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If you’re starting to worry about having no period after pregnancy, you’re not alone. It can feel strange not knowing when to expect your next period.
However, it’s not unusual for women to wait three to six months before getting their periods back. How long it takes before you start menstruating again can vary quite a bit. There’s no reason for excessive worry about the delay in your menstrual cycle too soon after giving birth.
Key Takeaways
- How long it takes for your menstrual cycle to start again after pregnancy varies among different women.
- Women who aren’t lactating are more likely to get their periods back sooner, within 6 weeks to three months.
- Women who breastfeed exclusively may not resume their period for up to 6 months after giving birth.
Breastfeeding less frequently raises the chances of your period coming back faster. - Menstrual cycles may be irregular or heavy during the early months postpartum.
- Women may ovulate before starting menstruation again, so it’s important to track your ovulation and make thoughtful choices about unprotected sex.
- It’s safer and healthier for most women to wait 18 months before getting pregnant again after childbirth.
Why Don’t You Get Your Period Right After Giving Birth?
Several hormonal changes happen after giving birth. First, prolactin levels go up. Prolactin is the breastfeeding hormone. High prolactin levels reduce the production of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH). When GnRH is low, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) also stay low. These effects prevent you from ovulating again in the early months after giving birth.
Prolactin levels return to prepregnancy levels within three weeks postpartum if you don’t breastfeed. Women who breastfeed have spikes in prolactin during feeding sessions. This delays their periods for longer.
Factors Affecting the Postpartum Menstrual Cycle
Prolactin is the primary driver of postpartum ovulation. How long your period takes to return depends on the factors below.
Factor | Effects |
Are you breastfeeding? | Breastfeeding suppresses ovulation, so it takes longer for periods to return. |
Are you exclusively breastfeeding? | Exclusive breastfeeding delays periods longer than when formula is used. |
How often do you breastfeed? | As your baby starts to wean, the prolactin spikes decline and your period is more likely to come back. |
Newborns breastfeed frequently, usually between 8 and 12 times every 24 hours. Moms typically breastfeed less often as the baby gets older. Older babies sleep for longer intervals and start eating solid foods. They also have bigger bellies that can hold more breast milk at a time. As a result, they need fewer breastfeeding sessions.
When to Expect Your Period Postpartum
Periods come back faster in women who don’t breastfeed. On average, many women who don’t breastfeed get their periods back within 6 or 12 weeks after giving birth. One study found that it typically takes 45 to 64 days postpartum for the period to return.
Additionally, ovulation took 45 and 94 days to return postpartum. No egg was released in 29% to 80% of the first cycles after pregnancy (meaning they were not ovulating). Even in women who ovulated during their first post-pregnancy period, 30% to 100% had lower fertility.
It takes longer for your period to come back when breastfeeding, especially if you breastfeed often. The timeline varies depending on whether you are exclusively breastfeeding and how frequently your baby feeds.
One study reported that menstruation came back in the following intervals for lactating women:
- 25.7% got their periods at 6-12 weeks
- 20% got their periods at 12-18 weeks
- 14.3% got their periods at 18-24 weeks
With partial breastfeeding, periods tend to return a little sooner. Within 6 weeks, 35.5% of partly-lactating women got their periods back. By 12 weeks postpartum, 51.3% had their periods again. Ultimately, everyone is a little bit different. These numbers can help you predict when to expect your period, but the actual timing may end up being faster or slower for you.
What’s the First Period Like After Birth?
Your periods after giving birth may seem different than your period before pregnancy. For instance, your cycles may be irregular and harder to predict.
Bleeding may also be heavy and contain larger blood clots. Some women also have more intense cramping, due to a greater amount of uterine lining being shed.
Menstrual bleeding is considered heavy when:
- It continues for more than eight days
- It contains blood clots that are the size of a quarter or larger
- You soak through one (or more) tampon or pad per hour for several hours
- You need to change your pad or tampon in the middle of the night
Know more: The 8 Types of Abnormal Menstruation You Should Know About
Fortunately, your period should return back to normal after a few cycles. If you’re still struggling with irregular or heavy bleeding, talk to your healthcare professional. Losing too much blood during your period puts you at risk for anemia and related health problems.
