How long does it take to get your period after giving birth?

After giving birth, whether the woman gave birth naturally or had a caesarean section, there will be a period of time without menstruation. Many people say that menstruation will gradually come after they stop breastfeeding. In fact, this is not the case. Mothers’ bodies need a long time to recover after giving birth. Let us find out how long it takes for menstruation to come after giving birth?

Postpartum lochia is not menstruation

Normally, after giving birth, a woman will have a menstrual-like bloody discharge from her birth canal. This bleeding from the placenta, mixed with the decidua, tissue fragments, and mucus remaining in the uterus, is called lochia.

Under normal circumstances, in the first 4 to 5 days, the lochia is abundant and red in color; one week after delivery, the amount of lochia gradually decreases and turns brown; after the 10th day, the color becomes lighter, slowly turning from yellow to white, and there is no special smell. Lochia usually disappears 4-6 weeks after delivery. But sometimes a small amount of brown lochia will continue until the first menstrual period after delivery.

Lochia generally does not exceed the amount of menstruation. If the bleeding lasts for more than two weeks, exceeds the menstrual volume or contains blood clots, or the vaginal discharge appears as rotten meat-like tissue or has a foul odor, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Common postpartum menstrual abnormalities

Common postpartum menstrual abnormalities include continuous vaginal bleeding and amenorrhea:

First case:

Since the first menstruation after childbirth is usually an anovulatory cycle or is caused by dysfunctional corpus luteum induction, and the ovaries are still not very sensitive to the stimulation of gonadal hormones at this time, various abnormal phenomena are common, such as the continuous dripping of postpartum lochia, occasional irregular and repeated small amounts of bleeding, or bleeding similar to menstruation during the confinement period.

If you are sure that you have not taken any food or medication that may inhibit uterine contractions, and that the examination before discharge from the hospital after delivery did not reveal any conditions that may cause postpartum bleeding, you can ask your doctor during the postpartum follow-up visit. If you experience frequent or heavy bleeding during and after the confinement period, it is recommended that you seek medical attention immediately and receive diagnosis and treatment from an obstetrician and gynecologist.

Second case:

Postpartum amenorrhea is mainly seen in Han's syndrome caused by long-term breastfeeding, postpartum hemorrhage and infection; in addition, excessive prolactin in the body can also inhibit ovulation and cause amenorrhea.

Because everyone's physical condition is different, there are many situations in which menstruation is delayed after giving birth. The above article explains how long it takes for menstruation to come after giving birth. It depends on the human body's physical condition and we need to regulate our body to make menstruation resume faster.