which prepares to receive a cell that has already been fertilized and has begun to divide. If there is no meeting with sperm and there is no pregnancy, then the epithelium from the uterus is excreted from the body along with menstrual blood;
• In the second phase, the egg ovulates, and the hormone progesterone is responsible for this. However, during lactation there is very little of it in the blood due to the dominance of prolactin;
• It is prolactin that is responsible for milk production, because after childbirth the main task for a young mother becomes the question of feeding the baby. In the first six months after birth little man Most breastfeeding women do not have periods again. This is due to the fact that an increase in the level of prolactin in the blood has a depressing effect on the function of the ovaries: the egg does not mature, there is no ovulation, and there are no menstruation.

Some women start to panic a few months after giving birth if their period is late. At a doctor's appointment, a young mother says that after the birth of her son or daughter, she had spotting for some time, then it stopped, and after a month or two it did not appear. Gynecologists reassure overly impressionable mothers: after childbirth, a woman does not have menstruation, this is lochia - bloody discharge, this is how the reproductive organ is cleansed. To restore the menstrual cycle during lactation, it may take from six months to one and a half years, depending on various factors, the physical and emotional state of the young mother.

Timing of menstruation during lactation

Every young mother's body recovers differently. This depends not only on the individual characteristics of the woman, but also on the influence of external factors. There are statistical data, but they are more of a guideline that indicates the approximate timing of the resumption of menstruation than a clear rule, deviations from which are impossible and signal a problem. Therefore, if a nursing woman has questions about her menstrual cycle or its absence for a certain period of time, she should consult a doctor. Do not panic ahead of time, because situations can be completely different, and only a specialist after an examination will determine the exact cause.

After childbirth, every woman resumes her period within different terms: for one - in six months, for the other - in a year or more

The timing of the resumption of menstruation during breastfeeding is influenced by many factors:

• if after the birth of the baby a young mother exclusively breastfeeds the baby for the first six months, then introduces complementary foods, as recommended by pediatricians, and continues breastfeeding, menstruation resumes eight to twelve months after birth;
  

  However, if a woman during lactation does not feed the baby at night, gives the baby water or milk from a bottle for the first six months of the child’s life, then menstruation often comes earlier, five to six months after delivery. This is due to a decrease in the level of prolactin in the blood, which is most secreted during night feedings.

• Much depends on the feeding regime. If the mother considers it acceptable to breastfeed at the baby’s first request, the cycle is restored later, after about a year and a half. When a woman adheres to the regime and the intervals between meals are three to four hours, menstruation begins earlier, after seven to eight months;
• individual characteristics of the body of a nursing woman. In some women who breastfeed a child for a long period, the menstrual cycle is restored two years after birth. This is also considered a variant of the norm.
  

  It is interesting to know that women who have dark eyes and hair get their periods several months earlier than blue-eyed blondes.

Video: when to expect your period after the birth of your baby

Features of the onset of postpartum menstruation

The first few cycles after childbirth may be unstable, accompanied by delays, premenstrual syndrome or its absence, the duration of menstruation varies, which varies from three to seven days. Much depends on the time the body has had to recover:

• very often, young mothers who experienced their first periods three to four months after discharge from the maternity hospital note the presence of premenstrual syndrome (the woman becomes irritable, too emotional, and suffers from headaches), painful menstruation, heavy bleeding, the duration of menstruation is six -seven days;
  

  This happens because the body does not have enough time to fully recover after the birth of the baby. This condition can last three to four cycles, then the body gets used to the resumption of reproductive function and menstruation becomes easier.

• If a woman breastfeeds her baby for a long time, the body gradually prepares for the resumption of the menstrual cycle. A year or a year and a half after giving birth, the young mother begins to have periods, which in most cases are much easier to tolerate than before pregnancy. For example, premenstrual syndrome absent or mild, no pain in the first one or two days of menstruation, discharge is more scanty and lasts up to five days.
  

  Many women also note a change in the duration of the cycle: if before conceiving a child it was, for example, 35 days, then after the birth of a baby in the family it can be reduced to 28–30 days.

