Whether you had a vaginal delivery or a C-section, you can expect to have vaginal bleeding for about 3 to 6 weeks after delivery. It comes down to the fact that the uterus is healing (and not the vagina), and for that reason, that's why women who have C-sections still have bleeding, because it's coming from the uterus. Take a normal period that lasts 4 to 7 days and stretch that out over 3 to 6 weeks, and that's basically the pattern that you can expect. So during the first couple of days of your period, you experience the heaviest flow and have the most significant cramping, and this is what a woman can expect during the first week or two after delivering a baby. But with time, the flow should slow, and by weeks 2-ish, 3-ish, then the discharge should be like a brownish color, and for sure have decreased in amount, and should taper off to just normal white discharge sometime between 3 to 6 weeks postpartum. And this is something that a doctor will talk with a woman about at her postpartum visit to make sure that the bleeding related to the delivery has stopped by that point.
After that, the time at which a woman starts to have regular periods will largely depend on whether or not she's breastfeeding and if she's using certain types of birth control that affect bleeding patterns. When a woman is breastfeeding, the hormones that support lactation actually suppress ovulation, and so it's not likely for a woman who is exclusively breastfeeding to have regular periods during the first few months of her baby's life. Although some women do start their regular period as early as 7 weeks postpartum, but other breastfeeding mothers don't have their first period until after they've stopped nursing. The bleeding patterns that women see while they're breastfeeding just vary so greatly from woman to woman. But for sure though, as the baby gets older, like once they're 6 months or so, if the baby is being supplemented with formula (and once solid foods are introduced), then it's normal for a woman to start having some spotting and maybe to start having regular periods. And it's not a sign that her milk supply is diminishing. It's just a sign that her body may be returning to a fertile state, and thus, breastfeeding should never be assumed to be a reliable form of contraception.
And contraception is the other thing that will affect a woman's cycles. You can expect your OB provider to talk with you about types of contraception that you can use while breastfeeding before you even have the baby. This conversation will likely occur during the end of the 3rd trimester a few weeks before you're going to deliver. And then the doctor will plan on implementing that type of birth control at your postpartum visit. There's a few different options that you have while breastfeeding. You can use the mini pill (which is progestin only), you can also use certain types of IUDs, you can use the Depo Provera shot, or implantable forms of contraception. And the types of bleeding that you can expect after you have that type of birth control on board will depend on what you chose. Some women have no periods at all after using certain types of contraception, and some women have unscheduled bleeding and spotting whether they're breastfeeding or not. So your doctor can tell you what's normal for you so you know what to expect. If you have more questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at / intermountainmoms , and recommend us to your friends and family too.
20 авг 2024
