It is believed that a woman should not have menstruation while breastfeeding. This phenomenon is called lactational amenorrhea and is associated with a multiple increase in the level of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the formation of milk.
Changes in the female body after childbirth
Everything is thought out by nature. A woman who has recently given birth gets a "well-earned rest" from a new pregnancy while she is breastfeeding. During this time, her reproductive system is fully restored after childbirth, in order to enter into a state of new pregnancy "full combat readiness".
Those spotting, which is observed in every woman in the early postpartum period and is mistaken by some for menstrual bleeding, in fact, have nothing to do with it. These are lochia, which are by their nature wound discharge, because the inner surface of the uterus after childbirth is one continuous wound. They include blood, ichor, endometrial particles, remnants of placental tissue, mucus. Lochia gradually turn brown, then brighten and completely disappear by the end of the 4th - 6th week after childbirth. But can menstruation still resume in lactating women?
Menstruation in nursing
Yes, this may well be. In many women, menstruation returns to the moment when the body after childbirth has fully recovered and is ready for a new pregnancy. On average - somewhere in six months. In women who feed irregularly, use supplements, menstruation may come even earlier - in the first months after the birth of the baby.
For those who are intensively breastfeeding (including at night), menstruation may be absent for a year or more.
The nature of the menstrual cycle after childbirth can change. For the period of breastfeeding, periods may be irregular, less abundant. Subsequently, the cycle is restored, although its nature may differ from what it was before the birth.
The restoration of the menstrual cycle, as a rule, does not affect the lactation process. However, some mothers note that when feeding during menstruation, the baby is more restless than usual. This may be due to a change in the taste and smell of milk caused by the more active work of the sweat glands located on the mammary glands.
It is recommended to wash your breasts more often during this period.
In some breastfeeding mothers, nipple sensitivity increases during menstruation, and feedings can become painful. To reduce discomfort, it is recommended to change breasts during one feeding, and after that - to warm the nipple area.
