Delay, absence, normal menstruation during lactation

Lactation concept

The mammary glands prepare for breastfeeding the unborn child from the beginning of pregnancy. Then the woman discovers breast enlargement, sensitivity of the mammary glands, and the discharge of small white droplets throughout the entire period of gestation. After the birth of a child, the body receives a signal to increase the secretion of milk for lactation. In women who have given birth for the first time, breast milk appears in sufficient quantities on the 3rd day. The whole body is involved in the process. The appearance of milk is influenced by hormones, the state of the nervous system, and the well-being of childbirth. Milk production is regulated by the brain through certain hormones. The amount of milk secreted for breastfeeding depends on the coordinated work of prolactin and oxytocin.

Prolactin is responsible for the volume of milk produced. The signal enters the brain during lactation. The new required portion for breastfeeding is produced between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. Therefore, morning breastfeeding of the baby plays a very important role.

Oxytocin is a pleasure hormone. Its production depends on the emotional state of the woman. The hormone is responsible for the outflow of milk from the breast during sucking, free lactation. If a woman is tense, nervous, the outflow becomes difficult, the baby cannot receive nutrition, and the woman draws the conclusion that there is not enough milk in the breast. It is very important to push aside all disturbing thoughts and problems during breastfeeding. Then the entire lactation process will proceed as expected.

Why are there no periods during lactation?

It is considered quite normal that there are no periods during lactation. This process is controlled by the endocrine system of a nursing woman.

After childbirth, the female body is subordinated to only one task - milk production. This goal is achieved by increased synthesis of the hormone prolactin. It is responsible for milk production in the mammary gland. In addition, high concentrations of prolactin control ovarian function and suppress the production of another hormone, progesterone. Progesterone is responsible for the maturation of the egg and preparation for fertilization.

So, if a nursing mother’s body produces little progesterone, the eggs do not mature, ovulation is blocked and menstruation does not begin. Lactational amenorrhea occurs (absence of menstruation while breastfeeding). This condition can last quite a long time - up to 12 - 14 months, and sometimes the entire lactation period, until breastfeeding stops completely.

The state of prolonged lactational amenorrhea persists only with exclusive breastfeeding (you cannot give the baby a drop of water through the pacifier, completely avoid pacifiers), otherwise the baby’s sucking force weakens, and this leads to a decrease in the production of prolactin, and it is no longer enough to suppress ovulation.

This is how it was in the time of our ancestors. They gave birth to a lot of children then. They were fed exclusively breast milk as often as the baby required (demand feeding). It happened that breastfeeding lasted up to 2–3 years. All this time, the ovaries and uterus were resting from their main function and the nursing woman did not menstruate.

The relationship between lactation and menstruation

Prolactin in large quantities inhibits the production of sex hormones during breastfeeding. As a result, the egg does not develop and there is no ovulation. The reproductive system cannot function fully. All efforts of the body are aimed at producing milk and ensuring breastfeeding.

6 months after birth, pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods to the baby. Then the amount of milk decreases with the increase in food consumed by the child. The woman begins to feed the baby instead of breastfeeding. The brain receives a signal that less milk is needed. Prolactin levels decrease. At the same time, the woman’s sex hormones increase - estrogen, progesterone. The egg matures and ovulation occurs. The first periods after childbirth appear at approximately 8 months. How the menstrual cycle will develop in the future depends on many factors. Since hormonal levels are still not stable, menstruation may be delayed during lactation again by 3 months.

Is it possible to breastfeed during menstruation?

How much does menstruation affect a mother's body? Menstruation will become an obstacle when breastfeeding or should be ignored.

Many women believe that the taste or beneficial properties of their milk depend on the appearance or absence of menstruation. They say you need to wean your baby off by stopping breastfeeding when the usual cycle is restored.

Doctors are sure that the relationship between breastfeeding and menstruation is not so pronounced. Yes, the activity of breastfeeding affects the body’s production of the hormone prolactin and the duration of the “rest” period without menstruation. However, this hormone and the critical days themselves are not interrelated.

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Mother's milk will remain invariably useful and it does not matter whether you are menstruating or not. On the contrary, the war needs to be continued. The only caveat is that periodically the amount of milk produced by the body may decrease during menstruation. The taste will remain unchanged. There is no need to worry, just wait out the critical days, feeding the baby if necessary if he is not getting enough. It’s just that the body independently regulates the production of fluid, trying to distribute it in proportion to the processes taking place.

Special lactation teas and increased feeding will help enhance lactation. The mother puts the hungry baby to her own breast more often than usual. At the same time, he adjusts his diet. It is worth drinking more fluids and eating foods that promote milk production.

