Menstruation while breastfeeding cycle. How do periods go while breastfeeding?

Many young mothers are concerned about the question of what to do if they start menstruating breastfeeding and in what cases is this considered the norm. Nature is designed in such a way that each organism is individual, and there are women who live without menstruation for the entire period while they are breastfeeding, while others may experience menstruation much sooner. Menstruation and breastfeeding are related and dependent on each other.

What determines when the critical days come? Childbirth has passed, the functioning of all endocrine glands, as well as other organs, returns to its original state. The regeneration process generally lasts up to 8 weeks. The birth procedure has passed, and the next thing everyone is wondering is when your period starts. Immediately after childbirth and in the near future (several months to be exact), menstruation does not occur after cesarean section during breastfeeding, as with normal childbirth.

As a result of childbirth, a wound remains on the walls of the uterus, and after the placenta is separated, it bleeds for many. Women are often confused, but this is not menstruation, but another discharge called lochia. As a rule, lochia is bloody in color at first, but over time it turns yellow or even white. Gradually their number becomes smaller, but they can last for months.

Statistics show that mainly when breastfeeding a baby, the first menstruation after childbirth appears approximately 8-9 months later.

Regeneration time menstrual cycle Each girl has her own characteristics and entirely depends on her hormonal levels. Most people do not have periods during lactation. This happens due to the action of the hormone prolactin, which prevents the egg from maturing, so ovulation does not occur. People call these hormones “milk hormones.” Prolactin suppresses the development of another hormone, progesterone, which is responsible for the maturation of the egg and its readiness for fertilization. If such a hormone is not produced, the egg does not mature and menstruation does not occur. This phenomenon is known to many as replacement, and in medicine it is called lactational amenorrhea.

Regeneration after childbirth is a very individual process, and everything can resume by the year of the baby’s life. Statistics show that mainly when breastfeeding a baby, the first menstruation after childbirth appears approximately 8-9 months later. When using mixed feeding - after 3-6 months. For most women, this process coincides with the cessation of breastfeeding.

Reasons for the appearance of menstruation during lactation

Since menstruation generally does not occur in the near future after childbirth, girls are interested in the question of whether menstruation can begin while breastfeeding. The answer can be given with complete confidence: they can. There are a number of factors to blame for this. Why is this happening? First of all, this is facilitated by various kinds of changes in the body, for example, if a woman stopped breastfeeding her child altogether, began to do so less often than usual, or began to feed him with artificial formula.

The main reason for menstruation after childbirth is mixed feeding of the baby.

It is mixed feeding that is determined by experts to be the main factor due to which menstruation appears during breastfeeding. The fact is that the level of prolactin in the blood drops, after which ovulation occurs again. Some mothers choose to schedule their babies' feedings, and those who don't may experience menstruation due to infrequent breastfeeding.

If you have various types of health problems, your period may appear during breastfeeding. However, this situation is not a reason to panic. The cause may be a weakened immune system or taking medications, especially hormonal ones.

In addition, it is possible that breastfeeding was successfully established, the body has recovered from the stress of childbirth and is in the process of recovery. To summarize the above, we can identify a number of main circumstances that determine how quickly menstruation begins during feeding: how often the baby is latched to the breast, whether he drinks from a bottle, how long he sleeps at night and what is the reaction to hormonal influences.

Time after childbirth

The first few periods after childbirth, including those that began during the lactation period, do not occur regularly. It takes several months for the cycle to normalize. What to do in this case? If such failures are observed for more than 3 months, this is a clear reason to seek help from a gynecologist. This is possible due to inflammatory processes, hormonal disorders or repeat pregnancy.

Among other things, the duration of menstruation may change - become longer or shorter. In addition to the duration of the period, the very nature of critical days may also change. For example, they may no longer be painful if the girl had a curvature of the uterus before pregnancy, because after childbirth this is eliminated. If the situation has changed for the worse, and after giving birth, menstruation becomes painful, then this is an indicator that there is a need to consult a doctor.

Thus, lactation and menstruation are inextricably linked, and the regeneration process directly depends on how the birth went and the general state of health of the nursing mother. In addition to internal factors, you need to pay attention to a number of external circumstances, such as daily routine and rest, proper nutrition, psychological state, as well as the presence of chronic diseases and various complications after childbirth.

