My 3rd period is late after giving birth

You go through so many physical changes during pregnancy that you may not pay much attention to the break you get from your monthly periods. But what can you expect after pregnancy? Will your periods just pick up where they left off or will you face new challenges?

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The answer? It could go either way.

“Women often complain of changes in their periods after having a baby,” says Ob/Gyn Diane Young, MD. “For women who are not breastfeeding, there are three things that are likely to happen with the menstrual period — periods return to normal, periods get worse or periods get better.”

You likely won’t have a period while you’re breastfeeding, at least not for a few months.

To produce breast milk, your brain produces higher levels of the hormone prolactin. This typically means you won’t ovulate (your ovaries won’t release eggs). So you likely won’t have periods.

Getting back to normal

But what happens if you decide not to breastfeed or when you stop?

“Most women will resume normal periods after having a baby,” Dr. Young says. If your period is “normal,” it occurs every 21 to 35 days. Bleeding lasts from two to seven days, she says.

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“Back to normal” likely applies to whatever was going on before your pregnancy, as well. Here are two examples:

Birth control: Using birth control pills for contraception often results in skipped, shorter, lighter and/or less painful periods. If you go back to the pills after pregnancy, the lighter periods may resume. If you don’t, you likely will have normal, heavier periods.

Endometriosis: If you have endometriosis or a history of painful periods, you may have easier periods at first after your baby is born. But this change is typically only temporary. A holdover of increased levels of progesterone from pregnancy may cause endometrial implants to get smaller. The result is less painful periods. Your doctor will want to follow up with you regularly after your pregnancy, however. “Painful periods are likely to resume,” Dr. Young says.

How do the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth affect future periods?

Here again, things can go either way, Dr. Young says.

Some women experience heavier, longer or more painful periods after having a baby. These changes may relate to a larger uterine cavity causing more endometrium (mucous lining the uterus) to shed.

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For some women, however, their periods improve.

This may occur after pregnancy and childbirth have stretched the uterus and dilated the cervix. This alone can improve future periods. Pregnancy also releases hormones that relax uterine muscles.

What else can make periods worse after pregnancy?

Three other conditions may cause more problematic periods after pregnancy:

• Structural defects. Your doctor likely will treat defects such as polyps and submucosal fibroids with minimally invasive surgery.
• Adenomyosis. Your doctor can manage this thickening of the uterus with minimally invasive surgery or hormone therapy.
• Overactive or underactive thyroid disorder. Your doctor may use a range of treatments for these conditions.

Easier periods are not always good news

Some women may have light periods or no periods due to two rare complications after pregnancy:

• Sheehan’s syndrome. This occurs when severe blood loss or low blood pressure damage the pituitary gland. This disrupts normal ovary function and periods stop. Hormone therapy is a common treatment.
• Asherman’s syndrome. This is the result of scar tissue in the lining of the uterus. Asherman’s syndrome may develop after a dilatation and curettage (D&C). Doctors may perform a D&C after a miscarriage or delivery.

“The bottom line is that periods can change after having a baby,” Dr. Young says. “If you are concerned about your periods, make an appointment with your OB/Gyn. There are medical therapies to help your periods.”

A healthy menstrual cycle is a visible sign of a woman’s reproductive health. However, for new mothers-to-be, the menstrual cycle is brought to a halt by the body, for a few months after delivery. Immediately after having the baby, postpartum bleeding occurs for a few days, and then stops. Quite often, there is a considerable gap between postpartum bleeding and the first regular period.

Video : Irregular Periods After Pregnancy : Should You Worry?

Once the first postpartum period occurs, the menstrual cycle follows a very unpredictable schedule and can come earlier or later than usual, for months. This is a huge cause of concern for women, and they rush to consult their doctors. The good news is that having irregular periods after delivery is perfectly normal, and occurs due to various hormonal changes in the body. With time, the body settles down to it’s usual routine, but the time frame for this process varies from person to person.

Are Irregular Periods Normal After Birth?

First and foremost, it is necessary to understand that childbirth drastically alters some hormones in the body. Therefore, the hormones that ensure a regular period between menstrual cycles take a backseat. It is quite normal for women to experience changes in the frequency and the flow of their monthly period, post-delivery. Many factors come into deciding when exactly the body gets back to its normal menstrual routine.

