Menstruation after the baby's birth can take about 2 months to 1 year to come, depending on whether the woman breastfeeds or not. For women who exclusively breastfeed, menstruation may come only when the baby stops breastfeeding, or greatly decreases the frequency of breastfeeding, by about 1 year of age. For those who choose not to breastfeed, menstruation can come in about 2 months after birth, but still, it is normal to be deregulated initially.
The bleeding that occurs during the first 45 to 56 days after the normal delivery or cesarean delivery is not considered menstruation and is due to the exit of the blood that covered the uterus and the placenta, being scientifically called Lóquios. The first menstruation should come after ovulation, soon after the end of this bleeding.
See when to worry about postpartum bleeding
When will the 1st menstruation come after delivery
For women taking contraceptives for continuous use, there should be no menstruation, although small vaginal bleeding may occasionally occur during the month. For women who do not use hormonal contraceptives, menstruation will depend only on how breastfeeding is done:
| How Breastfeeding Is | When will menstruation |
| Do not breastfeed | 2 months after the baby is born |
| Breastfeeds and bottles | 3 to 4 months after the baby is born |
| Exclusively breastfeed | from 6 months to 1 year after the baby is born |
Basically, the longer the baby suckles, the longer the menstrual period will come, but as soon as the baby begins to decrease the feedings, the woman's body reacts and she can ovulate, menstruation coming on. Since the first ovulation after childbirth is unpredictable, a woman must adopt some contraceptive method between 10 and 15 days after birth so as not to risk becoming pregnant again.
The menstrual flow may be slightly different from what the woman was accustomed to before becoming pregnant, there may be change in the amount of blood lost and color. It is normal for menstruation to become irregular, coming in more or less quantity for 2 or 3 months, but from that period is expected to become more regular. If in doubt, consult your gynecologist.
A popular belief is that menstruation decreases the amount of breast milk, but it is the exact opposite that happens, because the less milk a woman produces, the greater the chance of ovulation and menstruation.
When to use contraceptive method again
The woman should return to using some contraceptive method soon after birth. If you choose to use the contraceptive you should start taking it 10 to 15 days after giving birth, even if you do not have sex, due to the shelter period. Learn more about contraceptive use in breastfeeding.