If you don't get your period after giving birth, this is not an indication that the woman cannot get pregnant again now. A mature egg leaves the ovaries 2 weeks before bleeding, and there is a chance that conception will occur a few days before or after ovulation. However, if menstruation has begun, such a symptom is not yet a sign that the body is ready to bear a child again. A woman needs 1-2 years to fully recover, so during this time it is necessary to use contraception, and unprotected sexual intercourse can lead to infection in the uterus.

At the same time, menstruation during breastfeeding requires particularly careful hygiene. It is necessary to take into account that personal hygiene products must be changed every 3-4 hours. To prevent menstruation during the lactation period from causing unnecessary inconvenience, frequent washing should be done. During this period, it is better to replace intimate gels with baby soap.

The effect of menstruation on lactation

When ovulation comes ahead of schedule, critical days begin, many mothers get scared and wonder whether it is possible to breastfeed during menstruation. Can. There is no need to be nervous and panic, but just continue to breastfeed calmly. Children often feel the psychological mood of their mother, so when they are constantly worried, they do not want to take the breast.

Do menstruation affect milk, its taste and quality characteristics, quantity and what could be the consequences of this? Of course, certain changes can happen. For example, some people notice changes in the amount of milk during menstruation during lactation. But normally these changes do not last long, and a few days after menstruation during lactation everything returns to its normal state. It is precisely because the milk flows more slowly that the child may exhibit more restless behavior.

There is an opinion that if you continue breastfeeding during menstruation, the taste and smell of milk changes. There is no direct evidence of this fact, but scientists admit that such changes depend on the physiology of the mother. The fact is that there are a large number of sweat glands on the chest, and for some, when menstruation arrives, sweat begins to be released more actively. This can cause an unpleasant odor and changes in the taste of milk, but more frequent showers can easily solve this problem.

Therefore, menstruation during breastfeeding is a manifestation of the norm and does not entail anything terrible, so there is no need to stop feeding the baby breast milk. Do not listen to anyone who says that this can harm the baby. Dangerous substances will not be able to enter his body with breast milk. It has been proven that menstruation during lactation does not affect the composition of mother's milk in any way.

Having periods while breastfeeding is normal.

Not so often, breastfeeding women notice that early menstruation does not affect breastfeeding, but the condition of the woman herself. For example, fatigue sets in faster during menstruation when breastfeeding, but this feeling usually goes away after a couple of days. In addition, the breasts sometimes swell, and the nipples become very sensitive and can react painfully to the baby's sucking and even touching, which is caused by ovulation. Soon such signs disappear.

Cycle recovery

If you feed your baby exclusively with breast milk, then periods after childbirth during breastfeeding most often appear after the end of lactation. It is normal if the first menstruation occurs towards the end of the baby's first year of life. Most often, experts recommend introducing complementary foods from six months, even before the end of the lactation period. Thus, as a result of the introduction of mixed nutrition, this time can act as the beginning of menstrual flow. So, the cycle is restored by approximately 4 months of the child.

The same thing happens in cases where the baby eats only breast milk, but the breaks between meals are more than 3 hours. A similar situation occurs during the absence of night feedings, and also if the mother feeds the baby not according to a schedule, but according to need. In such cases, ovulation occurs earlier. There are cases when, for one reason or another, breastfeeding does not work out at all, and the child immediately switches to artificial nutrition.

Full recovery may require considerable time until the body finally comes to its senses. Menstruation after breastfeeding usually begins after 1.5-2 months and becomes regular after 2-3 cycles. A significant positive point is that after childbirth there is practically no menstrual pain, and periods become more regular than they were before the conception procedure. The following factors can affect and slow down recovery: weakness of the body, if a woman gave birth for the first time after 30 years or has already given birth many times, if the birth took place with complications, as well as if the rules and regime of the postpartum period are violated.

