Babys First Year Blog
The Truth About Getting Your Period After A Baby
It has to be done. We have to discuss this. Because OH HOLY HANNAH, PEOPLE! Good garbage!
I had the distinct honor of getting my first post-pregnancy period after just seven weeks (the first six of which I was experiencing lochia). Isn’t that nice? Despite round the clock nursing, there it was, my old friend.
Ugh.
The very best part of the whole thing is that my periods now are nothing at all like my periods before, and I’ve gotten the pleasure of experiencing each way in which my period is different, at different . . . periods. Um.
After the jump, we’re doing this thing!
Before I got pregnant, my periods were this delightful little week of mild bleeding, a few mild pimples, an hour or two of mild cramps. Mild being the operative word. Miiiiild. Oh dear did I have it easy.
Here we go!
SEVEN WEEKS POSTPARTUM: YOU’RE CRAMPIN’ MY STYLE!
At seven weeks postpartum, my period came back. It was a cramp fest, followed by one lousy day of bleeding. Just one! I thought, was that it? Not bad! I mean, the cramps hurt like a mother (hah) but one day of bleeding? Dude. Sign me up.
THREE MONTHS POSTPARTUM: RELEASE THE KRAKEN!
At eleven weeks postpartum I got to experience the wonder of an overly emotional period. Oh dear. For the three days prior, I was a roller coaster of insaneness. I cried. I shouted! I yelled and I threw fits! I was so confused, too, and nearly sure I as going to kill my husband. And then, I started my period. “Ohhh yeah, duh!” I had never experienced anything quite that terrible. (I would continue to experience periods that emotionally distraught for a few months.)
SEVEN MONTHS POSTPARTUM: HOLY BREAKOUTS, BATMAN!
My period around seven months was the very worst, easily. Pimples. Pimples! All over my face! It was the rudest kind of hormonal break out. It hurt to even blink.
EIGHT MONTHS POSTPARTUM: OPEN THE FLOODGATES!
Have you ever filled three super tampons in a matter of hours and felt like possibly passing out all over the place? You probably have, I’m sure, but I had NEVER. Until now. It’s like, “Pass the bacon cheeseburger, mama has some blood loss to make up for!”
If I had it my way, I’d take the . . . well . . . the cramps I guess. Or a do-over and a get break for 5-10 months instead, like most of everyone else seems to get?
How about you guys? How have your periods been after baby? And what menstrual symptom would you say is the worst?
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39 Comments
[...] didn’t appreciate Nat’s The Truth About Getting Your Period After A Baby post until, well, this morning. Almost 5 months to the day, my “friend” decided to return [...]
Review of The Softcup. A Tampon Replacement. | Babys First Year Blog commented on Aug 17 11 at 10:57 pmkates commented on Aug 12 11 at 9:28 amAhh love this!
My first period came as soon as we started solids at 6 months. Babe is now 11 months and we are still breastfeeding, but the period has been wonky since it’s return. Period after 21 days? Sure. Period after 31 days? Hey why not. One day of heavy bleeding followed by 4 days of just barely anything but enough to waste a bunch of tampons? Cool.
Sex drive finally returned after 7 months (hallelujah!). And it’s pretty clear that I am ovulating like all the time. Probably at this very moment. Because I feel like my body is saying “Hey, remember us, we were such a good team. We made that awesome little baby. How about round two…”
Anna commented on Aug 12 11 at 10:21 amWow! I didn’t realize how lucky I am – my little girl is 10 months old and I still don’t have my period back! I am enjoying it while it lasts, because I am not looking forward to it coming back!
m.j. commented on Aug 12 11 at 10:22 amBefore I had my first, my periods were horrible. Like 7 straight days of heavy heavy bleeding and cramps for three days. After I had him, I got the mirena iud and my periods were a joy (who says that?!). Two days with very light bleeding and no cramps. I still had the mood swings, but they weren’t as intense. That thing was a lifesaver for me. I’m four weeks postpartum and planning to get one put in at my check up in a few weeks!