In some cases, the first period after childbirth may be accompanied by severe pain.

Breastfeeding has a tremendous impact on menstruation. This is primarily due to a surge in the hormone prolactin. Therefore, the main features of menstruation during lactation are:

• Irregularity of menstrual bleeding. Those. Your period may start, then disappear for one or two months, then appear again. For example, a woman fell ill and could not breastfeed her baby, lactation decreased, ovulation occurred and menstruation resumed. Then the mother returned home, started breastfeeding on demand, prolactin suppresses progesterone - the ovaries do not function - there are no periods. This is a normal situation and does not signal pathology;
  

  For some breastfeeding women, menstruation begins only after complete breastfeeding.

• scanty bleeding. On average, for all days of menstrual bleeding in one cycle, ladies lose from 50 to 150 ml of blood. However, during natural feeding, due to the action of prolactin, menstruation may last two to three days and not be heavy.

How does the resumption of menstruation affect lactation?

With the resumption of menstruation, many nursing mothers begin to worry whether this will affect the quality, composition or taste breast milk. And most importantly, whether breastfeeding during menstrual flow will harm the health of the baby.

Prejudices that when breastfeeding during menstruation, female hormones enter the mother's milk, which negatively affect the psychology of boys, can be heard from the older generation. However, doctors have proven that this is just a myth, so you should not abruptly wean your baby off the breast as soon as the mother’s menstrual cycle resumes.

Proven facts about how menstruation really affects lactation are as follows:

• milk does not lose its valuable qualities;
• the taste of the nutrient liquid does not change, it does not become bitter or salty;
• female hormones do not negatively affect the development of the baby;
• The resumption of menstruation does indeed have a slight effect on the amount of milk produced. Many young mothers note that the amount of valuable fluid during this period decreases slightly, but this is not global problem. With active and regular breastfeeding, lactation improves in a short time;
• the baby becomes capricious, demands the breast more often, and the time of feeding the baby increases. This is due to a slight decrease in milk production during menstruation.

Lactation consultants and obstetricians-gynecologists insist that once your period returns, you should not give up breastfeeding. Mother's milk is the ideal food for a child, and if the mother is comfortable feeding the baby, it is worth continuing this process.

Video: breastfeeding consultant will dispel the myth that you should not breastfeed a baby during menstruation

Should you sound the alarm if your period is late?

Doctors explain that the method of delivery (natural birth or the birth of a baby using surgical intervention) does not affect the timing of the resumption of the menstrual cycle, provided the baby is breastfed. Those. a young mother who gave birth to a child by cesarean section, who puts the baby to the breast on demand, does not skip night feedings, introduces complementary foods no earlier than six months and continues breastfeeding can count on the resumption of the menstrual cycle eight to twelve months after birth.

One should not rule out the possibility that menstruation will begin one and a half to two years after the arrival of a little person in the family. This is also a variant of the normal process of restoring reproductive function.

The method of delivery does not in any way affect the timing of the resumption of menstruation. However, after surgery, the body needs more time to recover, so a young mother is recommended to visit an obstetrician-gynecologist two to three months after giving birth, six months and a year. The doctor will conduct an examination, do an ultrasound to assess the condition of the uterine scar and take necessary tests. These are necessary examinations to exclude inflammatory and other pathological processes in a woman’s reproductive organs.

Only a doctor can answer all the young mother’s questions and conduct a comprehensive examination, if necessary.

After surgical delivery, the process of complete restoration of the functions of the reproductive system is influenced by the type of feeding of the child:

• when establishing lactation immediately after childbirth, while still in the maternity hospital, and continuing breastfeeding on demand constantly, menstruation may appear over a long period of time: from several months to one or two years;
  

  Based on reviews from mothers who gave birth to children via cesarean section, for many, the first menstruation after childbirth begins from the moment complementary foods are introduced to the baby.

