Why does no one tell you how bloody awful post-baby periods are?

Before I had my son, I didn’t think much about my periods. It was a nice excuse to have long baths and eat plenty of chocolate and whilst I didn’t love period pain, I barely reached for the paracetamol.

Of course, when trying for a baby periods take on another meaning: they’re almost taunting; each period a sign of *not* being pregnant and being one step further away from having or growing your family.

But, once I was pregnant, I hadn’t really thought about my periods returning when pregnant. But boy, did they return…

Lochia

Lochia is post-partum bleeding and it usually happens for a good few weeks post-baby.

That in itself wasn’t a big problem for me, it was relatively light and cleared up relatively quickly too.

However, some women find that lochia can go on and on and on-it’s normal for it to hover around for up to six weeks but by around ten days it should have subsided in heaviness meaning you may be able to graduate from the giant maternity pads to the regular kind. Motherhood really is so glamourous.

Let’s talk about the first post-baby period

Once Lochia is out the way, let’s talk about the first post-baby period. IT IS GOD DAMN AWFUL. It’s like an event almost in itself…

My first post-partum period was horrendous, like 9 months of missed periods rolled into one heavy, extremely painful period. The type that just stops you in your tracks for days. But here’s the worst part: those rituals you could indulge in pre-baby when the period hit-long baths? tubs of ice creams? crying whilst watching a teenage rom-com you’re far too old for? You can’t do any of those because you have a baby in the room you need to look after 24/7.

Why do your periods get worse after having a baby?

My son is 14 months old now and I’m still finding my periods are so much worse post-baby. Not only do they seem to linger on for around 7-8 days now (my favourite is when I think it’s finished and then it decided to come back just for fun) but the pain I get in the first few days can stop me in my tracks and leave me feeling nauseous. Before having a baby, I thought my periods were heavy but now I understand they were not: on the heaviest days, I feel as if I’m constantly changing towels.

My PMT is also much worse: the few days before my period I’m incredibly emotional and angry. It sometimes feels as if two weeks of my cycle is dominated by either PMS, the period itself, and then recovering from the fatigue of it.

But why is this? I’ve asked my doctor and had little response other than it’s normal to have periods that change or get worse post-baby.

I asked Marianna Killick, a women’s health coach about her experience with women and post-baby periods and she explained: ” Many women find periods are heavier in the first instance, then settle over time to what they were before. This partly depends on your hormonal balance pre-baby. Post-baby, there are many variables. For those breastfeeding, the prolactin hormone which rises for milk production can suppress ovulation, so periods return later or are more irregular.”

“For those not breastfeeding periods tend to return earlier. The earlier periods return the more hormones are still in the system from pregnancy, so the potential for heavier periods at that point is higher. Then you factor in the higher levels of progesterone from pregnancy or alternations to thyroid function (common postpartum) and the fact that the body has to find its rhythm in the hormonal cycle again,” adds Marianne.

Other reasons might be because of weight changes (these fluctuations affect your oestrogen production); another is to do with changes in the uterine cavity meaning there is more lining to shed. It’s reassuring to know there’s a reason but it doesn’t help when there’s no real solution.

*No we don’t know why she’s posing like that with her tampons either*

Mums share about their post-baby periods

Was it just me?I asked about this on Instagram and here’s the responses I got…

“My periods are AWFUL and are getting worse each month”

“My cramps and PMT are awful-I’m much more moody.”

“My periods are still totally irrelgular and I get really bad fatigue a week or so before and during the week of it.”

“My periods are much more painful post-baby.”

“Since having a baby, my periods are much more heavy.”

“After a C-Section my periods were actually much better but I’m still mega emotional the week before and week of period now.”

“Sometimes my periods are heavier and sometimes they are light.”

“Mine we’re non existent whilst breastfeeding but now they’re horrendously painful. I used to get a bit of pain but now they’re unbearable for a few days.”

“My periods are much heavier, more painful and all over the place.”