Alicia commented on Aug 12 11 at 11:27 amO.M.G.! I have had a very similar experience. I had lochia come to stay with me too for about 7-8 weeks and then she was quickly followed by my first period. Now I’m on period two and I’m struggling! I’m back on the pill and hoped that would make things lighter. No, it’s like a crazy blood flood and cramp-mania. I am so over it! This is how my periods were pre-baby and I was hoping the break would have made them better. My hopes have been sorely dashed.
Jessica commented on Aug 12 11 at 1:33 pmMy 9 month old is still breastfeeding. Before I got pregant with her my period lasted only 3 days and it came every 28. Every month now I have really light cramps for maybe 20-30 minutes but my period hasn’t returned yet. I am so happy. I am dreading its return!
sally commented on Aug 12 11 at 3:18 pmSince every woman is different, maybe you should go see a doctor!?!
M.Anne.F. commented on Aug 12 11 at 5:01 pmWow. Seeing the doctor is probably the best. My friend when through something similar and after much trial and error she and her doctor figured out the best solution.
Lauren commented on Aug 12 11 at 6:31 pmI thought nursing meant birth control until I got pregnant 13 weeks after my first baby! And my period?! Just last week I put in a super duper jumbo heavy duty bitch of a tampon in, ran to target and left immediately cause homegirl was leaking! Like, what the rude mother nature?! Oh and my hormones are like whoa. It’s like a suicide maniac enters my body and I wonder what the meaning of life is all about and oh is that a snickers?
Erin commented on Aug 12 11 at 6:45 pmRight when S was 8 months old my period snuck up on me. All of a sudden I was sure, SURE I wanted a divorce. Why? Because my husband can’t seem to get his dishes in the sink. I cried, punched my pillow, and felt like i was a zillion degrees. Then my old friend flow cam a knockin and it all made sense. The second time around it wasn’t much prettier. And oh the blood!! My husband was scared and he’s a nurse. That’s saying something. So our reward for birthing babies? Crazy bloody post pardom periods.
Robyn commented on Aug 12 11 at 6:59 pmMine came back 6 weeks after birth and I was breastfeeding. But it came back pretty regularly- my moods were all over the place though. But it actually evened my cycle out, I knew to the day when I would get it every month. But I did get pregnant again while breastfeeding a 9 month old. I tried the mini pill but it made me feel crazy, so we decided to stop it at 8 months and just see how we would go, and a month later- I was pregnant again. Must just be very fertile :)
Kate commented on Aug 12 11 at 8:44 pmNearly 7 months PP here and still no sign of a period. Not looking forward to it. Mine have never been fun. It’s nice to have gone over a year without a period (aside from the lovely lochia I had for 2 months.
Reese commented on Aug 13 11 at 1:49 amLet’s see, before I got pregnant my period were extremely painful, heating pad on my back hot water bottle on my front lay on the couch and don’t move except to potty or dry heave for 24 hours painful. They were fairly light and lasted 3 days. On the pill was slightly less painful and lasted 5 days.
1st period after having baby was last week, he’s 6 months today. It lasted 2 days, heavy at first, with fairly mild cramps.
Angie commented on Aug 13 11 at 5:38 amI had my 5th baby nearly 10 weeks ago and my period still has not returned though I stopped breastfeeding almost a month ago. However, I CONSTANTLY feel like I’m on the verge of starting, and have for 6 weeks. I know I’m ovulating, as it’s painful. Seems like I do every 2 weeks instead of 4. I’m retaining water, severely emotional, hormonal, crave the foods I usually crave with PMS, and don’t get me started on the severe hip pain and light colored Lochia I’m STILL having (I’ve called my Dr, he swears it’s fine. HA! No, it’s not. Trust me. I’m sick of it!) I’m seeing the Dr on Thursday, can’t deal any longer. This sucks! I’ve never gone this long without my period returning, even when I exclusively breastfed one until 5 months. I’m not looking forward to Aunt Flo visiting again, but golly, I’d love a sex drive, clear skin, cramp free days. With the others by this point I was usually getting ready for my 2nd period… which while short, left me in the fetal position on the floor crying and begging God for mercy. Can’t win, can we? LOL
JP commented on Aug 13 11 at 5:58 amI had just 28 days post baby before periods resumed (and this is despite the exclusively breastfed on demand infant!)
