Menstruation after giving birth: What do you need to know?
In the first days and weeks after your birth, post partum , you will experience bleeding that may resemble your period. The bleeding comes from the wound from where your placenta was stuck in the uterus, and over the weeks it will seriously decrease and go from fresh blood to more brownish-yellow discharge - what is called maternity discharge. You may experience a strong smell from the abdomen along the way - it is the wound that is healing. But it can seem quite violent.
Remember that you can talk to your health nurse or your doctor about your bleeding if you are concerned about the amount of bleeding, the freshness of the blood or have other questions. Better to ask once too much than once too little.
In your post-partum days, it is important to avoid tampons and menstrual cups, as the bleeding comes from a healing wound and, for example, instead use pads, diapers or menstrual panties - something you can change quickly and easily as needed. It is most hygienic. And then it is important to think about whether you can actually get pregnant again. Even if it seems completely far-fetched that you will ever have sex again (we sit for a while with our hands in the air). When you go for your eight-week check-up with the doctor, they will also ask you about forms of contraception - whether you need contraception and what might be the best solution for you, where you are right now.
But when does the real period return? It is very individual. For some it is a matter of weeks - for others months, and then there are those who only get it after 1-2 years.
If you're breastfeeding, it can help hold back your period - but it's not safe. In fact, Flow was founded exactly four months after our founder's second birth - despite breastfeeding.
And for some, the return of menstruation can be happy news; “hey! The body works!” and for others it can be a little overwhelming to have to deal with a bleed on top of everything else new. It may also take some time before your cycle is regular again - this is completely normal. Everything has to find itself again - including you. Maybe the menstrual product you used last, before your pregnancy, no longer works for you - and so it's time to try something new? Then you have to try yourself, and here menstrual panties are a soft way to start.
Good healing to you <3
