Will menstruation affect breast milk?

New mothers who have just given birth have to shoulder the responsibility of breastfeeding their babies. During the breastfeeding process, they must pay attention to many aspects, especially diet. As the baby grows up, the mother's body slowly recovers, and then she will start menstruating. So does menstruation affect breastfeeding?

Will menstruation affect breast milk?

After ten months of pregnancy and the birth of the baby, your period, which you haven’t seen for a long time, will soon come knocking on your door. The time of resumption of menstruation may be early or late. Some women may have menstruation as early as one month after the baby is one year old, while others may not resume until the baby is one year old. Some mothers' "close relatives" come at an inopportune time. During the breastfeeding period, the resumption of menstruation will affect the quality of milk. But no matter when menstruation resumes, it is not a reason to wean.

According to outpatient statistics, it is very common for new mothers to have their first menstrual period during the first prenatal check-up 42 days after delivery, but many people will have a gap of two to three months or even longer before their next menstrual period after the menstruation resumes. It’s actually “breastfeeding” that’s causing the problem. For new mothers who do not breastfeed, their menstruation will generally resume within 6-10 weeks after delivery. However, for new mothers who breastfeed, the time of resumption of menstruation is extremely variable and may resume at any time within the 2nd to 18th month after delivery, with an average of 6-8 months. Some new mothers even do not have a menstruation during the breastfeeding period.

Generally speaking, breastfeeding will delay the onset of menstruation. The longer the breastfeeding period, the more times the nipple is sucked, or the larger the baby is, the stronger the sucking force of the nipple is, which is conducive to increasing the level of prolactin in plasma, which is most effective in inhibiting the resumption of menstruation. If breastfeeding is stopped early, the level of prolactin in plasma will decrease, the effect of inhibiting menstruation will decrease, and menstruation will resume quickly.

Breastfeeding precautions

1. Breastfeeding posture

Correct feeding posture is important for breastfeeding

When feeding the baby, the mother can completely relax herself, sit or lie in a comfortable position, and use pillows or quilts to support herself or the baby during breastfeeding. Let the baby be close to the mother, with his face facing the mother's breast and his nose facing the nipple, so that the baby can suck comfortably.

2. Pay attention to night feeding

Many mothers feel very tired during the confinement period. Coupled with the constant feeding and changing diapers for their babies during the day, they feel even more sleepy at night. New mothers must be careful when feeding their babies at night. If they feed while lying down, they must avoid blocking the baby's nostrils with their breasts.

3. Breastfeeding time

It is recommended that newborns be fed on demand, generally every 2 to 3 hours during the day. In the first 3 months after the baby is born, breastfeeding needs 8 to 10 times every 24 hours. Breastfeeding often helps a mother's body produce more milk and prevents her breasts from becoming too full.