Expert: Dorothy H, LCCE - 3/26/2010

Question
After Having my son I was bleeding for about 35 days and stopped. A few weeks after that, I got a pretty heavy period. It has now been about 28 days and I am yet to get a period. Is this normal? Does it take a while for my period to be back on track? I've been using birth controll regularly after the birth of my son, but I fear that it has failed me. I am too nervous to take a home pregnancy test, but am dying of anxioty. Please tell me my period can be jumpy after child birth!

Answer
Hi,

YES, your period can most definitely take several months to get back to normal.

Especially if you are still breastfeeding, it may not get back to normal until several months after you stop breastfeeding!

If you are not breastfeeding, it can still take several months after the birth of your baby to get back on track, and you may even skip a month.

Also, your cycle length can change after a pregnancy.  Even if your cycle was 28 days before your pregnancy, it may have changed to 30 or 31 days.

You're using birth control.  You just had a baby. The odds that you are pregnant are low.

I know for me - I breastfed and with one of my children, I got my 1st period 6 months after her birth.  The one after that - it was 56 days later!

Hang in there and try not to worry about it. If you want to take a pregnancy test to put your mind at ease, go ahead and do it, but I would be extremely surprised if you were pregnant.   It's of course possible...but not very likely.

Dorothy H.