What are the rules for menstruation during breastfeeding?

As we all know, once a woman successfully becomes pregnant, her menstruation will stop. Then, during the entire pregnancy period, the woman will not have menstruation. This is caused by hormonal changes in the body. After a woman gives birth, there will be a lactation period. The length of breastfeeding time for each mother is different. Under normal circumstances, it is difficult to have menstruation during lactation, but if the breastfeeding time is longer, menstruation will occur during breastfeeding. This is also a very normal phenomenon. Women do not need to worry too much, but after all, they still have to breastfeed their babies, so there are many precautions when menstruating. The following is a detailed introduction to this knowledge, and young women should learn more about it.

First, what are the characteristics of menstruation during lactation?

The menstruation of new mothers during lactation may be different from that of normal menstruation in some aspects, but generally speaking, these differences are normal and new mothers do not need to worry about it. The main characteristics of menstruation during lactation are as follows:

The menstruation of new mothers during breastfeeding may be different from normal menstruation in some aspects

1. The first menstrual flow is heavy. Most new mothers have a heavier than usual menstrual flow the first time, but the second menstrual period becomes normal, so no treatment is needed.

2. Postpartum lochia is not menstruation. Normally, after giving birth, a woman will have bloody discharge from the birth canal, similar to menstruation. This bleeding from the placenta implantation site, mixed with secretions such as the decidua, tissue fragments, and mucus remaining in the uterus, is called lochia. Under normal circumstances, in the first 4-5 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. There is a phenomenon worth noting: the first menstrual-like vaginal bleeding after childbirth is regarded by many mothers as menstruation. In fact, through basal body temperature measurement, 60% of them are anovulatory. Strictly speaking, it is anovulatory menstruation, which cannot be regarded as real menstruation.

3. Irregular menstrual cycle. Generally speaking, irregular menstruation during breastfeeding is normal. This is caused by endocrine dysfunction. Most of them do not require treatment and will slowly recover over time. When you stop breastfeeding completely, it will slowly return to normal.

Second, is it normal to have menstruation during breastfeeding?

In fact, menstruation during breastfeeding is a very normal physiological phenomenon. There are obvious individual differences in the timing of menstruation after delivery. Some women may have menstruation after a full month if their menstruation resumes early, while others may not have menstruation resume until the baby is one year old. Generally speaking, mothers who do not breastfeed usually have their "old friend" 6-10 weeks after giving birth. The recovery time of menstruation for breastfeeding mothers is generally delayed, and some mothers do not have their menstruation at all during the breastfeeding period.

From a medical point of view, based on the tissue morphology of the endometrium, the ovaries may be able to ovulate as early as 33-42 days after delivery.

Research data show that 40% of non-breastfeeding mothers resume ovulation 6 weeks after delivery; by 8-12 weeks after delivery, only about 35% of mothers have not resumed ovulation and menstruation. About 25% of breastfeeding mothers will resume ovulation and menstruation 12 weeks after delivery, and most breastfeeding mothers usually take until 18 weeks to fully resume ovulation function.

However, it is sometimes difficult to clinically determine the exact time of the first menstrual period after delivery, and a small number of women will begin to have intermittent bleeding of small to moderate amounts immediately after delivery.

Third, can I still breastfeed during my menstrual period?

There is a folk saying that if menstruation comes during the breastfeeding period, breast milk will no longer be nutritious and may even be toxic to the baby, so the baby must be weaned. In fact, this statement is unscientific.

Under normal circumstances, the quality of breast milk is best from 11 days to 4 months after delivery. After menstruation, breast milk becomes more concentrated than usual, contains less fat and more protein. This type of breast milk is not harmful to the baby.

In order to avoid the concentration and composition change of breast milk, mothers can drink more boiled water, eat more fish, milk, poultry and vegetable soup during menstruation.

There is no need to wean the baby even if menstruation starts 4 months after delivery. If the milk supply is not enough, you can add supplementary foods such as milk and rice cereal. If the baby's menstruation comes 8 months after delivery, you can wean the baby, reduce the number of breastfeeding times each day, and increase the amount of complementary food.