do you have a period when you are breastfeeding?
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Most breastfeeding mothers will resume their periods between 9 and 18 months after their baby's birth. Weaning will almost certainly cause a resumption of the menstrual cycle, but for most women is not a necessary condition, just a way to accelerate the process.
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Can I use hormonal birth control while breastfeeding? Yes, if you're breastfeeding, you can safely use hormonal methods. They won't hurt you or your baby. You can start using the shot, implant, Skyla and Mirena IUDs, and some types of birth control pills (called mini-pills) right after giving birth.
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The average time for a period after delivery is about 45 days. However, women who nurse will commonly get their periods much later. Nursing suppresses the hormone to a certain extent and that is why a woman may not get her period for up to 12 weeks or more.
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It is common for a woman's period to change after having a baby. Some women experience heavier or more painful periods, while others find that their periods become easier. In the months after giving birth, periods may be irregular but may return to normal over time.
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It is generally considered safe to continue to breastfeed once you become pregnant. However, some women may experience cramping due to the release of small amounts of oxytocin (the same hormone that causes contractions) during breastfeeding. The concern is that, in rare cases, this can cause preterm labor.
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Many women are less fertile while they're breastfeeding, especially in the early weeks and months. This is because breastfeeding reduces your levels of certain hormones (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and luteinising hormone), which are needed for ovulation and pregnancy.
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This is especially true if you're breastfeeding. According to the Cleveland Clinic, most postpartum women will have a “normal” menstrual cycle of 21 to 35 days with bleeding that lasts 2 to 7 days. Period cycles can change from what you experienced before pregnancy.
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Cycles without ovulation are most common during the first six months postpartum. For other mothers, the first menstruation is preceded by ovulation – a longer period of lactational amenorrhea increases the likelihood that you will ovulate before that first period.
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The hormones that prompt your body to make breast milk can also stop your body from producing the hormones that cause you to ovulate. That means that some women have no period while breastfeeding. Others get their first postpartum periods in the months after delivery.
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In the months after giving birth, periods may be irregular but may return to normal over time. There is no way to predict how giving birth will affect a person's period, but women who breastfeed typically go longer without having a period.
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During the newborn period, most breastfeeding sessions take 20 to 45 minutes. However, because newborn babies are often sleepy, this length of time may require patience and persistence. Feed on the first side until your baby stops suckling, hands are no longer fisted, and your baby appears sleepy and relaxed.
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That can mean you might not see a period for at least six months — and for some women, even longer! When it does make a cameo, expect it to be heavier, crampier and more erratic for the first few cycles. If you aren't breastfeeding and you still haven't gotten your period, it may be completely normal.
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Also, some women have a non-ovulatory period before 6 months postpartum, but do not menstruate again for many months. According to The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (p. 364-366), almost all mothers who are fully breastfeeding their babies are free of menstrual periods for 3 – 6 months or longer.
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You are more likely to ovulate and resume regular periods if your baby is going for more than a few hours without breastfeeding (for instance, at night) and your baby is more than 6 months old. Most breastfeeding mothers will resume their periods between 9 and 18 months after their baby's birth.
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In time, your body will settle back into its pre-pregnant state. Depending on how long you breastfed for, it might even be two or more years since you had a normal period! After two or three cycles you will be a lot closer to feeling more like “your old self.” Hang in there.
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Can you get pregnant while you're breastfeeding? The simple answer is yes. Although breastfeeding offers some protection from ovulation, the monthly occurrence where you release a mature egg from one of your ovaries, it is possible to ovulate and become pregnant prior to getting your first period.
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Even though breastfeeding doesn't begin until the baby is born, most women are already producing milk about halfway through the pregnancy. While this is common for many moms, do not be discouraged if this is not the case for you.