If you’re approaching your due date, or if you’ve just recently given birth, you might be wondering about when you’ll start having your period again.

So we put together this essential guide to what you should expect from your first period after birth, and when you should expect it.

When Will My Period Start Again After Pregnancy?

It largely depends on how you choose to feed your baby. If you fully breastfeed your baby, then your periods may not start again until you finish breastfeeding. Yet some mums combine breastfeeding with bottle-feeding, or else rely entirely on bottle-feeding. In this case, you could get your first period after pregnancy between five and six weeks following the birth.

But every woman’s different. There are no hard and fast rules here. Some women find their periods return before they finish breastfeeding, for example.

Why Does Breastfeeding Affect Your Periods?

Prolactin is the hormone that encourages your body to produce breastmilk. This hormone can interfere with the hormone that controls your periods. This is why continuing to breastfeed can cause your periods to take longer to come back.

What Will My First Period After Birth Be Like?

Your first period after birth might be different to the periods you had before you were pregnant. Not necessarily better or worse. Just different.

For example, you may experience more severe cramps. Or you may experience less severe cramps than you used to. Or, you might experience a heavier flow, which might contain some small blood clots.

Again, every woman’s different. But if your first period after birth seems particularly painful, or especially heavy, then talk to your midwife or doctor as soon as possible.

How Long Should Your First Period Last After Having a Baby?

It will probably take a while for your periods to get regular again. And once more, no two women are quite the same here. Your first period after having a baby might last for much shorter, or much longer, than they used to.

Also, be aware that for up to 10 days following your birth, your body will shed all the blood, mucus and tissue that lined your uterus during pregnancy. This is known as lochia, and the flow can be particularly heavy for the first few days following birth.

All women shed lochia following birth. But if your flow seems particularly heavy, or if it’s accompanied by symptoms including blurred vision, nausea, and dizziness, call your doctor immediately.

How Soon After Birth Can I Get Pregnant Again?

In your monthly cycle, ovulation comes before menstruation. This means that you can get pregnant again as little as three weeks following birth.

Certain birth control measures can interfere with your nursing. So talk to your doctor or midwife about returning to birth control following your pregnancy. They’ll be able to advise you on a system that won’t affect your health or your baby’s development.

Making Your Periods More Comfortable Following Birth

Postpartum sanitary pads can help you stay clean, dry, and comfortable following birth, whether you’re dealing with a lochia flow or your first period.

Also, as your body recovers from the birth, you’ll no doubt want your period products to be as comfortable and unobtrusive as possible.

We make our sanitary pads from only soft and natural materials, without any harmful chemicals. They’re kind to your body while remaining reliably absorbent. They’re also reusable. You can easily wash them after use, so there’s no need to keep buying more.

Browse our complete range of comfortable and eco-friendly reusable sanitary pads and breast pads.