One of the main signs of the recovery of the female body after childbirth is the acquisition of a regular menstrual cycle. And if at first new moms are more concerned with questions about caring for the baby, then after some time, the turn of thoughts about their own health comes. And most women are concerned not so much with the fact of the advent of critical days, but rather the unexpectedness of this event and the increased likelihood of getting pregnant again. In order not to get into a mess, it's better to know immediately when the first months after the birth begin.
Let's return to the origins. ..
The initial installation of our body, which is confirmed by many doctors, - complete recovery of the cycle after childbirth is completed by stopping the baby's breastfeeding. So it was laid by nature, and so it was when women supported breastfeeding for 2-3 years. And the feeding was carried out only on demand. Imagine, just a couple of decades ago, nursing mothers had a very carefree life in terms of menstruation.
The following situation is more relevant today:
- breast-feeding for up to six months or up to a year;
- abundance of baby food on store shelves;
- early introduction of complementary foods.
And along with this a lot of hormonal contraceptives, drug births and many other factors affecting the deviation of the endocrine system functioning of the woman from the norm. All this in combination leads to the impossibility of accurately determining, after how many months after the birth. Everything is very individual, nevertheless, the onset of menstruation, both in three months and in three years, is considered the norm.
Why is there no monthly period after childbirth?
As already mentioned, many mothers early introduce complementary foods, stopping the HS at the same time, and some for a number of reasons do not feed the baby at all. Critical days in such cases can begin even 1 month after the birth of the crumbs. However, most often this occurs after the end of the period of breastfeeding.
A number of factors affecting the recovery of menstruation after childbirth:
- day regimen;
- quality of rest;
- food intake;
- the age of the mother;
- presence of chronic diseases;
- complications during and after childbirth;
- psycho-emotional state;
- hormone therapy.
But the number of previous births has absolutely no effect on the cycle recovery process.
Influence of thoracic and artificial feeding on the cycle
The normalization of the menstrual cycle indicates the restoration of reproductive function, and hence the possibility of conception. The way of feeding plays here one of the main roles. Do you offer a baby's breast when he is hungry or according to the regime? And perhaps, you prefer artificial mixtures? This will all affect the resumption of the menstrual cycle.
1. When the monthly starts, if you are breastfeeding
With HS in the pituitary gland prolactin is produced - a hormone controlling the lactation process, as well as suppressing the function of the ovaries. Feeding on the regime provokes a violation of the production of prolactin, so critical days can come even after a couple of months. But when feeding at the first demand, the cycle, as a rule, is restored within a year.
But take into account that the slightest failure in the adjusted feeding scheme can lead to a decrease in the level of prolactin and, accordingly, to the restoration of the functioning of the ovaries.
2. When the monthly starts, if the baby is on artificial feeding
As for when the menstrual period begins after childbirth with IV, it can happen even earlier than you thought - after 1-2 months. Caesarean section and IV delay the arrival of the first menstruation quite insignificantly - by about 2.5 months. As you can see, the rate of recovery of the hormonal background is almost independent of the mode of delivery. With mixed feeding, the period increases to 3-4 months.
Sequence of recovery of the menstrual cycle
After delivery, the functioning of all organs and systems in the female body is gradually approaching the pre-pregnancy. Within 6-8 weeks there are many changes related to the endocrine, cardiovascular, nervous, genital system, as well as the work of the mammary glands.
To ensure a normal menstrual cycle, a process of involution( that is, a process of reverse development) of the uterus should occur. It consists in the following:
- the bottom of the uterus descends( the first 10-12 days);
- its dimensions decrease( lasts 6-8 weeks);
- the weight of the uterus decreases from 400 g to 50 g( the first 7 days);
- forms the internal zev( the first 10 days);
- closes the outer throat, it acquires a slot-like shape instead of cylindrical( lasts 3 weeks);
- endometrium is restored( 6-8 weeks).
The rate of involution depends on your overall health, age, pregnancy and the welfare of the childbirth, the way you feed, etc. Involution occurs more slowly if:
- is weakened;
- you have already given birth many times;
- the last birth was pathological;
- disturbed sleep and rest during the postpartum period.
Features of critical days after the birth of a baby
Monthly may be slightly different from the critical days that you had before the birth of the baby.
Answer the most popular questions of young mothers:
1. How much do they go?
The duration of menstruation remains the same. However, do not confuse with monthly physiological spotting after childbirth( lochia).The latter begin almost immediately after the birth of the crumbs and normally last no longer than 6-8 weeks. They have nothing to do with the menstrual cycle, because they are caused by damage to the endometrium of the uterus due to labor.
2. What will be the intensity of the discharge?
The nature of the monthly changes frequently. They can become both more abundant, and scarcer in comparison with discharge during menstruation before pregnancy.
3. Will the first months after birth be painful?
Many women note that with the birth of the firstborn, soreness has decreased, and their regularity has become more stable. However, quite often happens and vice versa. This is a mysterious female organism.
4. How fast is the cycle restored?
Usually the cycle is completely restored after 2-3 menstruation, but sometimes it happens immediately.
Possible complications of which it is important to know
1. There is no monthly after delivery.
Their absence in IV or after the termination of GV undoubtedly should be alarming. The reason for this can serve as various diseases of the reproductive system( tumors, endometriosis, inflammation of the ovaries, postpartum pathologies, etc.), and successful conception.
It is important to know that restoring the menstrual cycle does not mean the body is ready for a new pregnancy. It can adversely affect both the exhausted maternal body and the fetus. Ideally, the postpartum recovery period should be at least 2-3 years. If you do not take care of contraception in a timely manner, then the risk of becoming a mother of the puffs increases significantly. Remember, the opinion of some about breastfeeding as a means of contraception is a deep delusion.
2. Irregular periods after birth.
Postpartum recovery in each mommy takes place in its own way. Irregularity of the onset of the red days of the calendar can be caused by hormonal reorganization, which is established in 2-3 cycles. If the cycle still did not recover after the third menstruation, then, perhaps, it is about the presence of the same diseases as in their absence, or about hormonal disorders. Delay in this case may also be associated with a new pregnancy.
3. Abundant monthly with the appearance of the baby
The amount of excretions during menstruation is strictly individual. To determine whether a profuse menstruation is the norm or a deviation, you can compare them with those that were before pregnancy. In addition, the cause for concern should be critical days lasting longer than 7 days. Bright red bleeding within 10 days can even serve as a reason for hospitalization. Normal menstruation lasts from 3 to 7 days, and the volume of lost blood does not exceed 150 ml.
Useful tips for newly mums
1. Take a multivitamin plus a set of all the necessary micronutrients for nursing mothers, eat the most useful and varied. Your menu should include milk, cottage cheese, meat, fruit, vegetables. After the birth of the baby, the load on the nervous and endocrine system increases, which can affect the scarcity and soreness of the menstrual system. Therefore, in order to avoid malfunctioning of the ovaries, the intake of vitamins and a healthy, balanced meal are the number 1 rule in our list.
2. Learn how to properly organize your sleep and rest. Care for the newborn, of course, exhausts and takes a lot of time. Lack of sleep and the regular absence of a full night's sleep inevitably affects fatigue, general weakness, mood changes. This is reflected in menstrual function. Rest when the baby sleeps during the day, and if possible, sleep at night.
3. Take care of the treatment of chronic diseases of the endocrine system, if any. Diseases of the thyroid gland, diabetes mellitus, etc. can also have a negative effect on the cycle disorders. To avoid this, do not neglect the advice of a specialist.