If you get your period while breastfeeding, it’s not a big deal. The exception is the manifestation of uncharacteristic symptoms listed above. Then mom should visit a doctor. The critical days themselves have an impact, breast milk decreases. However, this is easy to correct using natural means.

Factors that can change the taste of milk for breastfeeding are food, medicines, and the state of the body. Moreover, doctors try to prescribe medications, taking into account the situation of the new mother. If a severe hormonal imbalance is diagnosed, the specialist will individually select medications. So that the features of hormonal drugs improve internal balance without affecting lactation.

When should your period start after childbirth?

Immediately after the birth of a baby, a woman is faced with different situations. The recovery period of the menstrual cycle depends primarily on the amount of milk produced and the duration of breastfeeding.

1. 
   Menstruation should begin 8 months after birth when complementary foods are introduced at 6 months.

2. Having periods and then not having them for a long time while breastfeeding is not a worrying symptom.
3. It does not matter how the child was born - by natural birth or by caesarean section.
4. With combined feeding, periods can begin as early as 3 months after birth. But their delay of up to 6 months is considered within the norm if the woman does not stop breastfeeding.
5. The period between the onset of menstruation during breastfeeding and the next menstruation ranges from 1 to 6 months.
6. Due to the long restoration of hormonal levels in a woman’s body, menstruation after breastfeeding may be absent for up to 1 year.

7. 
   After stopping night breastfeeding, prolactin levels decrease and the amount of milk decreases. Periods appear faster.

8. During breastfeeding, periods change in quantity and duration. Menstruation during lactation lasts less than usual, discharge is often scanty.

In order to quickly restore the menstrual cycle after the end of breastfeeding, you need to eat right, follow a rest and sleep schedule, and not be nervous. In general, it takes about 8 months for the body to recover after childbirth. When your period should start, you can ask your doctor. It is necessary to discuss any situation regarding the health of wasps with a specialist. You should see a doctor a month after giving birth. Then, according to the doctor’s testimony, at your own discretion. Menstruation returns within 2 years after childbirth. May differ from menstruation before pregnancy.

The regularity of the menstrual cycle is considered one of the main indicators of women's health. Even minor failures may indicate the development of pathology, but not always. Delayed menstruation during breastfeeding is considered a natural phenomenon. The timing of the arrival of critical days in this case depends on several factors, which every woman should know about.

Lack of menstruation during lactation

Breastfeeding is a natural process that takes approximately 1 year. But a woman can continue to feed her child up to 2 years. The period of formation of the menstrual cycle depends on the duration of breastfeeding. The sooner she stops feeding, the sooner her period will begin.

Every woman's body is individual. Different living conditions, emotional environment. Nervousness and problems in your personal life lead to a decrease in the amount of breast milk. This means that there may be no periods during lactation from 1 to 16 months. There is a situation when menstruation occurred once during the entire year of feeding. Or they go irregularly. This is all due to unstable hormonal levels. The situation with both the presence of menstruation during lactation and their absence is considered normal. Don't be surprised by the irregularity of your cycle. It will begin to recover fully when the woman stops feeding the baby completely. When prolactin decreases significantly in quantity. There is a high probability of menstruation during breastfeeding if the mother stops feeding at night.

When is absence of menstruation normal?

For many women, it remains a mystery why there are no periods while breastfeeding. Regulations may not be observed during this period for more than six months. This condition is medically called lactational amenorrhea and is considered a natural phenomenon.

The reasons for the absence of menstruation lie in the active production of the hormone prolactin by the pituitary gland. Such changes in the body lead to the fact that the processes of maturation and release of the fertilized egg are significantly inhibited. Therefore, while the baby is breastfeeding, ovulation is not observed, menstruation does not come and the test is negative.

Over time, prolactin levels decrease. The concentration of progesterone increases. As a result of such hormonal changes, reproductive functions are restored and regulation appears. As a rule, this happens immediately after the introduction of the first complementary foods, when the child begins to eat other foods and is less likely to breastfeed.

Why don't you have periods while breastfeeding?

Many women are surprised by the long-term absence of menstruation. It seems to them that after childbirth, discharge should begin soon, because the child is born.

In practice, the cycle is restored later. Doctors consider each case individually, determining the time frame. There is no reason to panic. Delayed menstruation, on the contrary, is considered normal.

Why do they come earlier:

• When breastfeeding on demand, menstruation begins after the cessation of the breastfeeding period;
• if the baby is less demanding and consumes less milk, this will shorten the recovery period of the cycle;
• with complex mixed feeding (mother's milk + formula), periods will appear faster, after 2.5 - 3 months (on average);
• the absence of lactation will also speed up the resumption of the cycle, possibly 8-10 weeks after birth.