Thankfully we were keen to start trying for baby number two and it made things much easier.
tai commented on Aug 13 11 at 8:02 amWith each of my 3 pregnancies I had an additional lovely year without my monthly pain in the bung hole bff, think it has to do with the breast feeding. This time around I think I might nurse for 2 years in hope that my pain in the bung hole BFF stays away longer! I don’t remember anything but the cramps when it did return and the.wanting to cut my stomach open to relieve the boating.
Kathy commented on Aug 13 11 at 9:56 amAfter my first son, my first period was 8 months post pardem, when I started weaning during the day so I could go back to work. I was so glad I wasn’t working because I had very painful cramps and heavy bleeding like I’ve never seen before. Each subsequent month got a little closer to my pre-baby periods. I had a miscarriage next and that changed my predictable 28 day cycle to random lengths. We’re now 10 months in with our second son and still no period but I’ve felt like I’ve been ovulating every few weeks for over 6 months now. This little guy is intolerant to dairy and I’ll be working at home so I’m not worried about weaning at all. I’m really getting worried about when this period comes, it’s not going to be as easy as it was with just one little one!
sarah lahey commented on Aug 13 11 at 12:20 pmI got my period back after 6 months… It used to be light enough that I only needed 2-3 tampons a day, all of a sudden, I was using the extra super tampons, changing them every hour and still leaking through them – I had to wear a pad too :-( this went on for a full 36 hours before I finally called the doc, who told me to go to the hospital.. so I sat in the ER for hours, all for nothing. They said everything was fine. I bled like that for 3 solid days before it slowed down for the last 2 days.. it was like that for thee months…. And then I got knocked up again :-) We will see how it is after baby number 2!
Alisa commented on Aug 13 11 at 12:45 pmMy period definitely got lighter and easier. Until I hit perimenopause, but that’s a different post. Check out with your doctor; you can take an oral contraceptive that might help to straighten you out. Good luck.
Robin @ Farewell, Stranger commented on Aug 13 11 at 1:36 pmOh thank god. I didn’t get mine until 14 months postpartum but it’s been so heavy. There are two days a month when I dread leaving the house. If figured that was normal but I’m glad it’s not just me ;)
kat commented on Aug 13 11 at 2:24 pmWith baby #1 I got my period after spending the night a few nights in a row in the same bedroom as my menstruating little sister. Joy. I had light periods with waaayy less cramping than before but one month I had bad cramps and a fever before my period came! Weird. Now baby #2 I still haven’t had a period 12 months later. Woohoo!
Emily commented on Aug 13 11 at 2:53 pmMy period came back when my daughter was six months old. All periods before and after (ie since I got my period through now (except the blessed two years I was on the pill)) have been like your eight months postpartum. I REALLY want to go back on the pill but want a baby more. It better happen soon.
Elisabeth commented on Aug 13 11 at 3:52 pmI was the same way! My son breastfed as often as every two hours for the first full year of his life (he’s thirteen months now) and I had regular periods every month starting six weeks after he was born. You’re not the only one!
KC commented on Aug 13 11 at 10:13 pmSo I was LUCKY ducky to not have my period come back until 13 months post partum — my baby girl is 14 months now, and we’re still nursing — but boy did I open just about every floodgate I had in me. It was like 3 super plus tampons in 40 minutes. But at least the bacon cheeseburger was a nice bonus. As was learning about Tampax Ultra. (BTW who knows how many grams of blood they’re losing to be able to decide which tampon is best?)
lynette commented on Aug 14 11 at 1:22 amI thought I was one of the lucky ones.
