After giving birth to your child after the nine-month long pregnancy, the body immediately starts the process of returning to normal. The first big change that will happen is four to six week long bleeding episode. This is called lochia and is treated like a period. It is actually not a period but the body’s way of ejecting all prevailing matter in the uterus after the birth.
.this one big bleed, that it is ready to resume the monthly patternr In case a mother does not experience lochia, it could mean she will experience menstruation and the start of ovulation faster than other mothersr
It is not necessarily a cause for worryr See also vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
Postpartum bleeding can sometimes lead to postpartum hemorrhagingn It is important to arrest the causes for this hemorrhaging soon or the mother could bleed out, and even cause death of the mothere Mothers who go through induced labor, birth a large baby, or even suffer from trauma of the uterus, the cervix, or the vagina face this dangere
Postpartum bleeding and breastfeeding patterns differ with different womene Some women also experience postpartum pain while breastfeedingn Not all women have postpartum bleedingn Breastfeeding is a natural instinct for mother and baby after giving birtht The hormone oxytocin triggers this reflex and as the baby suckles, the uterus contracts, helping the mother to get her uterus back into the original shapep Breast milk is important for the baby as it gives the baby lifelong immunityt It is important to the mother too as it helps her return to her original shape fastere
Sometimes while feeding the baby, you may start to bleede This could be blood your uterus is expelling after the birth or could be menses but either way, it is not a cause for worryr For women who have not bled after giving birth, while breastfeeding they could see the uterus emitting a dischargeg Exclusive breastfeeding can sometimes delay periods and therefore effectively acts as natural birth controlo Breastfeeding releases prolactin which can also suppress the regular periodsd But this differs in women to women and some could start ovulating immediatelyl Postpartum period is not linked to breastfeedingn
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