After childbirth, a woman’s load on the endocrine and nervous system increases. Menstruation during lactation requires large amounts of vitamins, minerals and beneficial microelements. In addition, caring for a newborn takes a lot of effort and time, so if possible, you need to adjust your diet so that you have time to rest. This affects when the recovery process begins. Due to the fact that all organisms are different, it is difficult to say how long you will have to wait in each case, but restoration of menstrual function is one of the determining factors in a woman’s future health.

Delayed menstruation after the end of the lactation period

Menstruation after breastfeeding begins in different ways, but most often 1.5-2 months after the end of lactation. If menstruation does not start, this does not necessarily mean that there are some problems in the body. But just in case, you should visit a gynecologist.

Sometimes such a delay may indicate that the woman needs more time for rehabilitation and the body has not yet recovered. Sometimes a delay in menstruation during or after breastfeeding indicates hormonal imbalances, various inflammatory diseases, tumors, or a new pregnancy. It is worth remembering that the absence of menstruation during breastfeeding does not guarantee that a woman will not become pregnant again.

After childbirth, disturbances in the functioning of the ovaries may begin, which is associated with failures in the regulation of the production of pituitary hormones. In this case, a change in hormonal levels begins, the development of eggs is disrupted and, as a result, critical days may not come on time, and later change to bleeding.

Each body is individual, so menstruation should not occur at a certain moment for everyone, it is necessary different time for restoration. But a long period of time without menstruation should be a cause for concern in any case. Every mother should understand that her well-being is the key to the health of her baby.

Cases when you need to see a doctor

It is advisable to see a gynecologist whenever your period comes after childbirth. This is necessary to make sure that the regeneration process is proceeding normally, without any disturbances. But there are a number of signs, when they appear, you simply need to go to a specialist. Let's look at the most common of them:

The occurrence of bleeding after the end of lochia. The onset of bruising sometimes indicates the presence of remnants of the placenta or membranes in the uterus.
Menstruation during breastfeeding is very heavy. This happens in a variety of diseases: endometriosis, adenomyosis, hyperplasia and hormonal disorders.
Absence of critical days for a long time after cessation of lactation. Most often, this phenomenon is associated with increased levels of prolactin in the blood. A similar situation occurs with excessive lengthening of the cycle or the appearance of discharge in very small volumes.
If your periods are not regular after a few months, your body most likely has a disruption in the production of hormones.
Pain in the area of the uterus when menstruation arrives.
A sharp, uncharacteristic odor of discharge.
Clots in the regula and a bright red color when you have your period while breastfeeding.

After the first menstruation, a nursing mother should undergo a preventive examination by a doctor, regardless of the time of their onset.

It must be taken into account that the condition of a nursing mother affects the reproductive system and directly affects its regeneration after childbirth. Regardless of whether you have your period, you need to take care of your health, take vitamins, do gymnastic exercises and pay due attention to rest and sleep. A balanced diet and an established regimen promote regeneration, ensure cyclic hormonal functioning, and stable periods during breastfeeding.

So, there is no reason to doubt whether breastfeeding during menstruation is possible, and that it does not cause any harm to the baby. At the same time, it has been proven that breastfeeding and menstruation are inextricably linked and affect the overall well-being and health of a woman. Under any circumstances, periods during breastfeeding are considered normal.

In this article:

Behind the maternity hospital, yesterday's bride is mastering the profession of a mother, experiencing new, unusual sensations. The postpartum period is over - you can relax. Anxiety appears in anticipation of the first “critical days” after childbirth. Is it appropriate to have periods while breastfeeding? How will this affect a nursing baby? Maybe I should switch to formula milk?

Is menstruation during breastfeeding a deviation or the norm?

Once upon a time, the resumption of menstruation after childbirth was considered an anomaly: women breastfed their babies for a long time, this helped the mother’s body to rest and gain strength for the next pregnancy.

The modern world works differently. Women gained freedom of choice, the right to work, and earnings comparable to men's. The absence of menstruation during lactation is now considered the norm, especially for mothers who adhere to an “on demand” feeding regimen.

However, in conditions where young mothers are increasingly interrupting maternity leave By using formula milk, menstruation can begin earlier, and if breastfeeding is completely abandoned, the menstrual cycle is restored 10-12 weeks after birth.