13 months postpartum and no period. Not to mention that I only experienced lochia for 3 days. That’s right! THREE DAYS! HA, take that all you women who never experienced morning sickness, loose weight nursing, or fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans a week after delivery. I had something you wish you had…or so I thought.
At 14 months, my TOM arrived and I almost called 911! I kid you not! I was soaking a super plus tampon every five minutes and I was passing golf-ball sized clots. Talk about dizziness and cramps! Whoa nelly! I called my OBGYN and I’ll never forget how calmly she said, “Oh yeah, that’s normal.” To this day, I’m still wondering, “For who?”
Kinsey commented on Aug 14 11 at 1:57 ammy daughter and first child is 3.5 months old. lochia chilled with me for the first two weeks and I breastfed exclusively. she was half formula and half breastfed for like 3 more weeks. and now she’s pretty much exclusively formula unless she needs a little to top her off. first period came like a blizzard just four weeks after birth and kept me indoors and changing my tampon ever hour and a half. and lasted for like 5 or 6 days. two weeks later I went to my 6 week check up and got put back on a pill but it was jolivette?? I think that’s it. because I was still partially breastfeeding. after I started my first pack they disappeared for two days and got my period back at like 7 weeks. just like period number two. second pack I was more careful with. it’s come to an end and no period. my boyfriend and I have had sex half the time with a condom half withnot but he’s always pulled. I’m so stressed it hasn’t come I took a pregnancy test. it read negative but I’m scared. could the fact that I breastfeed every so often really throw off ny rag that much?!
Cass commented on Aug 14 11 at 5:57 pmI have three children very close in age. My first was born in December 2007 (LMP was beginning of March 2007). I had the after birth bleeding for about 4 weeks. Then when my son was about 10 months old I got pregnant again with my second son, never getting my period back. My second son was born in August 2009, the after birth bleeding lasted about 6 weeks. Then, again, when he was 10 months old I got pregnant again, never getting my period back. My daughter was born April 2011, the after birth bleeding lasted about 5 weeks. So I figured it would take until I was about 10 months postpartum to get my period (If I don’t get pregnant before it comes this time). But, lo and behold, just yesterday, at exactly 17 weeks postpartum, I got my period. And it is HEAVY! I am soaking about a pad an hour. I think the reason I have gotten my period back so soon is because my daughter is a wonderful sleeper. She has been sleeping through the night (9pm-9am) since 7 weeks old, and takes many long naps during the day. So my breast feeding with her is by far less then what I was feeding my boys, who did not sleep well at all, so were breast fed more often, which stopped my period from coming sooner. So I guess I have a choice: to sleep well or to have my period. I have to say, even though this period is crazy heavy, I like getting sleep. So I guess I need to stock up on some more ‘period underwear’ since having not had a period for about 4 years my old collection had been tossed to the wayside.
swhiteley commented on Aug 14 11 at 7:31 pmI went opposite… before baby porter I had super heavy lots of crampy and pimply periods that lasted 6 days. I was also super regular as in every 28 days and that’s it.
Now I’m super light but 8 days long which is more annoying than anything since I almost feel like I’m wasting the tampon/pad. and I’m super all over the place with the days. boo.
Sebastian'sMama commented on Aug 14 11 at 9:54 pmI am dreading my period’s return. My little babe just turned 11 months and no sign of it returning. I went to Costco and loaded up on pads and tampons when I started solids at 6 months, so at least I’m prepared!
Sara commented on Aug 15 11 at 3:58 pmMine came back when we started solids at 4 months (baby was ready) They used to be like clockwork, every 28 days without fail, but now they are completely unpredictable. Frustrating! The cramps are not nearly as bad as they were pre-baby, and the flow is not as heavy, but the mood swings are crazy.
Erin commented on Aug 16 11 at 8:46 pmMy little girl is 8.5 months old and has slept thru the night since she was 8 wks old, but I still haven’t gotten my period yet. I did, however, finally get some semblance of a sex drive back (hallelujah!) about a month ago. Several commenters mentioned feeling like they were ovulating very often– can someone explain that to me? What makes you feel like you are ovulating? Is it the cervical mucus or something else?
