what happens after baby?

[rejessa]

i know its going to be a weird question...
but how does your cycle change after your first LO?
i have heard many stories about a 12 week mentral period after delivery and then spotty irregular menstral periods after that.

what is the truth?

also, does breastfeeding have anything to do with how your period works?
i am planning on BF for at least 18 mnths. what should i expect?

how soon can you resume sexual activity?

i know docs sometimes say not to attempt until 6 wks after, but does that include doing 'it' yourself?
first time, sorry for all the questions. i am just curious and no one wants to tell me the gory details after baby....

 

[BleedingBlack]

Actual AF... mine got better after birth...usually 3-4 days and not horrible.

The actual bleeding after delivery... mine has lasted up to a month.

 

[BleedingBlack]

BTW you are due on my oldest daughter's birthday!

 

[rejessa]

Actual AF... mine got better after birth...usually 3-4 days and not horrible.

The actual bleeding after delivery... mine has lasted up to a month.

how heavy was bleeding after delivery? was it heavy for a week and then got lighter? or what happened?

 

[BleedingBlack]

Actual AF... mine got better after birth...usually 3-4 days and not horrible.

The actual bleeding after delivery... mine has lasted up to a month.

how heavy was bleeding after delivery? was it heavy for a week and then got lighter? or what happened?

I bled heavy for about two weeks before it started to taper off. I used the pads the hospital provided me (and asked for extra before I went home) for those two weeks.

 

[ohiomom]

I had a c-section with my first baby. I bleed for maybe a week or so. As far as sexual activity, I think my hubs and I started at about 5.5 weeks - after we got our hands on some BC. My doctor approved it at my appt.

 

[babydoll06]

I bled for about a week-week and a half after delivery. The first two days it was really heavy and after that it was just like a regular period. After that mine were lighter and I'd have less cramping than I did before... & my doctor said to wait 4 weeks afterwards for sex. I ripped pretty bad though so sex was a little painful for a while. I wouldn't want to do anything much earlier than that though.. orgasms make your uterus contract and sometimes its really uncomfortable.

 

[Sew_Sweet]

everything effects it and it is different for everyone. i didn't get my period back until i started taking birth control pills - and this was over 8 months after delivery. and yes i was breastfeeding.

As far as right after delivery - i guess i don't count that as a 'period' but yes it was heavy. i can't remember how long it lasted. it wasn't unbearable or anything.

you can resume sexual activity when you are comfortable with it. it again will be different with everyone.

 

[sunshineray7]

I bled for about 3 weeks after my csection with the first week being quite heavy. We didn't have sex for ages but I had pnd so was really just because I didn't want to. I breastfed for 12 months and got my first period 9 months after having ds.

 

[honey08]

i bled heavy for over a wk, light for a wk, then af came 2wk after that i had a c-sec x

 

[Mrsmitch80]

I bled for about 3 weeks, wasn't ever really heavy but I'm presuming that they gave me a bit of a clean out as I had my placenta manually removed.

Had sex 5 weeks after, can't really say I enjoyed it though as I had an episiotomy and it was painful. Did feel good that everything was still in working order though!

Af was regular but went back on the pill straight away so that regulates you a bit

Xx

 

[Ashlee B x]

I bled for 7 weeks was really heavy and few clots for a few days, was having to change pads every hour and half to 2 hours for the first 2 days, then it started to slow down, and then it went to the yucky brown blood which seemed to last for weeks lol. I wasnt ready to try sex till LO was 10 weeks old, even then it was TMI in n out a few times n it didnt feel right so i made him stop and then we tried again when LO was about 14 weeks i think? but I no a friend (altho she had light bleeding after baby 3) had sex after 10 days, personally EWW!! lol my SIL stopped bledding after 2 weeks and had sexboth were fine, i just wasnt ready. Not sure on AF's as i went onto the pill and that regulated them anyway lol
BF does stop your periods returning for while, but seeing as your a first time, dont solely set ur heart on BF'ing its not as easy as it looks, make sure you do have bottles too as you never no what will happen, but if your can get past the first 2 weeks you should be fine

 

[MummytoSummer]

I had a c section and bled heavily for a week then it got much lighter for a week. My real af showed up 6.5 weeks after I'd had my daughter. It was always 3-4 days long before and not that heavy, it came back exactly the same. My husband and I started having sex as soon as I'd had my 6 week check up and the all clear.

It'll be different for every woman though and different with every pregnancy too I would imagine.

X

 

[sunflower2310]

I had no idea you bled afterwards (this is my first baby). Do you have to use pads or can you use tampons? Glad i read this thread!

 

[Kielee]

A friend of mine was back to normal in a few weeks and got pregnant again her first cycle so she went back to work pregnant, she was so embarrassed lol xx

 

[Ashlee B x]

I had no idea you bled afterwards (this is my first baby). Do you have to use pads or can you use tampons? Glad i read this thread!

Noooo no tampons lol. U have to use maternity pads, they are really long and thick so will absorb all the blood but ull soak them pretty quickly, so get 2 packets haha. But yes u do bleed, quite alot the first day esph

 

[Noirin]

i breastfed and bled for almost 8 weeks 6 which were real heavy, but was back into my pre preg jeans within 4 weeks my periods came bk normal, i never did get heavy periods and lasted about 5 days, this was the same after havin a baby, i got my period back real quick, but iv heard of ppl breastfeeding that didnt get a period back for a long time x

 

[MummytoSummer]

You need to use pads. Not just normal sanitary pads though, in places like mothercare you can buy the special maternity pads. They're much thicker than normal pads. It's not nice, you kinda feel like you're wearing a nappy! For the first couple of days I was bleeding so heavily I had to wear 2 of them together on top of each other to stop it soaking through and I was having to change it every couple of hours! After the first week or so of heavy bleeding I could get away with normal pads but still wore the maternity ones at night.

X

 

[MommyJaan]

Scaaarrrry!

 

[sunflower2310]

I had no idea you bled afterwards (this is my first baby). Do you have to use pads or can you use tampons? Glad i read this thread!

Noooo no tampons lol. U have to use maternity pads, they are really long and thick so will absorb all the blood but ull soak them pretty quickly, so get 2 packets haha. But yes u do bleed, quite alot the first day esph

Thanks hun

Meh sounds horrible. The things they leave for you to find out yourself! Make sure i pack dark bottoms then!

I guess you buy your own from like mothercare and places like that? They just called maternity pads? I sound so dumb lol