After giving birth, one of the things that most worries recent mothers is the reappearance of the rule after childbirth.
The duration of postpartum amenorrhea (absence of menstruation after childbirth) varies greatly from one woman to another. Female hormones need some time to stabilize and return to function as they did before delivery. It is a neuro-endocrine mechanism that starts again.
Like the appearance of the rule for the first time, the recurrence after childbirth can be very different in one woman or another. One of those responsible for this difference is breastfeeding. After expelling postpartum lochia, the rule may appear in a woman who has not breastfed within a few weeks, while in one who has breastfed she can do so after one and even two years.
The most normal thing in women who are not breastfeeding is that the ovarian activity is restarted a month after giving birth. However, in some it may be two or three months later. According to WHO data, almost all women who do not breastfeed their baby four months after birth have already restarted the menstrual cycle.
It is also normal that there are mismatches during the first cycles or that the rule does not return to be as before delivery in duration and in quantity. The first rules are usually more abundant and can last longer than usual. Premenstrual symptoms may also be different.
The first menstruation after postpartum amenorrhea may or may not be preceded by ovulation, so if there has been (which is very difficult to prove) it is likely to get pregnant if proper precautions are not taken. Between 1% and 11% of women become pregnant in the period of amenorrhea after childbirth.
The recurrence of menstruation after childbirth does not prevent you from breastfeeding if you have decided. This does not influence the quality or quantity of food it receives.
Lactation and Menstruation
When the baby sucks the breast, prolactin is generated, a hormone that inhibits ovarian function. That is why women who do not breastfeed usually have the rule before those who breastfeed.
Breastfeeding is a natural contraceptive method, it is known as the MELA method (Lactation and Amenorrhea Method), but it is not effective in all cases, so that does not mean that you cannot get pregnant while breastfeeding.
The body interprets that the mother is dedicated exclusively to the breastfeeding of her baby, protecting her naturally from a new pregnancy, but it is not necessary to be fully trusted because its effectiveness is 98% and certain conditions must be met.
The three basic requirements for this method of results are: that breastfeeding is exclusive or almost exclusive, that it has been less than six months after delivery, that there is no more than 6 hours of separation between doses.
Just in case, if a new pregnancy is not sought, it is advisable to use a contraceptive method for greater safety.
The longer the breastfeeding, the more likely it is that ovulation occurs before the first menstruation.
In many mothers who breastfeed the period usually appears when breastfeeding is no longer exclusive and mixed feeding begins. By decreasing the frequency in the shots, prolactin decreases in the body and menstruation may appear. In other mothers, despite this, amenorrhea persists until the end of breastfeeding.
