First Period After Pregnancy - Helping You Understand It And Deal With It

The experience of first period after pregnancy is not the same in every woman. Some women will have their first period four to six weeks after delivery, while other women will have their first period four to six months after delivery. There are a number of factors that affect the return of the ovulation cycle. Your understanding of these factors will help you deal with your first period after pregnancy.

Breastfeeding And Periods

Every woman who is breastfeeding or is going to breastfeed her child must understand that breastfeeding is going to affect her ovulation cycle. Some women who are breastfeeding will not experience any period while they are nursing their child. On the other hand, some women will start bleeding after four to six months of delivering.

Breastfeeding can cause irregular periods in nursing mothers. When your body is producing milk, your pituitary glands will produce more prolactin, a substance known to suppress ovarian functions. However, some women will not experience irregular periods while breastfeeding, while some will find that they are ovulating in some months and not in others. So there is no need to worry if you are having irregular period after pregnancy. If you are still confused you can always consult your doctor for more information.

Your First Period After Pregnancy

While the first period after pregnancy varies in women, most women will find their first period weird. You have not been ovulating during your pregnancy period, so when you start bleeding vaginally you might feel a little strange. Your first period is likely to be heavy and painful. Remember that your body has not been ovulating for the past nine or more months; therefore the first period is going to be heavy on your body.

However, you must not confuse your vaginal bleeding after delivery with your first period. After delivery your body will discharge the blood, tissue and mucus that had formed the lining of your uterus. Bleeding would start heavy and red in color. You might even see few small clots on your pads or in the toilet. There is nothing to worry; however, if you see large clots you must consult your doctor.

Your first period after pregnancy might signal the return of your fertility, but is not always the case. However, if you do not wish to get pregnant during this period you should use start using contraception.

Life after pregnancy is going to be different for sure. You have your bundle of joy and you also have to think about other factors in your life, like caring for your body, the right time to resume work after pregnancy, etc. Read as much as you can on life during and after pregnancy as this will help you a great deal in dealing with various issues. The more information that you have the better you will be in dealing with your first period after pregnancy and other post pregnancy issues.