Should I Use A Pad Tampon Or Menstrual Cup
You have many choices about how to deal with period blood. You may need to experiment a bit to find which works best for you. Some girls use only one method and others switch between different methods.
- Most girls use pads when they first get their period. Pads are made of cotton and come in lots of different sizes and shapes. They have sticky strips that attach to the underwear.
- Many girls find tampons more convenient than pads, especially when playing sports or swimming. A tampon is a cotton plug that a girl puts into her vagina. Most tampons come with an applicator that guides the tampon into place. The tampon absorbs the blood. Dont leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours because this can increase your risk of a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome.
- Some girls prefer a menstrual cup. Most menstrual cups are made of silicone. To use a menstrual cup, a girl inserts it into her vagina. It holds the blood until she empties it.
Can You Get Your Period While Breastfeeding Lets Discuss This And Many Other Common Questions
A common question we hear from expecting and new mothers is how breastfeeding affects menstruation and fertility. While theres no precise answer to when your period will return after having a baby, breastfeeding does have an impact. Missing a period is one of the first signs of pregnancy The pregnancy hormones in your body keep your period away, which may last longer should you choose to breastfeed. But can you still get pregnant? Keep reading!
Youre Not 100% Protected From Pregnancy Yet
This one is especially important for sexually active women: Dont stop using protection your first month on birth control, because you can still get pregnant! Opting for back-up protection is your best and safest bet. During your first month, there is still a chance that you ovulated before starting the first pill, so there could still be an egg ready for fertilization. After your first month, the hormones in the active pills should prevent you from ovulating altogether. Always use a backup method, and check out Planned Parenthood for more information about what options are available to you.
Read Also: How Many Days After Ovulation Does Your Period Start
Getting Back To Normal
But what happens if you decide not to breastfeed or when you stop?
Most women will resume normal periods after having a baby, Dr. Young says. If your period is normal, it occurs every 21 to 35 days. Bleeding lasts from two to seven days, she says.
Back to normal likely applies to whatever was going on before your pregnancy, as well. Here are two examples:
Birth control: Using birth control pills for contraception often results in skipped, shorter, lighter and/or less painful periods. If you go back to the pills after pregnancy, the lighter periods may resume. If you dont, you likely will have normal, heavier periods.
Endometriosis: If you have endometriosis or a history of painful periods, you may have easier periods at first after your baby is born. But this change is typically only temporary. A holdover of increased levels of progesterone from pregnancy may cause endometrial implants to get smaller. The result is less painful periods. Your doctor will want to follow up with you regularly after your pregnancy, however. Painful periods are likely to resume, Dr. Young says.
How do the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth affect future periods?
Here again, things can go either way, Dr. Young says.
Some women experience heavier, longer or more painful periods after having a baby. These changes may relate to a larger uterine cavity causing more endometrium to shed.
For some women, however, their periods improve.
What else can make periods worse after pregnancy?
What’s A Menstrual Period Anyway
Your period during a natural menstrual cycle happens because your uterus is shedding its inner lining.
The body’s natural process is to have your uterine lining become thicker in anticipation of fertilizing the egg . When it finds out no fertilization is happening, it sheds that lining.
No baby is coming to protect and nurture in there, after all! The unfertilized egg, along with blood and tissue, passes through the vagina and inevitably shows up on your tampons and pads. This whole process is controlled by the rise and fall of your body’s hormone levels, specifically estrogen and progesterone
Also Check: Feeling Sick Before Period Could I Be Pregnant
How Does It Start
The first period typically occurs after a female first ovulates. This happens when the ovaries release an egg into the fallopian tube.
When this happens, the womb lining thickens in preparation for the egg to be fertilized. If fertilization does not occur, the lining sheds, as the body no longer needs it. This is where period blood comes from.
In most females, this cycle continues regularly from the age of the first period until menopause, which is when periods end.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the average age at which females began menstruating in the United States in 20132017 was
Not All Methods Of Contraception Will Be Suitable For You
Not all methods of contraception are safe for all women. For example, you should not use some methods if you have certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure .
