# Post partum periods compared to prepregnancy periods



## YayJennie (Aug 7, 2008)

Tell me about your pp period if you don't mind. When did you get it back? Was it heavier or lighter than previous? Are you on hormones (BCP/ring) or where you on hormones previous to your pregnancy? Do you think that makes a difference? Do you get emotional before/during your period?

For the year before I got pregnant, we were using the diaphragm for BC, after I had been on the pill for years. I always had light, short periods, which I attributed to the pill, but seemed to continue having lighter periods once I was off the pill. I also never got any major cramps, and didn't really have any PMS. Now, I am having periods from hell. At exactly 5 months pp, my period returned, despite the fact that I EBF on demand. And they are like clockwork. I'm having my third period now, and I am losing it. Not only am I having a TON of cramps and nausea and feel generally crappy physically, but I am a mess emotionally. The periods are really heavy, and I'm wondering if that could cause anemia because I'm also exhausted (more so than normal). I've also been eating tons of sugar/snacks, which I'm normally good about. Is this just normal PMS stuff? Since I always had such easy periods, it seems weird to me. I thought after giving birth your periods generally got easier, but mine has done the opposite. Anyone else have this happen? Is there any cause for concern or am I just having PMS and need to suck it up? Is there something about having your cycle while breast feeding that can mess you up, because I'm still breast feeding, pretty much exclusively, although I've started to introduce solids. Any information/opinions would be gratefully appreciated.


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## quasar (Jan 12, 2008)

I'd be interested in what others have to say, too. I just had my first PPAF once DS turned 6 months old. Now, 2 1/2 weeks later, I'm having spotting. Not sure if that means she's back again already, or if I'm having ovulation spotting which I've never had in the past. I've also recently done some OPK's and they've been negative, so I'm not sure that it's ovulation spotting.

My first PPAF came without any actual warning. It just kind of started. I was a little fatigued that day, but other than that I didn't have my normal cramping and nausea that renders me useless for 24 hours. The period itself was pretty normal, maybe a day longer than before. I wouldn't say I was incredibly emotional. Since I am BFing, I'm hungry most of the time, so I can't say I noticed any change in my diet at that time.


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## Abraisme (Mar 8, 2009)

My pre-pregnancy af was every 45 days and lasted for 7 days (like clockwork).. I had no problems conceiving even though my cycle was really long.

AF came back at 12m pp with DS. It changed from 45 days to 33 days (still lasting 6-7 days or so). Duration, bleeding and pain were all about the same as before pregnancy.

I'm 11w pp now and still without af, hopefully it stays away for 12m again.


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## askew (Jun 15, 2006)

Mine came back with DS at 12 weeks pp, even though he nursed every 20 minutes.







The first few months were super heavy, but then regulated and were a lot like my prepregnancy periods, but no cramps. My DD is 3.5 months and I got AF back at 14 weeks with her. It was so crazy heavy I called the Dr thinking something was wrong! I was filling a pad every 2 hours for two + days. Then I remembered it was the same with DS.


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## guest9955 (Dec 23, 2008)

i am also interested to hear this
Im 14 months PP and still no AF.


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## mom2fussy (Aug 16, 2006)

Well, mine came back about 3 months PP; I EBF until DS was 6 months, and continued to BF until he was 2. My periods were mixed for a year or so afterwards - sometimes lighter, sometimes not. I'd been on the BC pill until a couple months prior to getting pregnant. Now my periods & PMS are definitely worse than they used to be, and they've been like that for a couple of years. But it's hard to compare, since I'd previously been on the pill.

OP - All the symptoms you describe sound perfectly normal to me. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the WORST possible everything, I'd say I'm about a 6-7 each month. But I've known other women who were closer to a 10, and nothing you described sounds different than what I/they experience.

ETA: The only thing that has significantly changed is that I get cramps in my back now too. I used to only get them in my abdomen. So that's definitely worse than pre-pregnancy.


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## busybumblebee (Nov 4, 2009)

mine came 25m pp and it's kinda different, before I was pregnant I would know exactly when af came: painful and very heavy from the first minute, the pp af are hard to predict, I have cramps 3-4 days before and then af just quietly sneaks in, when I am at the point I start to believe I may be prengant


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## goldingoddess (Jan 5, 2008)

Mine came back almost exactly 12m PP. The fist period was light and with only a few cramps, very similar to my periods before pregnancy.

My second period was 72 days later, and was heavy, and painful and lasted twice as long as my normal periods. And now it is 27 days after my 2nd period and I am having a ton of bloody mucus and hormonal shifts making me feel pregnant.


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## MaerynPearl (Jun 21, 2008)

Before my son my periods were heavy and lasted up to 5 days. After him (and despite exclusive breastfeeding) my period came back at 6 weeks PP and were medium lasting up to 4 days. After DD, again EBFing did nothing for me and I got my period 6 weeks PP and it is now 2 1/2 to 3 days long and light to medium flow.


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