Reasons Behind Irregular Menstrual Cycle After Pregnancy

From the time of conception, a woman’s body goes through a lot of changes, all alongside the changing levels of hormones. An altered menstrual cycle is a consequence of these changes. Some other external factors also play a role in making your periods irregular after delivery.

1. Weight

Women tend to gain weight during pregnancy and continue to be on the higher side for a few months after delivery. On the contrary, some women lose weight drastically, due to lack of proper diet and sleep. In both cases, the weight directly impacts hormone levels in the body. The weight of the mother is a significant parameter in deciding the time frame within which she switches back to having a normal menstrual routine.

2. Breastfeeding

Mothers who breastfeed their children tend to ovulate much later, post delivery. The hormone responsible for inducing the secretion of milk from the mammary glands (prolactin) also suppresses the process of ovulation. Therefore, as long as a mother is breastfeeding her baby, the hormone remains actively in circulation and prevents the ovulation process. Only a successful ovulation culminates in menstruation, and therefore, your periods resume later than usual.

3. Altered Hormone Levels

An expecting mother’s body starts altering the levels of hormones, in anticipation of the pregnancy. These hormones prepare her for childbearing, birthing, and breastfeeding. Unfortunately, the hormone levels do not spring back to normalcy, right after delivery. Factors like diet, exercise, breastfeeding, sex, and weight decide the pace at which it returns to normal levels. In the bargain, the menstrual cycle becomes erratic and unpredictable for a few months, until the hormones settle down.

4. Pre-pregnancy Conditions

If you suffered from conditions such as Endometriosis, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), Hypo- or Hyper- Thyroidism, or any other condition that causes or is a result of fluctuation in hormones, you may experience irregular periods after pregnancy. This is especially if you already faced issues with regularity of your menstral cycle, prior to pregnancy.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of irregular periods can be tricky, as many women tend to confuse the postpartum bleeding with the first period after delivery. The first period occurs after a typical gap of a few months from postpartum bleeding. An irregular cycle following the first period is quite common, and this can last for about four to five months. An unsettled menstrual cycle beyond this period should be taken up with your doctor to evaluate the exact cause of this irregularity.

Tips to Deal With Irregular Periods

There are a couple of things new mothers can adopt to fix the problem of irregular periods and get their menstrual cycle back to normalcy, as early as possible.

1. Exercise

It is, undoubtedly, a daunting task to start an exercise routine with a new baby at home. However, pushing yourself to exercise regularly is very important to bring the body back to its pre-pregnancy shape. Exercising helps a great deal in restoring hormonal balance in the body. It also helps in maintaining your weight, which is a significant factor in determining your periods.

2. Healthy Diet

Having a healthy and nutritious diet, post-delivery, is vital in restoring and replenishing the nutrients lost during pregnancy and childbirth. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts provide the much-needed micronutrients for repair and restoration of the body. They indirectly enhance the process of settling down after childbirth, by providing the right atmosphere to correct hormonal imbalances.

3. Managing Stress

Stress affects the body and the mind. New mothers are subjected to a lot of stress due to lack of sleep, new responsibilities, and sometimes, an overwhelming feeling triggered by the new role of motherhood. This directly affects the hormone levels, causing a delay in settling back to normalcy. The best way to facilitate the body’s healing process is to remain stress-free and keep worries at bay, by taking help from others and talking to them about your worries.

4. Avoiding Contraceptives

Contraceptives interfere with the ovulation cycle and further delay the process of getting back the normal menstrual cycle. You can talk to your doctor about other safe birth control options that do not affect the hormonal balance in the body. 

5. Taking Vitamins

A deficiency in certain vitamins, such as Vitamin D, and B Vitamins can hamper menstrual cycle, so get yourself tested, and ensure that you take supplements or eat food high in these vitamins, if you are, indeed, deficient. You can get your fill of Vitamin D by letting the morning rays of the sun soak into your body, or including dairy products in your diet. Eat legumes, meat, nuts, whole grains, and green, leafy vegetables, for your daily dose of B Vitamins. Ensuring your body is healthy and has an adequate amount of Vitamins can aid the process of regularising menstrual periods.

Irregular periods can be very frustrating for a new mother, especially since they come with a high level of unpredictability. Understanding the different biological reasons behind this very natural and common phenomenon can be reassuring, particularly for first-time mothers.

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