However, some mothers note a delay after the end of the breastfeeding period. Everything is individual, the female body requires a certain time. The main thing is to follow your doctor’s advice, don’t be nervous and eat well.

Lack of menstrual flow, irregular cycles, or vice versa, early menstruation are normal. Pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation are serious tests that entail the production of certain hormones that affect the condition and functioning of the body. Subsequently, he needs time to “adjust the systems” or “reboot”. Therefore, failures are possible. It is important to notify your doctor promptly.

When should menstruation come when breastfeeding?

There are no exact dates for the arrival of menstruation during this period. They largely depend on whether the woman follows the feeding schedule and whether she gives the newborn complementary foods. It is noted that reproductive function is restored much faster if the child is on a mixed diet, and not exclusively on breast milk.

With pure breastfeeding

Delayed menstruation during lactation is considered normal. The timing of menstruation in women breastfeeding depends on several factors. If a young mother puts her baby to her breast on demand and does not refuse feeding at night, then she may not experience menstruation for more than six months.

In those cases when the interval between feedings is strictly maintained, during the day the child receives breast milk every three or even four hours, and at night he may not eat for an even longer period, then reproductive function will be restored faster. The arrival of the regula after childbirth can be expected after 3–4.

With mixed feeding

If a child receives special formulas in addition to mother’s milk, then the appearance of menstruation after childbirth while breastfeeding can be expected after 2–3 months. The presence of complementary foods helps to reduce prolactin concentrations and quickly restore reproductive function. The timing of the appearance of the first menstruation is shorter than in the case of exclusive breastfeeding.

Factors influencing cycle recovery

The timing of menstruation certainly worries new mothers. I want to prepare. Of course, breastfeeding a child can extend the “pause” period, but restoration of the cycle also depends on other important factors:

• course of labor (was cesarean, natural birth);
• hormonal imbalances, diseases;
• stress.

Doctors advise new mothers to be careful. The restoration of menstruation for each woman is individual. You cannot worry, make assumptions, or treat yourself. It is important to get enough sleep (if possible), regulate your diet, and avoid stress. The mother's mood always affects the condition of her child. During the first months they feel a strong invisible connection. Pregnancy, childbirth and the subsequent lactation period are natural states that are interconnected. Therefore, it is important to trust your body.

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Unplanned pregnancy while breastfeeding

A delay in menstruation during breastfeeding may be caused not by the active production of prolactin, but by pregnancy. Children of the same age are far from uncommon. Women who believe that if they breastfeed, it means they cannot get pregnant again are mistaken. Fertilization can occur even with breastfeeding.

Missing your period while breastfeeding is not a reason to relax. The level of prolactin gradually decreases, and ovulation often occurs even before the arrival of the first regula. It is not possible to predict when this will happen.

It is strongly recommended not to consider lactational amenorrhea as a reliable means of contraception. Especially in cases where pregnancy is extremely undesirable.

If fertilization has occurred, then symptoms such as an increase in the size of the mammary glands and uncharacteristic pain upon palpation appear. In this case, you need to immediately take a pregnancy test and seek help from a gynecologist. An ultrasound examination will be useful, thanks to which it will be possible to obtain reliable information about the changes occurring in the body.

Causes for concern

The new mother will still begin her period after a cesarean section while breastfeeding or after normal labor. How long it will take before this happens is an individual question. But the mother must be under the supervision of a gynecologist throughout the entire time after the birth of the baby and find time for this, no matter how busy her life schedule may be. It is important that a woman gets her period on time and that her cycle is regular. This is an indicator of women's health.

You should see a doctor if:

• a delay in menstruation during breastfeeding makes itself felt when the mother has stopped putting her child to the glands for 2 months;
• cycle regularity does not improve for more than 3 months after menstruation begins for the first time after childbirth;
• painful menstruation;
• discharge is too active or scanty;
• menstruation did not occur at all after breastfeeding or the already established cycle stopped functioning again;
• menstruation during lactation began when the woman did not use complementary foods and fed the baby after breastfeeding.

Particular attention needs to be paid if the cycle has improved and stopped working again or did not start at all. It’s just that many women use lactation as a contraceptive. And if your period has already started while breastfeeding, and then stopped, then there is a high probability that the mother has become pregnant again. If a hormonal imbalance causes menstruation while breastfeeding, and there is no pregnancy, then this is still a reason to visit a gynecologist. If a woman does not plan to give birth again in the near future, then it is better to resort to effective contraceptive methods.

The question of whether menstruation can begin while breastfeeding is answered taking into account the characteristics of a woman’s body, as well as the method she uses for breastfeeding. The main thing is to find time for visits to specialists and continue natural feeding of the baby. If the mother no longer has the courage to ask herself the question of whether it is possible to breastfeed the baby during menstruation, then it is better to consult a doctor.