How long does it take to get your period after a cesarean section?

Nowadays, many women choose cesarean section when giving birth. This method of delivery avoids some headaches during delivery and has been favored by many women. However, female friends also face many problems after cesarean section, especially menstruation. Many women are very concerned about how long it will take for them to have their period after cesarean section. Some women do not have their period for a long time after cesarean section.

The menstrual issues of female friends after giving birth have also received a lot of attention. Many women have their periods right after giving birth, and some women don't have their periods for a long time. How long does it take to have your period after a cesarean section, and when is it normal to have your period?

Due to endocrine changes after childbirth, the ovaries of most women cannot resume function immediately, and thus a menopause stage occurs after childbirth. Some people believe that women who breastfeed after childbirth do not ovulate and do not have menstruation, which is not entirely correct. The average time that women do not ovulate after giving birth is 70 days, and about 40% of women ovulate for the first time before their menstruation resumes.

For new mothers who breastfeed their babies, ovulation and menstruation will resume later, and some may not have their period until a year later. For most people, their first menstrual period is heavier than usual, but their second period becomes normal, so no treatment is needed.

When menstruation comes, the amount of milk a new mother produces generally decreases, and the quality of the protein and fat contained in the breast milk also changes slightly, with the protein content being higher and the fat content being lower. This milk can sometimes cause indigestion symptoms in babies, but this is a temporary phenomenon and will return to normal after the menstrual period. Therefore, new mothers do not need to stop breastfeeding whether during or after their menstrual period.

From a medical point of view, based on the tissue morphology of the endometrium, the ovaries may be able to ovulate as early as 33-42 days after delivery. In addition, the presence of a corpus luteum after ovulation can also be observed 6 weeks after delivery. Therefore, if the new mother does not breastfeed, menstruation usually occurs within 6-8 weeks after delivery. Research data show that 40% of non-breastfeeding mothers resume ovulation 6 weeks after delivery; by 8-12 weeks after delivery, only about 35% of mothers have not resumed ovulation and menstruation. About 25% of breastfeeding mothers will resume ovulation and menstruation 12 weeks after delivery, and most breastfeeding mothers usually take until 18 weeks to fully resume ovulation function. However, it is sometimes difficult to clinically determine the exact time of the first menstrual period after delivery, and a small number of women will begin to have intermittent bleeding of small to moderate amounts immediately after delivery.

What to do if you have irregular menstruation after cesarean section?

1. Postpartum menstrual irregularities

[Cause] Irregular menstruation after delivery is mainly caused by neuroendocrine dysfunction, organic diseases or drugs. Endocrine dysfunction such as abnormal thyroid and adrenal cortex function, diabetes, etc.; organic diseases include local inflammation of the reproductive organs, tumors and developmental abnormalities, malnutrition, etc.; drug factors such as the use of endocrine preparations, etc., all of these reasons may cause irregular menstruation after delivery.

[Prevention and treatment measures] You should pay attention to proper calcium supplementation, get more rest, strengthen nutrition, and exercise appropriately, which can play a certain preventive role. If your menstrual periods are irregular for a long time, it is recommended that you go to the hospital to find out the specific cause and then receive appropriate treatment.

2. Less menstrual blood

[Cause] Some new mothers have normal menstrual cycles after childbirth, but the menstrual flow is very small, or even just a little bit, which is the symptom of "oligomenorrhea". The main reasons are caused by blood deficiency or traumatic bleeding. For example, heavy hemorrhage after childbirth can cause blood deficiency, resulting in oligomenorrhea; congenital kidney qi and kidney essence deficiency, excessive childbirth, etc. damage the kidneys, resulting in kidney qi deficiency, and finally oligomenorrhea; sometimes the endocrine system is normal, but the uterus is underdeveloped, the endometrium's response to the stimulation of ovarian hormones is reduced, or the endometrium is partially adhered, which can also cause oligomenorrhea.

[Prevention and Treatment Methods] Prevention is generally the main means. New mothers should pay attention to the following aspects of prevention and treatment: try to avoid surgeries that can damage the endometrium; contraceptives should be used alternately with other contraceptive measures to avoid excessive suppression of pituitary function due to long-term use of contraceptives.

3. Excessive menstrual bleeding

[Reason] If a new mother has regular menstruation but the amount of bleeding is heavy each time, it means excessive menstruation. Excessive menstruation is mainly caused by organic diseases, such as uterine fibroids. Under normal circumstances, the amount of menstrual blood in each menstrual cycle generally does not exceed 30 ml to 50 ml. If it exceeds 80 ml, it can be diagnosed as menorrhagia. The amount of menstrual blood in each person's menstrual cycle is different, so you can only judge it based on your own situation.

[Prevention and Treatment] There are many ways to treat heavy menstruation, including surgical treatments such as hysterectomy and endometrial ablation. There are also a number of medications available to treat heavy periods, either taken orally or released through an intrauterine device. Drug treatment is usually used after delivery.

How long does it take to get menstruation after a cesarean section? Female friends should not worry too much if they have abnormal menstruation after delivery. Some women who have had cesarean sections have abnormal menstruation after delivery, especially during breastfeeding. If the child is weaned, menstruation will slowly return to normal. This requires a process, so female friends should not worry too much.