Mothers who decide to choose raising children over a career may also from time to time have doubts about the early onset or long absence of “critical days.”

“I gave birth three months ago, I’m breastfeeding, but my period has already started. This is fine?" – young mothers ask on forums and in doctors’ offices.

The onset of menstruation 3-4 months after childbirth or earlier is possible for several reasons:

Complete refusal of night feeding, irregular regimen.
Not putting the baby to the breast often enough.
Mixed feeding.
In some cases, the postpartum period progresses quickly due to the individual characteristics of the body.

“No period. Can I get pregnant? - another popular question.

Breastfeeding is a powerful regulator of the production of prolactin, a hormone that stimulates lactation and inhibits ovulation. The more often a mother puts her baby to her breast, the more prolactin she has, which means the lower the risk of unwanted pregnancy. If the intensity of breastfeeding decreases, you should take care of contraception.

“Six months later I started complementary feeding. Why did I get my period right away?”

Restoration of reproductive functions with the start of complementary feeding is natural. The less often the baby sucks from the mother's breast, the less obstacles there are to the formation of eggs.

“Why are my cycles irregular during breastfeeding?”

The consistency of menstrual cycles and the nature of their course are affected by changes in the feeding regime, as a result of which menstruation may occur with heavy discharge or stop altogether. If, after reducing the number of breastfeedings, the mother subsequently, for some reason, begins to breastfeed more often, temporarily stopping complementary feeding, prolactin again begins to be produced in larger quantities, blocking ovulation.

“I stopped breastfeeding after 1.5 years, no periods. What is wrong with me?"

Delaying the onset of menstruation even after complete cessation of lactation is not a pathology.
Menstrual cycles are not always restored immediately with the last drop of milk. It takes time to rebuild the female body, which is accustomed to blocking reproductive functions, especially after breastfeeding for one and a half to two years.

“The child has loose stools. Is it true that this is related to my menstruation?

If everything is in order with the tidiness of the house and the sterility of baby bottles, loose stools may be caused by improper nutrition of the mother herself. Any low quality

a product that ends up on the dinner table immediately affects the baby’s health. Loose stool in a baby has nothing to do with menstruation.

In general, in Lately The Internet is flooded with myths about the inferiority of breast milk during menstruation. Having read pseudo-medical recommendations, frightened young mothers wean their child off the breast too early, depriving them of the most natural and powerful protection.

Feeding and menstruation: debunking myths

Myth No. 1. The amount of milk decreases - it’s time to start feeding.

If the baby is not yet 4-6 months old, he is healthy, he has normal weight,

good appetite, then a decrease in the amount of milk with the onset of a mother’s period is not a reason to start complementary feeding. With the use of preventive measures, normal lactation will be restored in 2-3 days.

It is quite possible that this decrease is imaginary, and the resumption of menstruation coincided with the onset of a lactation crisis: the baby’s needs have increased, and the mother’s body is not yet ready to produce more milk. The problem is temporary, and there is no need to solve it with mixtures.

What measures can help a mother stimulate milk flow?

Put the baby to the breast more often.
Increase the duration of night feedings.
Drink more warm water, take medications for lactation (apilak, laktovit).

Myth No. 2. A child refuses to breastfeed because the milk changes taste and smell.

Neither the taste nor the smell of milk are menstrual

influence. A baby may become restless and spit out breasts for other reasons:

The mother's nervousness and emotional instability in the presence of premenstrual syndrome are transmitted to the baby.
Perhaps mother’s breasts become “tasteless” and unfamiliar smells scare them away.
Changes in hormonal levels during menstruation can increase sweating, the work of the endocrine glands, and the sebaceous glands. There will be no problems if you carefully observe personal hygiene and wash your breasts at every feeding.

Myth No. 3. You can’t breastfeed on “these” days: hormones get into the milk.

Hormones are necessary for the normal development of a child; they are present in the body of a pregnant woman, in the placenta, and are always present in human milk. “Critical days” do not increase or decrease the amount of hormones and do not change the composition of milk in any way.

It is reckless to believe everything that is said and written. Generally accepted norms are nothing more than a guideline. “Women’s affairs” went wrong during lactation or lingered after its cessation - attribute this event to the individuality of the body.

