Is it normal to have irregular periods while breastfeeding?

Lactation is an important stage for women. During this period, women need to pay more attention to their physical health and diet. It is also common for women to have irregular menstruation during lactation. This is a normal phenomenon. Usually, lactation can easily affect the body's normal endocrine system and the regularity of menstruation, thus easily leading to irregular menstruation.

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.

Among non-breastfeeding mothers, 40% 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.

Characteristics of menstruation during lactation

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. Normally, in the first 4-5 days, the lochia is heavy and red. 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.

3. Irregular menstrual cycle. Generally speaking, irregular menstruation during breastfeeding is normal. This is caused by endocrine dysfunction. Most of the time, no treatment is required and the period will gradually recover over time. Once breastfeeding stops completely, the period will gradually return to normal.