Where Did My Period Go?

For about six weeks after the giving birth, the woman will pass lochia (pospartum discharge from the vagina). Lochia is a mixture of placental tissue, blood and mucus. It often appears as a thick, menstrual blood for the first few days and then tapers off.For about six weeks after the giving birth, the woman will pass lochia (pospartum discharge from the vagina). Lochia is a mixture of placental tissue, blood and mucus. It often appears as a thick, menstrual blood for the first few days and then tapers off to a typical menstrual cycle until the end of the second week postpartum. Between weeks two and six, spotting is most common. After the initial postpartum menstrual cycle, the woman may find she gets a brief reprieve from her monthly period.

Why Don’t I Have a Period?
Some women do not experience the first true menstrual cycle for six months to a year after giving birth. There are several reasons this could happen, but the first, and most accepted, is breastfeeding. Some experts believe the female body stops menstruating while breastfeeding to control procreation. As long as the woman is breastfeeding, the body knows a baby needs her care. After breastfeeding ceases, hormones that trigger nipple stimulation to produce milk fade away and the menstrual cycle (and fertility) return. If the woman chose to start taking birth control immediately after the baby was born this could cause amenorrhea, or cessation of the menstrual cycle.

Why Did My Periods Change?
Before getting pregnant, a woman may be used to her menstrual cycle being, for example, heavy on day two, lasting for only five days, and ending without a trace until 31 days later when it started again. Just because she knew her body before becoming pregnant does not mean she’ll know her body after giving birth; every pregnancy will change the typical menstrual cycle in some way. A woman who has given birth will need to relearn her cycle and patterns.

Tampons and the First Menstrual Cycle
If talking about the first menstrual cycle after postpartum bleeding has stopped, using tampons is perfectly normal. The first postpartum cycle, however, should be met with sanitary napkins or pads. The hospital will likely give the woman long, thick pads with no adhesive on the bottom. These are easy for nurses to change if the woman needs a bit of help. At home, thinner pads can be used and adhesive is just fine.