• if the child is fed both breast milk and a special adapted formula, the mother observes the onset of menstruation three to four months after the woman is discharged from the hospital;
• in the case when the mother is unable to breastfeed the baby or does not want to do so, i.e. the lactation process does not start, the menstrual cycle can be restored six to eight weeks after birth. The thing is that the body does not produce prolactin, so nothing slows down the work of the ovaries. The cycle resumes immediately, the egg matures and ovulates, and the reproductive function begins its work.
  

  Doctors warn that if your period does not come eight to twelve weeks after discharge from the maternity hospital, you should urgently seek advice from a women's doctor.

Irregularity of the menstrual cycle during lactation

Irregular monthly bleeding is a very common occurrence during lactation. Many nursing mothers note that their periods return, then disappear for several months, then start again. The duration of the cycle also remains unknown: sometimes menstruation comes several days earlier than last month, and next time - with a delay of three to five days. If you ask a gynecologist whether this situation is normal, the answer will be positive. It is considered normal for the cycle to improve within four to five months after the appearance of the first menstruation.

Also, a delay and irregular menstruation cycle may be due to the following reasons:

• pregnancy. Lactational amenorrhea can be a method of contraception, but under certain conditions. However, it does not give a 100% guarantee that a woman will not become pregnant. Very often, another pregnancy occurs precisely during lactation;
• diseases and inflammation of the internal genital organs. After childbirth, complications, infection in the uterus and other reasons are possible when menstruation becomes irregular or is delayed precisely because of pathological changes;
• hormonal imbalance in the female body. Only a doctor can make such a diagnosis after conducting a series of hormone tests;
• neoplasms of the reproductive organs: ovarian cysts, uterine tumors, endometriosis (proliferation of endometrial cells outside the uterus);
• unbalanced diet. During breastfeeding, a woman’s body leaves a huge amount of nutrients and nutrients with milk. If the mother does not eat normally and variedly, the body becomes depleted, causing menstruation to become irregular or disappear altogether;
• psycho-emotional stress: stress, nervous strain, negative atmosphere in the family. All this negatively affects the general condition of the young mother;
• excessive physical activity.

If, after the resumption of menstruation and the allotted time to regulate the cycle, a woman observes that menstruation comes with delays, the cycle gets lost, etc. - this is a reason to urgently go to see a doctor. Perhaps the problem lies in a disease that requires immediate treatment. There is no need to waste time, because the child needs a healthy and happy mother.

Delayed menstruation with artificial feeding

If the child is bottle-fed from the moment of birth, then the menstrual cycle in a woman who has recently given birth resumes within one to two months after birth, regardless of the method of delivery.

The only exception is the presence of complications after the birth of the child. For example, an infection of the uterus, an abscess or sepsis (blood poisoning), or uterine bleeding occurred. Then the body will need much more time to recover. In this case, everything is individual and depends on the immunity of the young mother. However, menstruation must begin no later than three months from the date of birth.

Under no circumstances should you self-medicate and expect the situation to normalize on its own. In the absence of lactation, the hormonal background of the female body should return to normal within a few months: reproductive function resumes and the body functions the same as before pregnancy. If a young mother notices the following changes, you need to make an appointment with a gynecologist:

• no menstruation three months after birth;
• menstrual bleeding is very heavy or, conversely, scanty;
  

  Heavy discharge is considered to be the case when one pad is completely filled in less than four to five hours.

• unusual duration of menstruation, for example, it is one or two or seven to ten days;
• before and at the end of menstruation, a woman notices spotting, which can last for several days;
  

  This may signal the development of endometriosis.

• the cycle remained irregular, with delays after three months from the beginning of the first menstruation;
• The discharge has an unpleasant, pungent odor.

At the appointment, the doctor will definitely conduct a full examination. In some cases, no gynecological problems have been identified, but menstruation is absent or comes irregularly. Then the young mother is referred for consultation to a gynecologist-endocrinologist. Sometimes the problem is a disease of the thyroid gland or pituitary gland. Because of this, hormonal disruption occurs in the body. Then the hormonal levels need to be brought back to normal. Only a qualified specialist can find the cause, so do not be afraid to visit a doctor.

