Skip to content

Just added to your cart

    Qty:
    View cart ()
    Logo
    Log in Cart
    0 items
    • Shop
      Heartbeat Animals Accessories Supplies Gender Reveal Supplies Ultrasound Gifts Bargain Cave Sponsorship
    • About Us
      Our History FAQs Videos
    • Pregnancy Blog
    • Find Retailers
    • Become a Wholesaler
    • Sponsorship
    • Contact Us
    Access Denied
    IMPORTANT! If you’re a store owner, please make sure you have Customer accounts enabled in your Store Admin, as you have customer based locks set up with EasyLockdown app. Enable Customer Accounts
    Home My Baby's Heartbeat Bear Your First Postpartum Period

    Your First Postpartum Period

    Elizabeth MacDonald
    October 15, 2019
    Your First Postpartum Period

    You’d be surprised, but there is not a specific timeframe in which you can expect Aunt Flow to show back up after having a baby. Every woman’s body is different and breastfeeding plays a huge role. Generally speaking, without breastfeeding, you may see your period within 2 months of giving birth, but nursing your baby throws a huge wrench in that expectation!

    Your First Postpartum Period

    Breastfeeding delays the onset of your menstrual cycle, leaving you with no idea when it will return. There are multiple factors that come into play:

    Genetics and Hormonal Makeup. You may just be ridiculously fertile and start cycling again no matter what.

    Scheduling Your Baby. A baby on a feeding schedule prevents your body from naturally responding to your baby’s cues. This may trigger your cycle to start sooner than it naturally would have if you fed on demand.

    Pumping. The body responds different to a pump than it does to your baby. Again, this may mean your body starts having periods again sooner than you were hoping!

    Breastfeeding on Demand. Nursing your baby around the clock without a schedule will have the most impact and allow for naturally stair-stepping your pregnancies.

    Sleeping Through the Night. The 3am nursing (or pumping) session has been linked to a mother’s fertility. Once you end those nightly nursing times, your cycle may start again.

    Solid Foods. If your baby loves to eat real food, it may mean that she drops a few nursing sessions. The drop in demand will eventually level out your supply, triggering the start of your cycle.

    Extended Breastfeeding. If your cycle has not returned after solid foods were introduced, and still not after your baby has hit a year old, and you are still breastfeeding, you may not see it again for quite awhile. Many moms go 2 years without a period while nursing their toddler.

    The Vanishing Period. You may start and stop your cycle several times if you are breastfeeding. You can go months in between cycles. It’s all normal. Annoying, but normal.

    The longer you go without a period, the scarier it is to think about what your body is going to do to you when it does actually try to start being fertile again. Will you bleed to death? Will the cramps leave you in bed for a week? How long will it last?

    What to Expect

    Here are a few things you may experience during your first few periods after pregnancy:

    Heavy Flow. Don’t expect your period to be the same as pre-pregnancy. Depending on how much time has gone by, your body has to rebalance everything out. This means that your uterus could need to shed quite a bit.

    Longer Cycles. Just as mentioned above, more blood takes more time to expel. Your first few cycles may be longer than any you’ve had pre-pregnancy.

    Irregular Cycles. You may have 60 days between your first and second cycle. Or you may have 40. Or you may have 80. The point being: do not expect anything regular (especially if you are still breastfeeding) for at least 3-4 cycles postpartum.

    Previous Post
    Breastfeeding in Real Life
    Breastfeeding in Real Life
    10/14/2019
    Next Post
    A Mother's #30DaysofThanks
    A Mother's #30DaysofThanks
    10/30/2019
    Share
    Twitter
    Pinterest
    Share
    Email
    Comments
    Leave a comment
    Your Email Address Will Not Be Published. Required Fields Are Marked *
    Subscribe to our Newsletter
    Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our articles & discounts.

    Email have already subscribed!

    Vintage Giraffe

    Vintage Giraffe

    wholesale-cta_600x600_30ffe1f1-22dd-4d5c-9b4f-0fe47d46626e
    Featured Articles
    The Importance of Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy

    The Importance of Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy

    Oct 2, 2023
    Relaxation Techniques for Labor: Owning Your Birth

    Relaxation Techniques for Labor: Owning Your Birth

    Sep 29, 2023
    How Can You Make Your Social Media Content Stand Out?

    How Can You Make Your Social Media Content Stand Out?

    Sep 27, 2023
    The Best Halloween Costume Ideas for Mom, Baby, and Family

    The Best Halloween Costume Ideas for Mom, Baby, and Family

    Sep 25, 2023
    Invalid password
    Enter

    Featured On

    • Logo
    • Logo
    • Logo
    • Logo
    • Logo
    Badge
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    Subscribe and Save!

    Receive updates, access to exclusive deals, and more!

    Shop
    • My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear
    • My Angel’s Heartbeat Bear
    • My Furbaby’s Heartbeat Bear
    • Gender Reveal Gifts
    Support
    • Contact Us
    • Shipping & Returns
    • FAQs
    • Search
    • Accessibility Statement
    Find Out More
    • Store Locator
    • Become a Wholesaler
    • Login
    • Blog
    • About Us
    Download the App

    Record your baby’s heartbeat with our app for safekeeping

    FIND OUT MORE
    © 2020 My Baby's Heartbeat Bear. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions
    Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
    • Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
    • Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.
    • Blue Gender Reveal Shirt
    • Pink Gender Reveal Shirt
    • Camo Shirt
    • Gender Reveal Kit
    • Custom Logo Shirt
    • Gift Card
    • Product Catalog Digital Download
    • Graduation Bear