Jennifer commented on Aug 17 11 at 2:02 amI was so sick of hearing the lies that breastfeeding keeps your period away! I had lochia for 6 weeks and then started my period on the 7th week. My baby boy is now 5 months old and I’ve had my period every month since the first one. They’re exactly the same as pre pregnancy but I did have to go off the pill because it gave the babe massive diarrhea. Gross, I know. The only bad thing now is that my milk supply plumits the entire time i’m on my period. The only thing that’s helped is Motherlove More Milk Plus. That stuff was a godsend! I cried when I thought I was going to have to stop breastfeeding him (ironically of course because I kind of hate breastfeeding!) But yeah, I’m glad to hear i’m not the only super fertile mrytle out there!
Hollie commented on Aug 18 11 at 9:57 amI EBF for 6 months, and my LO has been on (prescription! necessary!) formula for a month now. STILL no period. Like a couple other commenters, though, I FINALLY got a little interest in sex back. Thank the Lord!
Emma commented on Aug 22 11 at 5:25 pmOhhhwahahahahahaaa! I am four months postpartum and just got my first period, oh my goodness how much I enjoyed reading this!! To answer the questions above, (and going completely waaay outside my comfort zone here), my period has been (cringe) HEAVIER. Very much so. As in, the scene in the Jenny McCarthy movie, Dirty Love where she is running through the grocery store looking for pads, heavy. I will not explain this reference any further, so hopefully someone has seen it and knows what I mean! Oh, and the emotions. Good god. I actually thought I was pregnant again last week, before I realized it was just my period, back to say hello. I was emotional and crying and feeling generally foul about the world. (I have a three year old daughter, too, but I can’t remember what my first period after her was like. Probably something like this, conveniently repressed in my memory!) =)
Ali commented on Sep 30 11 at 2:32 pmMy period returned when my little guy was 3 months old. I was thinking that since I was breastfeeding, I wouldn’t get it back until I was done. What a slap in the face that was! When it came back it was HEAVY. I was getting a little freaked out with the over flow, but spoke with some friends and family that have had kids and they said it happened to them too.
I have gotten it every month ever since (my baby is now 8 months old), but there have been days when I am 2 days late, 2 days early, 5 days late… it’s annoying. When before it was like clockwork and I would be able to predict exactly when I would start. Even down to the time of day.
Oh well! Oh the joys of postpartum!
amr commented on Mar 24 12 at 11:50 amMine came about 4 months…just spotting…then next month full blown. I have fibro. And feel acky all the time but OMG. I felt like I wanted to be hosbitalized .I felt so bad like a flu and oh so very pissy …yes after baby number five ,the kids seem to be hormonal also..and husbands well, never have and never will under stand
amr commented on Mar 24 12 at 11:52 amOh and yes my hair stared falling out in droves and my face is a mess
Nicole commented on Mar 31 12 at 2:57 pmMy name is Nicole….I have a beautiful 8 month daughter, but one thing seems to be lacking, my period. Yes it seems to be out of commission, i had one period since i had my daughter and that was back in November of 2011… and usually im in cramp overload and heavy bleeding for a week straight..but this was different…i was expercing no cramping and only light bleeding and it lasted for a day or two… and I know im not pregnant cause i took tests and they all came out negative, even my Doctor drew my blood and he confirmed i was not pregnant…and it’s highly impossible for me to get pregnant cause my husband had a Vasectomy lol…so what im saying is…why am i not getting my period? lol but on the up sidee..I’m happy that i don’t get it as often
margo commented on Apr 03 12 at 1:36 amI have almost the same experience like Lynette, besides I did not loose my baby weight while breastfeeding (I gained 20lbs while pregnant, lost 15lbs right after the delivery, and I’ve gained some back while breastfeeding). My period is not back after 15 months of breastfeeding, but I am waiting for it because we want a second child. Now, I fear the big flow and golf ball sized clots…
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