Irregular periods and their delay are very common occurrences after the birth of a child. The body gradually restores its functions and returns to the mode of operation that it had before pregnancy. This takes time, because all organs and systems are interconnected. The resumption of the menstrual cycle directly depends on the method of feeding: young mothers who breastfeed can expect the onset of menstruation a year after giving birth, but women whose children are fed an artificial formula observe the resumption of reproductive function much earlier, one to two months after the birth of the baby . Doctors insist: if problems are detected, you must immediately seek help from doctors. Self-medication can be harmful, because a young mother herself cannot determine why her body reacts this way at this stage.

The absence of menstruation after the birth of a child is due to the physiological characteristics of the female body. Restoration of the menstrual cycle depends on the type of feeding and hormonal levels of the mother, as well as the lifestyle she leads.

Irregular periods after childbirth are often not a cause for concern, but in some cases the delay may be caused by pathology. Let us dwell in more detail on the features of postpartum menstruation and cases when it is better to consult a doctor.

Why don't my periods come after childbirth?

Why do I not have periods for a long time after the baby is born? The reason why women do not have periods after childbirth is lactational amenorrhea caused by the hormone prolactin. The latter promotes the production of mother's milk and prevents ovulation. As a result, there are no regulations during breastfeeding.

Prolactin prevents the onset of a new pregnancy, but disruption of the feeding schedule, introduction of complementary foods and other factors influence the resumption of ovulation even though the mother is still breastfeeding. If you had your period at least once after giving birth and then disappeared again, its absence may be a sign of a new pregnancy.

A delay in menstruation after childbirth also occurs due to the presence of any diseases. One of the most common diseases is endometriosis. Its appearance is facilitated by numerous ruptures of the birth canal during childbirth, as well as C-section. Other causes include endocrine or inflammatory disorders, or a tumor in the uterus.

How long does a delay in menstruation last after childbirth?

Over the course of 42-56 days, women in labor secrete blood from the uterus, or more precisely, from the extensive wound surface where the placenta was attached. The discharge is called lochia and has nothing to do with menstruation. At first, the lochia is bright scarlet in color, but over time it darkens, and after a few weeks it appears in the form of veins and ichor.

If previously the norm was considered to be the restoration of regulation after two or even three years, now this period has been reduced to 6-12 months. It has to do with lifestyle. modern women and the introduction of various foods into the infant’s diet. In addition, the following factors influence the rapid appearance of menstruation after the birth of a child:

• taking hormonal contraceptives;
• C-section;
• endocrine disorders;
• cessation of lactation due to various circumstances;
• infant's refusal to breastfeed.

Resumption of regulation occurs in the same way both during natural childbirth and after obstetric surgery. In approximately 7% of women, spotting appears in the first six months after delivery, in 37% - before a year, in 48% - within 2 years, in 8% - after a 2-year period.

Breast-feeding

With full and regular breastfeeding, a delay in menstruation is observed for 12-14 months. The recovery period of the cycle is individual, there are no established norms - for some it happens in just a few months, while others do not have periods for a year or even two. In both the first and second cases, the absence of menstruation is normal.

Lactational amenorrhea in nursing mothers indicates high levels of prolactin. The appearance of regula when the baby is fully fed with breast milk after just a couple of months is a feature of the mother’s body, which is caused by the work of the pituitary gland, which regulates the secretion of the hormone.

Artificial feeding

If the baby is fed an adapted milk formula, regulation can begin immediately after lochia, when the injured area on the uterine tissue heals. For some mothers, the first menstruation occurs just 6 weeks after the birth of the baby, in other cases the delay is 10-15 weeks.

The first menstruation is quite scanty. The appearance of copious bright red discharge may indicate uterine bleeding.

Mixed type

When a baby is mixed-fed, menstrual flow usually appears 3-12 months after birth. The sooner a mother stops night feedings, the sooner she will get her period.

Breastfeeding at night is important because this is when prolactin production occurs at its peak. Increasing the frequency of formula feeding also affects the hormone - its amount gradually decreases. The restoration of the cycle with a mixed type of feeding occurs quite a long time, after the appearance of the first menstruation, the second can occur only after 2-3 months.

