How long does it take to get menstruation after caesarean section? What is the normal pattern?

After giving birth, mothers who have undergone cesarean section experience changes in their endocrine system. The uterus and ovaries cannot recover immediately and need a certain amount of time. Therefore, they experience amenorrhea after giving birth. The process of the uterus gradually recovering to a non-pregnant state after the embryo is delivered is called uterine repair, which mainly involves the contraction of uterine muscle tissue and reconstruction of the uterine wall. Once the uterus is repaired, menstruation will resume. So, how long does it take for menstruation to come after a cesarean section and what are the normal regularities?

1. Wrong concept about menstruation after cesarean section: Some people think that mothers who breastfeed after childbirth do not ovulate and do not have menstruation. This view is not entirely correct. Generally, the average time for new mothers to not ovulate after giving birth is 70 days, and about 40% of mothers’ first ovulation occurs before the menstrual period resumes.

For new mothers who breastfeed their babies, ovulation and menstruation will resume later, and some mothers may not have their period until a year later. For most people, the first menstrual flow is heavier than usual, and the second menstrual period is normal, so no treatment is needed.

2. How long does it take for a mother who has not breastfed to have normal menstruation after a cesarean section? From a medical point of view, based on the tissue shape of the uterine wall, the uterus and ovaries may ovulate as early as 33-42 days after giving birth. In addition, the presence of progesterone after ovulation can also be observed 6 weeks after giving birth. Therefore, if the new mother does not breastfeed, her menstrual period will usually come within 6-8 weeks after giving birth. Scientific research data show that 40% of pregnant women who do not breastfeed resume ovulation 6 weeks after giving birth; by 8-12 weeks after giving birth, only about 35% of pregnant women have not resumed ovulation and menstruation.

3. How long does it take for a breastfeeding mother to have normal menstruation after cesarean section: About 25% of breastfeeding pregnant women will resume ovulation and menstruation 12 weeks after giving birth, and most breastfeeding pregnant women generally take until 18 weeks to resume ovulation function. However, it is sometimes difficult to clinically determine the exact time of the first menstrual period after childbirth, and a very small number of pregnant women will begin to have light to moderate intermittent bleeding immediately after delivery.

4. The impact of menstruation on breastfeeding after cesarean section: When the menstruation starts, the amount of milk of a new mother will generally decrease to a certain extent, and the quality of the protein and fat contained in the breast milk will also change slightly, with a higher protein content and a slightly lower fat content. This type of milk sometimes causes indigestion in babies, but it is a temporary condition and will recover after the menstrual period. Therefore, new mothers do not need to stop breastfeeding whether they are in their menstrual period or after their menstrual period.