If a woman is breastfeeding, the baby is healthy, calm, there is enough milk, and her period has already begun, then she is ready to become a mother again.

The birth of a desired child is a great happiness and many reasons for concern. Some of them are associated with features occurring in the mother's body. But most questions arise when it comes to the health and safety of the child. Menstruation while breastfeeding is a concern for new mothers due to both issues.

With the arrival of the baby in female body changes occur aimed at meeting the vital needs of the newborn. One of them is breast milk, the production of which is controlled by the hormone prolactin. Thanks to its active existence, the baby is fed, protected from infections and feels safe. Prolactin interferes with the work of others responsible for the ripening of a new egg. Thus, nature provides a woman with a break, preventing her from becoming pregnant for a short time. This is a short period, since menstruation during lactation can come quite quickly.

Most women produce milk almost immediately after giving birth. Then they begin. Don't take them for granted, it's not her yet. So after childbirth, the uterine mucosa heals in the area where the placenta is attached. The discharge is called lochia and its color gradually changes to lighter, then transparent. They last up to 2 months.

Timing of the onset of menstruation during breastfeeding

The more active prolactin is, the more milk a woman produces. This means that she will feed the baby often. That is, the level of prolactin will remain quite high for a long time, but will be suppressed. Then, when breastfeeding, your period may be delayed by several months, or even up to a year.

If there is insufficient milk, the baby is fed with formula. In such cases, menstruation during lactation can begin as early as 60 days after birth. After all, then prolactin is not enough to prevent the maturation of the egg, which is accompanied by regular bleeding.

Does menstruation affect the quality of milk?

This question weighs heavily on inexperienced mothers who have heard plenty of other people’s stories. They believe that if menstruation begins while breastfeeding, then the milk acquires a different taste and loses its beneficial features. And some, not wanting to “harm” the baby, try to stop breastfeeding, thereby depriving them of protection from the aggressive outside world, weakening the immune system. In fact, milk remains the same, its quality depends completely on other things, and not on menstruation. If a child is capricious these days and doesn’t eat well, most likely his mother’s anxiety has been passed on to him. It has been proven that newborns are very sensitive to her mood and acutely perceive everything that happens to the most important person in their life. And women during menstruation often.

Added to everything is fatigue and concern for the baby. In this aspect, breastfeeding and menstruation are related only in this way. And young mothers should not “wind up” themselves. It is worth continuing to feed the baby as usual.

The only real reason for a woman’s anxiety these days is the increased sensitivity of the nipples, reaching the point of pain. You can reduce discomfort by applying a napkin moistened with warm water to them before feeding.

Breast hygiene is important. All expectant mothers are taught this, but this nuance is especially important during menstruation. Menstruation during feeding is combined with increased work of the sweat glands. This makes the mother's smell not entirely familiar to the child and becomes another reason for his poor appetite these days.

What are periods like during lactation?

Menstruation during breastfeeding should ideally be the same as before conception. But more often they become more painful, especially on their first day. And immediately after the birth of a newborn, it is even more abundant than usual. The peculiarity is caused by the fact that the uterus during this period of time has not yet acquired its normal size, and does not remain enlarged for long. If a woman uses contraception, she should all the more expect heavy menstruation. In addition, due to the action of prolactin in the body and continued breastfeeding, menstruation will not be as regular as in non-breastfeeding women. If the baby receives breast milk every 3 hours or more, a delay is possible even if the first menstrual discharge after birth has already arrived.

What to do if they are gone for a long time

In women who breastfeed frequently, periods during breastfeeding may be absent for up to a year. There is no pathology or contradiction in this, therefore, there is no need to specifically call them out. But most mothers, on the recommendations of doctors, introduce complementary foods for six-month-old children. Some milk becomes unclaimed, and prolactin levels decrease. This is where you should wait for your menstruation. If it does not occur, it is worth checking whether there is a new pregnancy. Theoretically, it cannot occur without menstruation. But in practice it is quite possible. Lactation is not the most reliable way to protect yourself. And when breastfeeding in the absence of menstruation, you will have to look for other methods to avoid a new, unplanned pregnancy together with a specialist, since ovulation can occur without menstruation.