Features of postpartum menstruation

At first, women who give birth have irregular periods. It will take time for the menstrual cycle to return.

The duration of menstruation in a physiologically healthy woman ranges from 3 to 7 days. The normal volume of blood released is considered to be 50-150 ml.

After childbirth, mothers often experience changes in their menstrual cycle. If previously it was no more than 21-30 days, now its indicator is 25 days. Women in labor note that during labor they become more irritable and whiny. Sometimes migraines, nausea and increased appetite appear. All these symptoms indicate premenstrual syndrome. The resumption of regulation is influenced by the number of births, as well as the changes that the woman’s endocrine system undergoes.

After the birth of a child, many mothers note that menstruation is now less painful. This is due to better blood outflow due to the change in the position of the uterus.

There are also opposite situations - women in labor complain of pain during menstruation, which was not there before childbirth. Unpleasant sensations may pass after physical and psychological recovery of the body. If this does not happen, it is better for the mother to consult a gynecologist, since the cause may be inflammation in the pelvis, excessive contractions of the uterus or other pathology.

In what cases should you sound the alarm?

As a rule, a long delay in menstruation is associated with individual characteristics and the level of hormones in the body of the woman giving birth. However, the cause is also various complications and diseases of the genitourinary system.

If there is no menstruation after breastfeeding or the discharge is very scanty, this may indicate Sheehan syndrome. The disease develops after severe bleeding during childbirth, characterized by a drop in blood pressure. All this leads to the death of pituitary cells, and the latter, as is known, affect the woman’s reproductive system, in particular the maturation of eggs in the ovary.

Another problem with the absence of menstruation in women who have given birth is hyperprolactinemia. This pathology is a consequence high level prolactin even after a woman has stopped breastfeeding. The hormone prevents the egg from developing, while milk synthesis continues. The causes of the pathology are gynecological diseases and pituitary adenoma.

In addition, for the syndrome characteristic feature is the absence of lactation. The consequences of the disease are bad job adrenal glands and weakened immunity.

Consultation with a gynecologist is necessary if you have the following symptoms:

• pain in the uterine region;
• scarlet-colored bloody discharge began;
• menstruation occurs twice a month;
• duration of menstruation – less than 2 days;
• uncharacteristic smell of blood;
• spotting menstruation (appears as a result of the inflammatory process and endometriosis);
• a large amount of blood released;
• there is no bleeding for 180 days or more from the end of lactation;
• scanty periods 3 cycles in a row or more;
• the duration of the regulation is more than 8 days, they are accompanied by ailments;
• menstruation came and disappeared again;
• excessive uterine contractions;
• spotting appears irregularly, although six months have already passed since the resumption of menstruation (the problem may be ovarian pathology).

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Menstruation after childbirth - irregular cycle, delay, features

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One of the most important questions that women ask about their health after pregnancy and childbirth is the establishment of the menstrual cycle, because menstruation is perhaps the main indicator women's health.

After the birth of a child, against the background of renewal of processes occurring in general in a woman’s body, changes occur in her menstrual cycle.

Your periods may be delayed, irregular, or even disappear for a while. But you don't need to panic because this is all natural and normal. The speed of restoration and establishment of a woman’s menstrual cycle after childbirth depends on her physiological parameters, hormonal levels, the presence or absence of breastfeeding, stress, etc. In our article we will discuss menstruation after childbirth - irregular cycle, delay, features.

Features of menstruation after childbirth

As practice shows, the menstrual cycle after childbirth can become somewhat unpredictable and have a number of features. There is no specific time frame within which menstruation should begin after the birth of a child. The time of its onset is purely individual.

Many women note that for several months after giving birth they experience irregular menstrual cycles, and the periods themselves are sometimes very difficult. This is due to the fact that the female body needs some time to return to normal functioning.