There are some medical conditions where some types of contraception are not recommend because of the risk of a blood clot . These include:
- pre-eclampsia
- male or female condoms
- an IUD or an IUS .
An IUD OR IUS should be fitted within 48 hours of the birth. If you chose not to, youll usually be advised to wait until 4 weeks after the birth.
You May Like: Why Does My Period Come Twice A Month
Will My Period Change After Pregnancy
Many new moms are surprised by how much they bleed after having a baby. For two to three weeks after a vaginal or cesarean section delivery, they experience what looks like a heavy period. This is called lochia, a mix of blood and uterine tissue the body doesnt need after pregnancy.
Like a period, it typically starts heavy and becomes lighter over time, eventually ending with some spotting. The color will transition from dark red to brownish-pink to off-white. However, you are not ovulating regularly yet releasing eggs from your ovaries so lochia isnt a true menstrual period.
Cramping further blurs the line between lochia and menstrual bleeding. Your uterus expands several times its size to keep up with the growth of your baby after birth, it shrinks back down. The muscle contractions from this process feel similar to period cramps.
Caring for a newborn will consume most of your attention, but be sure to monitor the amount of blood youre losing during the first few weeks after delivery. Up to 5% of patients experience uncontrolled bleeding, or postpartum hemorrhage, a condition accompanied by symptoms such as low blood pressure, pale skin, and nausea.
If your blood loss seems excessive, see your provider right away. After lochia ends, the timing, flow, and duration of every womans period varies, but enough similarities exist to answer common questions about postpartum menstruation.
So How Does Breastfeeding Prevent Your Period From Starting
As with most things in a womans body it all comes down to hormones. A special hormone called prolactin is produced by the breastfeeding mothers body in order to produce breast milk. Prolactin often suppresses the rest of your reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Without high enough levels of these reproductive hormones you are unlikely to ovulate and as a result, wont menstruate! Science is pretty cool right?!
A world of caution: Just because your period hasnt returned does NOT mean you cant get pregnant. Here is a friendly reminder from 10th-grade health class, ovulation happens BEFORE menstruation. This means you could release an egg, and get pregnant before your period ever shows up! The takeaway? If you are not interested in getting pregnant again be sure to use contraception.
So if you are like me you are probably wondering when the elusive Aunt Flow will return? Probably at the worst possible moment. Here are 5 signs that your period may be returning and you will want to have some supplies ready for its arrival!
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Pregnant 7 Days Before Your Period
Your First Postpartum Period Will Probably Be Heavier Than Before Pregnancy
Whenever your period does return after having a baby, it will likely be in full forceit’s not only shedding your uterine lining, but also shedding any clots or old blood from the delivery process.
This time around, you might also experience ovulation pain, wonderfully known as mittelschmerz . In some cases, women who have been pregnant may be more attuned or more sensitive to the one-sided abdominal twinging that comes with the action of an egg being released from an ovary.
While this can be a less-than-pleasant experience, Sauter says that many women eventually experience less painful and intense periods as they get farther away from their baby’s birth.If you experience very heavy bleedingfilling a pad or period underwear in an hour or two, having multiple clots or one clot that is the size of a golf ball or largerseek emergency medical care immediately. Also look out for fevers, chills, lightheadedness, foul-smelling blood or discharge, belly pain, rapid heart rate or breathing rate or any other worrying signs, and seek medical care right away if you have them.
When Should You Expect Your First Period After Giving Birth
While its impossible to pin down the timing with any certainty, your first postpartum period may hinge on your breastfeeding regimen. The reason? Its a hormonal thing.
Women who breastfeed exclusively and frequently do not, in most cases, ovulate. And if youre not ovulating, youre probably not having a period.
