When do you start period back after giving birth and can you take birth control pills while breastfeeding?

Question

I plan to breastfeed and was wondering if you can take birth control pills after having baby and also when do you get your period. I have heard that you bleed pretty bad after birth but is this your normal period starting back??

Answer 1

Immediately after birth you will bleed for a while. This discharge is not a period....it's is your lochia and will normally last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks.

Some breastfeeding mothers never get a period the entire time they are breastfeeding. (Especially if they are exclusively nursing.) Some will get their period back right away. Some will get it back after baby starts solid foods. Others may not get it for over a year. Anything is normal.

You should avoid any estrogen-containing contraceptive for at least the first months postpartum.

Progestin-only contraceptives are the preferred choice for breastfeeding mothers when something hormonal is desired or necessary. The link below has a list of examples.

ADDING -
With my first, my period returned at 10 mos PP.
With my second, my period returned at 9.5 mos PP.
With my third, my period didn't return until about 16 months PP.
All three kids were exclusively breastfed until starting solids at 6 mos and continued to nurse well beyond one year.

Answer 2

Ok you CAN take birth control pills while you breastfeed. It's called the mini-pill and it works with your body while breastfeeding to prevent pregnancies, but you HAVE to take it at the EXACT time every day or else it won't work. If you want more information on birth control methods post-partum, then having a talk with your OB would be very beneficial.

You do bleed heavily after giving birth but it's not a period, it's afterbirth bleeding which could last several weeks depending on how your body heals.

Most breastfeeding women don't get their periods for months after the initial post-partum bleeding. I breastfed both my children and I didn't get my period until they were 5 months old (and I was STILL nursing them). Now, just because you're breastfeeding and you don't get your period, doesn't mean that you can't get pregnant either. Don't use breastfeeding as your sole reason for birth control. You need to have backup like the mini pill or condoms if you don't want to get pregnant right away.

Hope that info helps! And like I said, if you need more info, just call your OB! :)

Good Luck!!

Answer 3

You will bleed for about 6-8 weeks after you give birth. This is not a period. This is your uterus shrinking back down to it's normal size. I had a c-section and a rubella vaccination while still in the hospital, so it was crucial for me not to get pregnant for a while. I had planned to breastfeed, so my OB put me on a lower dosage birth control pill. I didn't get my first period until my daughter was 5 months old, which is pretty common for women who breastfeed. My next period was almost 2 months later. Then they started getting closer together. By the time my daughter was 10 months, I was having my period every 16 days. I decided to go off the pill because I was still breastfeeding and didn't want to take a higher dosage pill. My husband and I were planning on ttc when our daughter turned one anyway. After going off the pill, my periods were normal. That was almost 4 months ago.

Answer 4

I am a mom of a 9 months old baby girl and I am still breastfeeding her. I have been on the pill Micronor (also called the "mini-pill"). It slowed down my milk production a little bit but it's worked great.

Since my baby is eating solids she requires less milk from me, so my production has slowed as well. I just got my first period last week since I had her. The bleeding after the baby is not a period.

If you pump or nurse enough, you can go without a period as long as you are nursing.

Good luck.

Answer 5

When Maya was born I breastfed exclusively. I didn't get my period till she was 8 or 9 months old. As long as you are breastfeeding regularly, your period will be kept at bay.

Most women start again sometime after their child begins on solids or formula. Also, breastfeeding does provide you with natural birth control, although it is not 100%. Many breastfeeding women do not ovulate for months after having a child. It is your bodies natural safety measure against your body becoming overwhelmed by supporting two lives.

Answer 6

Your doctor can prescribe a pill that is suitable for breastfeeding women. The bleeding is just from the trauma of giving birth and getting rid of anything that is left inside you.
Because you want to breastfeed, your periods may not return for about six months. That's when mine came back, and even then, they haven't been regular since.

Answer 7

I was bleeding almost 2 month after get birth but my period didn't come back until my baby was 7 month old. By the way, I breast-feed my 11-months old till now.

I saw it online that if you breastfeed less than 30 minutes a day, your period will come back.

Answer 8

You can start any time after baby. I have regular monthly periods starting a month after each of my 3 chilren. A lot of women don't have their periods when they're breastfeeding ( I however, am not one of those lucky ones). There is a pill you can take while breastfeeding. I can not remember the name, but your obgyn or midwife will tell you.

Answer 9

I started my period 5 weeks after giving birth, and it was pretty heavy just for one day of it. It was more painful than my normal one's but not bad. And I don't know about birth control never used it, and never will. (I only have 1 child) But I suggest asking your doctor about that for sure.

Answer 10

No--u will bleed for awhile and then get a period the following month. That's how it usually goes. I'm not sure about the birth control thing. Seems to me like I heard you should not take them while breast feedingl.