When Should You Be Worried About No Period After Pregnancy?
It’s normal not to get your period back for up to six months after giving birth when breastfeeding. Even if you aren’t breastfeeding, it can still take time to get back on a regular cycle.
If you’re not breastfeeding (or you stop breastfeeding), you should expect your period to return within three months. Certain health conditions can delay your period longer, including another pregnancy.
Additionally, remember that ovulation always happens before menstruation. This means you can get pregnant before having your period again. So if you have had unprotected sex and haven’t gotten your period, take a pregnancy test. Ovulation coming first is more common in women who don’t breastfeed.
Know more: Know What Not To Do Before a Pregnancy Test
Other reasons your period may be delayed include hormone imbalances. Conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid issues can affect when your cycle returns.
A rare condition known as Asherman’s syndrome can also be responsible for the lack of menstruation. Sometimes, after a C-section, scar tissue and adhesions form inside the uterus. Tissue grows back abnormally during the recovery process. This prevents menstrual blood from leaving the uterus. As a result, women with Asherman’s syndrome have no periods or very light periods.
How Soon Can I Start Trying Again After Giving Birth?
Choosing to attempt another pregnancy after giving birth is a very personal decision. It depends on your unique circumstances. Ask yourself if you feel mentally and physically ready to get pregnant again. Also, think about your future family. How far apart in age would you like your children to be? Do you feel you have the financial and social support to bring another baby into the family?
Even if you feel ready, there are some benefits to giving your body some time off between pregnancies. It’s usually safer for you and your children to wait a bit. Experts recommend completely avoiding another pregnancy for the first six months after childbirth. Ideally, hold off for at least 18 months before conceiving again for the best chances of a healthy pregnancy.
When the time comes to start trying again, you need to know when you’re ovulating. Hormonal changes make your cycles irregular and harder to predict in the first few months following birth. Getting actual data takes the guesswork out of pregnancy planning.
The Inito Fertility Monitor can tell you when you’re ovulating and when’s the best time to have sex to conceive. Inito measures 4 key fertility hormones in your urine – LH, estrogen, PdG (urine metabolite of progesterone), and FSH) – on a single test strip to track and confirm ovulation. This gives you more control over your pregnancy planning and timeline.
If you have no period after pregnancy and are wondering when to worry, the answer is never. Don’t worry. Just seek support and answers to take control of your health and well-being.
FAQs
Everyone has a slightly different timeline for when their period comes back. Whether or not you breastfeed is a big factor in how long it takes to menstruate again. If you don’t breastfeed at all, your period may come back within 6 weeks to 3 months after childbirth. However, if you are breastfeeding, it can take up to 6 months.
It’s possible to get pregnant within a few weeks after you give birth. But this is less common if you’re breastfeeding. It just depends on when your body starts ovulating again. Some women ovulate before their period comes back. You shouldn’t assume that you’re protected against another pregnancy just because you’re not menstruating yet.
Your initial period after giving birth may be longer and heavier than your periods were before pregnancy. Although this is normal, you should ask your healthcare provider if you feel like you’re losing too much blood or having a lot of uncomfortable period-related symptoms.
Pregnancy doesn’t make you more fertile. In fact, immediately after you have a child, your chances of getting pregnant again are lower than usual due to hormonal changes. Nonetheless, it’s still possible to conceive soon after childbirth.
Fertility depends on several factors, including your age, genetics, and general health. It’s also affected by your partner’s fertility. You can use Inito’s fertility monitor to track and confirm your ovulation when you’re ready.
Was this article helpful?
- The effect of lactation on ovulation and fertility | Clinics in perinatology
- Luteinizing hormone-follicle stimulating hormone ratio as biological predictor of post-partum depression | Comprehensive Psychiatry
- How Much and How Often to Breastfeed | CDC
- Menstruation after childbirth | The Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology of the British Empire
- Return of Ovulation and Menses in Postpartum Nonlactating Women | Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Heavy Menstrual Bleeding | The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Asherman Syndrome | StatPearls
- Interpregnancy Care | The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
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