How to Deal with Irregular Periods After Childbirth

Having a child changes your life completely, including the way that your body functions. The body's hormones fluctuate as it tries to develop and maintain a new equilibrium. This can cause a number of symptoms, one of which is irregular periods.

Keep reading to learn more about how to deal with irregular periods after giving birth and more so that you can go back to living a hormonally balanced, symptom-free life.

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Why Do I Have Irregular Periods After Childbirth?

By nature, pregnancy is a time of hormonal flux. After you give birth, your body works to revert hormone levels to their previous state.

As such, periods can be sporadic after you've given birth or if you are breastfeeding. This can also cause periods to halt, and regular menstruation may not resume until your child is weaned.

Although women generally assume that they're infertile until the first post-birth period, you may actually ovulate before it comes. As such, you may still able to get pregnant. Remember to use condoms or other methods of contraception if you are sexually active.

What Are Some Tips for Dealing with Irregular Periods?

When your period returns after giving birth, it may be heavier, lighter, longer, or shorter than what you were once used to. This is fairly common. 

Here are a few tips that might help you get your irregular periods back on schedule.

• Eat a well-balanced diet. Returning your hormone levels to normal will often incite the return of menstruation. A well-balanced diet - full of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plenty of water - can be surprisingly effective at restoring your body to stable hormone levels.

• Engage in regular exercise. Exercise will help hasten the process to regular, healthy periods by supporting the health of the endocrine system. When you are cleared by your doctor to resume exercise, strive for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and try exercises such as yoga, tai chi, swimming, dancing, and other low-impact options.

• Don't use the birth control pill. Because it is a hormonal treatment, and your hormones are already in flux from pregnancy, it's not advisable to use birth control pills as a contraceptive method at this time. If you are sexually active, use condoms or other non-hormonal methods for the time being.

More Information

Irregular menstruation after giving birth is normal. However, if your period has not returned after several months and you are not breastfeeding, it is best to consult a doctor. To read more about the details of irregular periods click on the previous link.