Bloody discharge in healthy women should last no more than 3-7 days. Very short (a couple of days) or, conversely, too long menstruation, ending in bleeding, can indicate problems in the woman’s reproductive sphere - uterine tumors (fibroids), endometriosis (proliferation of endometrial tissue outside the uterus).

Volume matters too menstrual blood. Normally it is 50-150 ml. Too much or too little menstrual flow also indicates pathology. The length of your cycle after childbirth may change. If before the birth of a child a woman’s cycle was, for example, 20-30 days, then after childbirth this figure can average out and amount to 25 days.

Often, mothers who have recently given birth develop the so-called premenstrual syndrome, in which the woman becomes very irritable, tearful, sometimes experiences dizziness, insomnia, increased hunger and even bouts of nausea.

Some women note the appearance menstrual pain, which were not experienced before birth. These pains are usually caused by the body's unpreparedness for full recovery, psychological instability, inflammatory processes in the pelvis or strong contractions of the uterus. If during menstruation a woman constantly has to take painkillers and antispasmodics, she should definitely see a gynecologist.

Quite often the opposite situation occurs. After childbirth, women who previously suffered from severe pain during menstruation become painless. This is due to a change in the position of the uterus in the pelvis, which removes obstacles to the normal outflow of blood.

If a woman has any concerns about her period after childbirth, she should contact her gynecologist, but, as a rule, all the borderline conditions described above go away on their own within a few months.

Features of menstruation after childbirth while breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has a great influence on the menstrual cycle after childbirth. A woman’s body begins to function in previously unknown conditions. The pituitary gland sharply increases the production of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the secretion of breast milk and the lactation process.

It is because of the high content of prolactin that menstruation may be absent for a long time after childbirth. Nature, thus, takes care of the mother and baby and devotes all the body’s strength to feeding the child, suppressing ovarian function, blocking ovulation and thereby making it impossible for a new pregnancy to occur in an exhausted body.

A peculiarity of menstruation after childbirth with regular breastfeeding is that menstruation may not occur until breastfeeding is completed. The arrival of menstruation is delayed due to the fact that during breastfeeding the pituitary gland produces the hormone prolactin, which suppresses ovarian functions, for example, ovulation, which prevents the onset of a new pregnancy during breastfeeding. Prolactin can act as a cause of irregular menstrual cycle after childbirth.

Irregular menstrual cycle after childbirth

If a woman does not breastfeed her baby, then her first period after giving birth comes in about 2-3 months. In mothers whose children are mixed-fed, i.e. lactation is present, but not on demand; menstruation begins on average after 4-5 months.

The method of delivery does not affect the time of arrival of the first menstruation and the establishment of the menstrual cycle. True, in women who have suffered postpartum complications in the form of bleeding, sepsis, endometritis, etc., menstruation may come a little later than due, since these processes inhibit the restoration of the uterus due to damage from inflammation.

Irregular menstrual cycles after childbirth are quite common. Often after the birth of a child, menstruation becomes irregular: periods sometimes come, sometimes they don’t come, sometimes they are delayed for several days, sometimes they begin earlier than before.

The cycle can be established up to 4-6 months, but if after this period the interval between the arrival of menstruation varies by more than 5 days, this is a reason to consult a doctor for advice. Resumption of regular menstruation after childbirth is a sign that female body She has completely restored her reproductive function and is ready for a new pregnancy.

Delayed menstruation after childbirth

As mentioned earlier, the restoration of menstruation after childbirth is influenced by many factors, including:

• the general condition of the mother’s body;
• her psychological state;
• the presence or absence of a proper sleep and rest regime;
• stressful situations;
• nutrition;
• complications received during childbirth.

On average, the restoration of the menstrual cycle after the birth of a child occurs 2-3 months after the end of spotting (lochia). If after this time a woman’s menstruation has not begun, she begins to worry about the delay and possible pregnancy.

Sometimes it happens that menstruation has already begun after childbirth, menstruation was regular for some period of time, and then problems began. This is a typical situation when breastfeeding a baby. But if cycle disruptions continue after cessation of lactation, you should consult a doctor, since such delays in menstruation after childbirth may be a sign of a number of diseases.

