Lactation and menstruation

Will you have menstruation during breastfeeding? When is it normal to have menstruation? Many mothers are very concerned about this topic. Many mothers have not had menstruation after giving birth, and some have not had menstruation for a year. So they are worried that there may be some problems and they are always uneasy. So let us learn about the relevant content about menstruation during breastfeeding, and hope it will be helpful to you.

The timing of menstruation during breastfeeding is not certain. Everyone has a different physique, and the recovery of the uterus after giving birth is also different, so the timing of menstruation is also different, and it is closely related to the length of the breastfeeding period. So if menstruation is delayed during breastfeeding, don’t worry too much. If it affects your mood, it will also affect the quality of milk. If you don’t have your period, you can go to the hospital to consult a doctor. The doctor will give the correct diagnosis based on your situation.

The onset of menstruation is related to whether or not the woman breastfeeds after childbirth, the length of breastfeeding, the age of the mother, and the ability of the ovarian function to recover. There are also great individual differences in the resumption of menstruation after childbirth. Some women may resume menstruation one year after delivery. Generally speaking, for mothers who are not breastfeeding, menstruation usually resumes 6-10 weeks after delivery, and ovulation resumes on average around 10 weeks after delivery. The menstrual cycle of breastfeeding women is delayed, and some women do not have menstruation during the postpartum period. On average, ovulation resumes 4-6 months after delivery.

Under normal circumstances, after the baby is born, the resumption of menstruation and the timing of ovulation will be affected by breastfeeding. Mothers who do not breastfeed usually welcome their "old friend" 6 to 10 weeks after giving birth. The recovery time of menstruation for breastfeeding mothers is generally delayed, and some mothers may not have menstruation at all during the breastfeeding period.

As for whether the lochia is unclean, you can use these to judge whether it is lochia.

1. Bloody lochia: It is bright red in color and contains more blood in larger amount, which is roughly similar to the normal menstrual flow, or slightly more than the menstrual flow, and sometimes contains blood clots. It is discharged within 1 to 4 days after delivery.

2. Serous lochia: light red in color, containing a small amount of blood, mucus and more vaginal secretions, accompanied by bacterial growth. It is discharged 4 to 6 days after delivery.

3. White lochia: It is white or light yellow, contains a large number of white blood cells, decidual cells, epidermal cells and bacteria, and has the same properties as leucorrhea, but there is more of it than usual. It is discharged one week after delivery.

Normal lochia has a bloody smell but no odor. The average total amount is about 500 to 1000 ml, but there may be as little as 250 ml. The time it takes to discharge lochia is usually 2 to 4 weeks for a normal delivery, and about a month for a cesarean section, and in some cases it may last 1 to 2 months. The different manifestations of lochia are the result of a gradual decrease in uterine bleeding. If the lochia is still leaking three months after delivery, it is called unclean lochia. The lochia may contain blood clots or have a foul odor, and is often accompanied by low back pain, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, and even fever, headache, joint pain, etc. The causes are mostly due to residual placenta and fetal membranes; infection of the endometrium, uterine muscles or pelvic cavity; submucosal or intramural tumors of the uterus; excessive retroversion or retroflexion of the uterus; excessive amniotic fluid and excessive placenta, which weaken the contraction of the uterine muscles and affect uterine involution; or postpartum uterine trophoblastic tumors.

I think everyone knows about menstruation during lactation. A person's body will undergo great changes after giving birth, and it will take careful care to return to its previous state. So don't be too anxious and avoid bad emotions that may affect your baby's milk.