Pregnancy and childbirth are a period in a woman's life, accompanied by significant hormonal changes. This can not but affect the monthly, the regularity and duration of which directly depends on their level. Sometimes women claim that they have lost the cycle after giving birth. This causes anxiety and anxiety for one's health. Why do failures occur when after the birth it is already possible to assert that the cycle is broken? What to do in order to restore balance in the body?
Why aboutgo failures?
The functioning of the body, mood and well-being, including menstrual function, directly depend on the hormonal background at the moment of woman's life. How does it change?
Hyperprolactinemia
After giving birth, the body of every new mother is set up to produce milk to feed the born baby. For this, the hormone produced by the pituitary gland of the brain - prolactin. For its function it is often called "dairy".The development of prolactin inhibits the formation of other hormones, in particular follicle-stimulating( FSH, responsible for growth and formation of the dominant follicle) and luteinizing( LH, the correct functioning of the yellow body depends on it).
The amount of prolactin begins to rise in the woman's blood already at the end of pregnancy, in the third trimester. Clinically, this manifests itself in the appearance of droplets of colostrum( colorless liquid without a smell) when pressing on the areola. Further, the level of this hormone will directly depend on the intensity of the stimulation of the nipple and the sucking out of the milk. The more active this occurs, the more prolactin is produced. And vice versa. Therefore, if a woman does not put the baby to her breast in the first day, and also refuses to express the milk, the amount of it will soon decrease until the end of lactation, and soon after the puerperium, menstrual periods will come.
The peak of prolactin formation occurs early in the morning, therefore, in order to increase the formation of the hormone, it is important to have night feeding. The more often a woman feeds a baby at night, the probability of monthly and, consequently, ovulation, is lower.
Extra pounds as a result of excess estrogen
It also counts the excess weight that women acquire during pregnancy. And many after the birth "kinder" before the eyes. Fatty tissue is the source of estrogens in the body. The more of them, the higher the probability of a cycle violation.
Diseases associated with impairment of the pituitary
At the end of pregnancy and during labor, the body of a woman experiences maximum loads on all organ systems. Disturbance of blood supply to the pituitary gland can cause the death of its cells in whole or in part. Risk factors for such conditions are the following complications during labor and delivery:
- moderate and severe gestosis;
- massive blood loss in natural childbirth, as well as during caesarean section;
- development of DIC syndrome in this period.
As a result, a woman acquires postpartum hypopituitarism( Shihan syndrome) of varying severity, which depends on the percentage of necrosis of the pituitary gland. This disease is characterized by inadequate hormones regulating the ovaries and uterus, thyroid gland, metabolism in the body. Clinically, Shihan syndrome manifests itself in the absence of menstruation, weight loss, the appearance of edema throughout the body, lowering blood pressure, hypothyroidism occurs.
Treatment of Shihan's syndrome is one thing - taking all the necessary hormones for life: the thyroid gland, estrogens and some others to regulate metabolism.
Thyroid dysfunction
Stress and psycho-emotional overstrain
Mental overload after childbirth accompanies almost every woman. The lack of support from relatives during this period can aggravate the condition right up to a bright depression. All this affects the woman's menstrual function and leads to permanent failures.
Additional surgical interventions during caesarean section
Sometimes during cesarean section, the volume of the operation can be expanded according to the indications. If manipulation affects the ovary, it can lead to cycle failures afterwards. Such violations are temporary, go after a standard treatment regimen. But sometimes, ovarian exhaustion may occur. The risk group includes age-related first and multiple women, multiparty, as well as those who have previously performed operations on the ovary. Monthly for such girls can dramatically change their character after giving birth. As a rule, they become very scarce, and soon end at all.
When to wait for the recovery of the cycle
Restoration of menstrual function depends on whether the woman is breastfeeding the baby or not. The postpartum period lasts 6 to 8 weeks, and spotting after labor can last up to 42 days. And if in the early days they are plentiful and often with clots, then every day the number of lochies decreases, and after 20-30 days only yellowish insignificant discharge can be noted. That factor, whether there were operative or natural sorts or labors, for the period of approach of monthly does not influence.
If there is lactation
It is believed that during the whole period of breastfeeding, there should be no monthly periods, and the probability of pregnancy is reduced to zero. It's a delusion. Everything is very individual: somebody will not have menstruation all the time of lactation, and others will begin usual critical days already at the fifth week after childbirth with preserved breastfeeding.
The main factors that affect directly when the menstrual period starts, if the woman continues to breastfeed:
- Intensity of night feeding. The less often a woman breast-feeds, the earlier the periods begin.
- Is the lure introduced to the baby. As soon as the child is given additional food( supplemented with mixtures or kashki), the cycle begins to recover.
Thus, while a woman at least slightly feeds the baby, especially at night, the cycle may fluctuate. But it should fall within the range of acceptable values - from 21 to 35 days, and duration from 3 to 7 days. Normally, blood loss during critical days should be about 80-100 ml, but it is permissible up to 150 - 200 ml if no other pathology is detected and nothing disturbs the woman. Often the first two to three months of excretion can be more abundant, at this time you should use folk hemostatic methods( decoction of nettle, water pepper) and elementary preparations( etamzilate, vikasol, traneksam and others).
If there is no lactation
If a woman for some reason does not use breastfeeding since the baby's birth, the monthly ones can come in 4-5 weeks after the birth. And pregnancy can come after 1 - 2 months.
We recommend reading the article on the normal cycle of menstruation. From it you will learn about the duration and regularity of the natural menstrual cycle, the norms of blood loss, the causes of pain. What to do if the cycle does not return to normal
If within 6 months after the onset of menstruation has begun, the regularity of them has not recovered, you should consult a doctor, take a survey and find out if there is any pathology, and whether a cycleafter giving birth for this reason.
What other factors need to be adjusted to adjust the menstrual function?
- Complete breastfeeding. And if a long time from the nipples will be allocated droplets of milk, this indicates an even higher level of prolactin. Consequently, the cycle can be confused and therefore.
- While the woman's body weight will exceed the norm, there may be failures.
- In case of thyroid pathology, hormone administration should be started under the control of the assays.
- Shihan Syndrome requires lifelong hormone replacement therapy.
- When ovaries are exhausted, you should also start taking contraceptives containing sex hormones. The choice of the drug and the dose should be selected by the doctor.
- If the cause of malfunctions of the menstrual cycle lies in the psycho-emotional lability of a woman, you should consult a psychologist or psychiatrist who, if necessary, will recommend antidepressants, among others.
- Sufficient exercise and proper nutrition also have a positive effect on the menstrual cycle.
The malfunction of the menstrual cycle after childbirth can be both functional and pathological. If after the expiration of six months from the completion of lactation( or after childbirth, if there was no breastfeeding), the monthly ones have not recovered, it is necessary to pay attention to this alarming factor, to undergo a survey and to find out the cause of the violations in time.