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When should I expect to get my first period after my baby is born?

There are no hard and fast rules about when you can expect to start menstruating after your baby is born. Every woman is different. However, experts agree that how soon your period returns has a lot to do with how much you breastfeed your child.
 
Mums who don’t breastfeed and feed their child exclusively on formula can expect their normal cycle to resume as quickly as one month after the birth of their child.
Those who’s babies sleep through from an early age, or who feed a mixture of breast milk and formula, may find that their periods take a few months to return. Women who breastfeed exclusively however, and who wake at night to feed their babies, might not have their first post baby period for as much as a year after the birth of their child.
 
It’s important to note, however, that as with your normal cycle, an egg is released roughly two weeks before your period. That means that because there’s no way of predicting when you will start ovulating and menstruating again, you need to ensure that you are using birth control. Otherwise, it’s entirely possible to get pregnant again while you are breastfeeding. It’s a myth that you are infertile when you are breastfeeding so make sure you are as careful as if you were having your regular cycle.

More questions

There are some very good reasons that you would want to avoid sexual intercourse.
Your vagina will naturally shrink after delivery, as your body heals, but whether it returns to its original size, depends on a number of factors.
Your menstrual cycle usually starts towards the end of your breastfeeding phase, but how regular it is once it is back varies from woman to woman.
It is not uncommon for women to experience pain and discomfort during sex, for the first couple of months after having a baby.
The delaying effect that breastfeeding has on the return of normal menstruation has an effect on fertility and can be considered as a method of contraception – although it is not a very reliable one.
The Intrauterine System, or IUS, is an effective method of birth control that is safe to use while breastfeeding.
It is true that some women experience a drop in their sex drive while breastfeeding, however, this isn’t always the case.
The return to your normal cycle is not a hard and fast rule and it can take anything from a month to a year before your first post baby period happens.
It is entirely up to you and your husband as to when you want to start having sex after the birth of your baby. The best thing to do is to have patience and wait until your body is ready for sex after your baby is born.
As very often happens, if you are just too tired to have sex after a long day, then tell your husband. If he is understanding and clever, he will help you as much as he can. After all, you will both benefit from this.

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