A prolonged delay in menstruation after childbirth can be caused by the following reasons:

• insufficient production of the hormone estrogen, which is caused by hormonal imbalance in organism;
• the presence of cystic changes in the ovaries;
• past infectious disease;
• general weakening of the body of a nursing mother associated with chronic lack of sleep or stress;
• inflammatory processes occurring in the genitals;
  the presence of a tumor in the uterus or ovaries;
• new pregnancy;
• Sheehan's syndrome or pituitary apoplexy.

First of all, when determining the reasons for the delay in menstruation after childbirth, it is necessary to exclude a second pregnancy. After all, a woman can easily conceive a child again before the first menstruation appears after pregnancy, since menstruation comes almost 2 weeks after ovulation, which is quite enough for fertilization.

If the pregnancy test is negative, and the gynecologist did not reveal any pathologies during examination, tests and ultrasound, the woman should contact an endocrinologist, since a long delay in menstruation after childbirth can be a symptom of the development of Sheehan syndrome, when pathological changes occur in the pituitary gland, causing disruption of hormone production prolactin. This syndrome can be triggered by heavy bleeding during childbirth or other postpartum complications.

For a speedy recovery, women after childbirth are advised to carefully monitor their health, take vitamins, do light exercises, devote sufficient time to rest, walks in the fresh air and sleep, and also eat well. A daily routine and rational activity will be the key to quickly getting into shape, establishing the cyclic and hormonal process and regularity of menstruation.

Remember that a long delay in menstruation after childbirth or cycle failure are not always dangerous, but in any case it is not advisable to self-medicate. For any questions or problems arising with the reproductive system, seek advice from specialists.

A regular cycle is one of the signs of women's health. But, after the birth of a child, the body needs time to restore functions. The frequency of menstruation during this period is different, and differs from systematic discharge before conception. A delay in menstruation after childbirth does not always mean a new pregnancy; often this is a variant of the norm. Sometimes the absence of menstruation occurs as a result of pathology in the body of a young mother.

Possible reasons

The first spotting from the vagina appears immediately after childbirth and lasts up to 4-8 weeks. Lochia, the second name for bleeding, is the result of the process of regeneration of the uterus after rejection of the placenta.

Following the end of the cleansing, a period of absence of menstruation begins, the duration of which varies for all women. Sometimes inexperienced mothers mistake lochia for the first menstruation, and when the bleeding stops and new bleeding does not begin, they are sure that they have a delay after childbirth.

Can there be a delay in menstruation after childbirth? Yes, for a complete resumption of the cycle, stabilization of hormonal levels is necessary. On average, this takes about 3 months from the moment of the first menstruation. During this period, discharge is irregular and varies in intensity.

Often, a situation where after childbirth you already had your period, and then there was a delay, occurs as a result of a new pregnancy. It is naive to believe that the absence of ovulation, regular discharge and breastfeeding guarantees contraceptive effect. If the test is negative, but there is no period, a number of reasons contribute to this.

Why there is a delay in menstruation after childbirth:

• gynecological diseases - tumors, uterine and ovarian cysts, endometriosis, inflammation, etc.;
• disturbed hormonal levels - hyperprolactinemia, increased level prolactin not associated with lactation;
• Sheehan syndrome, the second name for postpartum hypopituitarism, develops as a result of serious complications during childbirth and the recovery period;
• psychological factors - stress, lack of proper sleep.

The reasons for delayed menstruation in most cases still fit into the normal range. We are talking about both the time of the first appearance of discharge after childbirth, and the second menstruation, and the duration of the cycle as a whole.

Lactation and cycle

The course of pregnancy and childbirth does not affect the speed of the appearance of the first menstruation, but breastfeeding has a direct bearing on this. The hormone prolactin, released during lactation, suppresses ovulation and, consequently, the appearance of regular bleeding.

According to La Leche League International, in lactating women, in most cases, the cycle resumes 8-9 months after the birth of the child. At the same time, there is no talk of stopping lactation. Sometimes a delay in menstruation after childbirth during breastfeeding lasts more than a year or the entire period while active production of prolactin occurs.

