What Are Postpartum Periods Like?

By: Allison Waldbeser

If you’ve had a baby, or several babies, you know that your body has gone through some major changes. I mean come on, you built a freakin’ human inside your uterus! The way you take care of yourself during and after pregnancy is super important (obviously), but were you prepared for your postpartum periods? Did you even learn about this in health class? We think it’s a subject everyone expecting or planning to have a baby should know, because all bodies will have different experiences.

Will I bleed right after giving birth?

Chances are, yes! Remember that it’s totally normal to bleed postpartum. In fact, those giving birth lose a good amount of blood during and after delivery. The amount of time it lasts varies between bodies, and our very own Lunette team member Susan Johns from New Zealand, shared that her bleeding lasted 17 days with her first baby, and 15 days with her second. So it’s important to be open to having a different experience after each delivery, and know that it will go away after a few days or weeks. Keep in mind that postpartum bleeding is not exactly your menstrual cycle, it’s just a sign that your body is getting rid of that extra blood and tissue in your uterus that helped your baby develop!

I won't get my period while I'm breastfeeding, right?

Although we want to say “yes, you’ll be period-free while you breastfeed!” there are still some people who get their period while breastfeeding. This can be surprising because breastfeeding is the biggest factor in determining when you’ll get your period next due to prolactin, the hormone responsible for breast-milk production, which STOPS ovulation. However, periods during breastfeeding can be incredibly inconsistent. Needless to say, hormones are cray.

We can’t speak for everyone, but most people who get their periods while they’re still breastfeeding might be because they aren’t nursing as often (which happens during the sleep training phase), or when you introduce solid foods to your baby, meaning you could be breastfeeding less.

Can I use a menstrual cup for postnatal bleeding?

We don’t recommend using your cup for the postnatal bleeding phase because of inflammation risk. Please wait until your postpartum doctor appointment and ask for their opinion to see if your cervix is fully closed. If they give you the OK, then you'll be ready to use your Lunette cup again! 

What was your postpartum bleeding and period experience like? Give us all the juicy deets in the comments below! We promise we read all of them :)

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