Generally speaking, heres when you can expect your period to resume:
- If youre not breastfeeding, your period could return as soon as four weeks after giving birth, although thats not typical. Six to 12 weeks is about average. Most new moms are back on track by week 24 postpartum.
- If youre breastfeeding exclusively, youll likely have a longer break from your monthly cycle than other new moms. Look for your cycle to restart in three to six months. That said, theres a lot of variability. Its completely normal for women who breastfeed exclusively to have their first postpartum period six weeks after delivery or a year or more later even 18 months after giving birth.
- If youre breastfeeding some of the time, you might see your period return sooner. Women who combine bottle-feeding and breastfeeding often see their periods return six to 12 weeks after giving birth.
Don’t Miss: How Likely To Get Pregnant On Period
How To Stop Taking Birth Control Pills After Long
Currently, there is no prescribed method on how to stop taking birth control pills after long-term use. You can choose to quit all of a sudden or finish the pack youre currently on.
If you finish the pack, even though it may take a while, your period will occur around the same time it did before. So if youd prefer to return to a more regular period schedule, its best to finish the pack.
After you stop taking birth control, your body needs time to adjust to the new balance of hormones, similarly to when you started taking the pill in the first place. Possible side effects include slight bleeding or spotting, abdominal cramps, and irregular periods for the first few months. Gradually, these symptoms should disappear on their own.
The most important thing to remember once you stop taking birth control is that pregnancy can occur at any time if you remain sexually active. Consider switching to a barrier method of contraception like condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
Track my period
Next, Flo offers an in-depth look at a few of the side effects of going off the birth control pill.
Irregular periods
Unpredictable menstruation is a perfectly normal occurrence after going off the pill because your body requires some time to adjust to hormonal shifts. Such irregularities usually last for a few months but may stick around for up to a full year if you were receiving the birth control shot.
Will Contraception Affect My Breastmilk
If youre using a hormonal method of contraception, a small amount of hormone will pass into your breastmilk. There is no evidence that this will harm your baby, but you are advised to wait until the baby is 6 weeks old before starting the combined pill, the contraceptive vaginal ring or the contraceptive patch. This is because these methods contain the hormone estrogen which may prevent your milk production from starting.
Using the IUD doesnt affect your milk, and copper from it doesnt get into the milk.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Period Acne
Getting Your Periods After Delivery
During the 9 months of your gestation, there is a break in the process of menstruation. It is a matter of simple biology that while you are hosting a fetus in your womb, you will not have periods. For most women, this gap is welcomed with a sense of relief. Thanks to pregnancy you dont have to worry about staining your trousers or deal with premenstrual syndrome for several months.
Nonetheless, periods after delivery make a comeback and it is, often, unpleasant. You should aware of first menstruation after pregnancy in advance to avoid any additional discomfort.
First Postpartum Period Symptoms
Luckily , the symptoms you can expect when you get your first period after pregnancy are often pretty similar to what you experienced in the pastbut it can be highly variable, Schaffir says. In some women, their first period will be lighter than theyre used to some will be much heavier than theyre used to, he explains. You also may find that your periods are a little crampier than they were in the past, he says, but it depends on the person.
Another thing that can alter your period symptoms? What type of birth control youre using. If you were on hormonal birth control in the past and arent now , your period might feel a little different. Progestin-only forms of hormonal birth control are generally considered safe when youre breastfeeding and can ease some of those annoying symptoms, Greves says, resulting in less pain and a lighter flow.
While your postpartum period is likely to get back to usual fairly quickly, there are a few red flags to keep a lookout for. Call your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms:
Heavy bleeding. If youre bleeding so much that you have to change pads every 20 to 30 minutes over two to three hours, Schaffir says, let your doctor know.
Excessive cramping. If this is unusual for you and over-the-counter pain relievers arent helping, call your doctor, Greves says.
Fever. A spike in your temperature isnt a normal period symptom and could be a sign of an underlying infection, Greves says.
Recommended Reading: When Will I Get My Period Calculator