But menstruation can occur at any stage of lactation; this is also a variant of the norm. This happens if a woman feeds on a schedule, nighttime feedings have disappeared, or when milk is no longer the only food for the baby and complementary foods are introduced.

At first, the cycle during lactation is extremely unstable, the breaks between discharges are often uneven. The delay after the first menstruation can be up to two to three weeks, sometimes they appear every 20 days, less often once every 2 months.

The intensity of menstrual bleeding also changes. If before pregnancy the discharge was scanty, then after the birth of the child it becomes abundant, and vice versa. After childbirth, the uterus takes on a physiological position, which is why pain during menstruation, which was inherent earlier, disappears.

The regularity and nature of the discharge stabilizes within 2-4, less often within 6 cycles after the first menstruation. To exclude pathologies in the absence of systematic discharge, it is better to consult a doctor.

A mother with irregular periods, whose child is on IV, needs to be checked by a gynecologist. With artificial feeding, a cycle that does not recover for a long time signals developing diseases in the woman’s body.

Pathological terms

The time limits for the onset of menstruation after the birth of a child are wide. But still, a long delay that does not fit into the accepted framework. This indicates the possible development of a pathological process in the mother’s body.

How long can a period be delayed after childbirth? In women who do not breastfeed, menstruation begins 3 months after the birth of the child, sometimes immediately after the end of lochia. In lactating mothers, the delay in the cycle after childbirth is longer and depends on the frequency of putting the baby to the breast and the time of introduction of complementary foods.

After breastfeeding ends, discharge usually appears after 4-6 weeks. If this does not happen, it is recommended to check the level of prolactin in the blood. Elevated levels of the hormone indicate developing hyperprolactinemia.

Sometimes the time for the resumption of regular bleeding in non-breastfeeding mothers also shifts upward and is not a deviation from the norm. But, if 5 months or more have passed after birth, and the baby is not breastfeeding, you should contact an antenatal clinic.

A delay in the second period after childbirth for more than two to three weeks with a negative test is not a reason to consult a doctor only if you are lactation. The average cycle length range for a non-breastfeeding mother is from 20-21 to 30-35 days.

You should not postpone a visit to the gynecologist when your period is 3 months late; by this time the cycle is restored in most cases. The dynamics of the duration of discharge as a whole is important. If the third period after childbirth is delayed more than the second, then it may be caused by inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs.

Condition correction

Even healthy women have problems with their body. Therefore, if there is a delay in discharge for 2 weeks, perhaps this is only the result of stress, for example, a child’s illness. But you cannot confirm or refute this on your own.

A long first delay in discharge, that is, when menstruation does not begin for a long time, is sometimes associated with a hormonal imbalance. Prolactin is produced by the pituitary gland, and disruptions in its functioning affect the stability of the functions of the woman’s genital organs. In addition to determining the level of the hormone prolactin, other tests are also needed, in particular thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).

Hyperprolactinemia is characterized not only by the absence of menstruation, but also by a decrease in their number and shortened duration. The situation that requires attention is when your period comes after childbirth, and now it’s delayed again. The condition of HRT is corrected with estrogen-containing drugs.

A difficult postpartum period, namely heavy bleeding, sepsis, and peritonitis subsequently contribute to the development of Sheehan syndrome. The enlarged pituitary gland suffers from a lack of blood, and its cells begin to die. But, in addition to menstruation, such women in labor also have no lactation, or suddenly stop at early stages. Therapy is aimed at replacing missing hormones.

The described pathologies are treated and diagnosed exclusively by a doctor. Fortunately, they are rare, but delayed menstruation associated with endometriosis, cysts and other gynecological problems is a common occurrence. Following the rules of hygiene after childbirth and regular monitoring by a doctor plays an important role.

Timely seeking medical help is the key to successful treatment of any disease. Therefore, if you have the slightest doubt about the regularity of your cycle, it is better to consult a doctor and calm down.