What affects the timing of menstruation during lactation?

ABOUT main reason delaying the onset of menstruation has already been said - this is the frequency of feedings, high levels of prolactin. There are other, less natural reasons. These include:

Difficult pregnancy and childbirth. Menstruation may not resume during breastfeeding, even if it is combined with artificial feeding. A weakened body recovers more slowly, all processes in it are also inhibited;
Complications in the postpartum period.

Both cases can increase the onset of menstruation by 2-3 months.

Nature decided that it is the mother and her milk that become the main protection for the newborn. Breastfeeding and menstruation, which 80% of women begin during this period, are quite compatible. After all, prolactin affects milk production immediately after the birth of a child, and then its volume depends on the amount that the baby consumes. If menstruation interfered with this process, the baby would stop breastfeeding. But this does not happen, which means the mother’s task is to feed him as long as it is necessary to maintain the health and formation of the baby’s strong immunity.

The resumption of menstruation occurs in each woman in her own rhythm. It is possible to restore menses already 6-8 weeks after birth, that is, by the end of the postpartum period. And it is also possible that the cycle will not recover during the entire period of breastfeeding. It is important to understand that both of these options fit into the norm.

The timing of the restoration of the menstrual cycle is individual for each woman and depends on many factors. One of the factors is lactation. In this process, the hormone prolactin, produced in a woman’s body after childbirth and stimulating the production of milk in a woman, plays an important role. Prolactin also inhibits the production of hormones in the ovaries, which leads to the impossibility of egg maturation and ovulation.

Lack of menstruation and the possibility of getting pregnant

If you feed your baby on demand (at least once every 3 hours, feed at night, do not supplement), he is under 6 months old and you do not have menstruation, then the so-called lactation method protects you for the first 6 months from the onset of a new pregnancy. amenorrhea (LAM). The reliability of this method can be 98%. Due to the production of high levels of prolactin during breastfeeding, ovulation is suppressed and menstruation does not occur. However, it should be understood that when menstruation begins to recover, the first ovulation can occur before the first menstruation, which means that conceiving a child is possible before the first menstruation. Therefore, if you are not planning to have children the same age, it is better to use an additional method of contraception.

Cycle disruption during breastfeeding

Sometimes it happens that a nursing mother begins her period - maybe there are a little less breastfeeding, the baby has grown up. But after some time, my periods disappeared again. This may be explained by the fact that for some reason there were more feedings again (for example, a period of anxiety began during teething, there were more feedings). This may be a variant of the norm. If this worries you or the situation is somehow unusual, contact your gynecologist. Try to choose a doctor who is up to date with current breastfeeding recommendations and supports natural feeding.

The effect of menstruation on breast milk

It happens that people say the following:

Opinion. When menstruation returns, the taste or smell of breast milk changes, and the baby may refuse to breastfeed.

In fact. There is no data that would confirm this fact, so it is generally accepted that during menstruation the quality of breast milk does not change. However, in extremely rare cases, the baby may become restless at the breast. You need to understand that this condition is temporary and after 1-2 days the baby will be able to breastfeed the same way as before menstruation. There is no such thing as giving up your breasts because of your period once and for all. If this happens, look for an additional reason why this could happen.

Opinion. It is not advisable to breastfeed during menstruation, since now female hormones enter the milk.

In fact. Hormones in breast milk are present throughout the entire period of breastfeeding, their ratio may change throughout the entire feeding period, but they do not have a negative effect on the infant receiving breast milk.

Opinion. When menstruation begins, milk becomes less.

In fact. Indeed, some women note a slight decrease in breast milk production during their period. This is possible due to hormonal changes at this time, however, the situation is temporary and after 2-3 days, usually everything is restored.

Opinion. With the arrival of menstruation, breastfeeding ends.

In fact. This is a misconception; even with menstruation, the female body continues to produce breast milk. It is important that you remember the basic rules of breastfeeding that allow milk production to occur. If this is feeding in the first half of the year - frequent feedings during the day, feedings at night, proper attachment to the breast, this is what will allow milk to be produced in the right quantity.