The return of your period should have little effect on your breast milk so you can continue to breastfeed if desired. Some women find a temporary drop in the amount of milk they produce just before their period starts or for a few days into it, but it will increase again when hormones return to their normal levels.
Menstruation can sometimes decrease milk production
After ovulation, estrogen and progesterone levels in the body rise and calcium levels fall. The increase in these hormones can cause a decrease in milk production for some women.
“A daily dose of 500 to 1,000 mg of a calcium and magnesium supplement from the middle of your cycle through the first three days of your period may help minimize any drop in supply”.
If you have lower levels of progesterone, you're likely to get your periods back earlier than mums with higher levels. So it's possible that you could be breastfeeding around the clock, but still become fertile and start your periods again.
Stress can cause your milk supply to drop very suddenly. If you're dealing with something difficult or struggling in your day-to-day life, it could cause your body to produce less milk. Sleep deprivation could also affect your milk supply.
However, if you are following the schedule and no milk is coming, keep going. This is an essential step in signaling to your body to create more milk. While some breastfeeding parents see a difference in just a day or two, you may find it takes several days or a week to see a significant increase in breast milk supply.
Pumping more often can help stimulate breasts to produce more milk. Moms can try pumping both breasts for 15 minutes every two hours for 48-72 hours. Then moms can return to their normal pumping routine. Pumping for longer than 30 minutes may not be beneficial.
The drop in milk supply that is associated with your period may be associated with a drop in blood calcium levels which occurs in the middle of your menstrual cycle, around the time that you ovulate. To combat this drop, you can consider taking a calcium/magnesium supplement.
After birth, your periods will return at your body's own pace. It's possible for your periods to return as soon as 4 to 6 weeks after childbirth. If you bottle feed or partially breastfeed your baby, you'll tend to start having periods sooner than if you exclusively breastfeed.
In those that do breastfeed, the lactational amenorrhea method is a way of preventing pregnancy for up to or around six months postpartum. Signs of ovulation after giving birth include a change in body temperature, cervical mucus, ovulation pain, painful breasts, and an increased sex drive.
You may notice your bub fussing a little more, especially if your letdown takes a bit longer than usual. The hormonal changes can also cause your milk to taste slightly different (less sweet, more salty) which can also cause some booby-time squirming.
But for some, feeding your baby can make you feel angry or agitated—or even make your skin crawl. This is called Breastfeeding or Nursing Aversion and Agitation (sometimes referred to as BAA or NA), a condition that triggers negative emotions in the nursing parent for the duration of the feed.
Letting your baby sleep through the night (usually at around 3 months of age) isn't going to hurt your breastfeeding efforts. Your body readjusts your milk supply based on when you nurse and how much your baby needs.
How long do first periods after delivery last? Most women return to their normal cycle soon after giving birth. If your period was 'normal' prior to pregnancy, it will occur every 21 to 35 days post pregnancy, while the bleeding may last anywhere between 2 to 7 days.
Conclusion. The first postpartum period may be heavier and more painful than those before pregnancy, or it may be lighter and easier.
Brace yourself…the first period after giving birth is typically heavier than normal because there is extra blood in your uterine lining that needs to be shed. You may enjoy easier periods due to physical changes in the uterus and cervix, although some folks experience stronger cramps.
Oral absorption of magnesium by the infant is poor, so maternal magnesium citrate is not expected to affect the breastfed infant's serum magnesium. Magnesium citrate supplementation during pregnancy might delay the onset of lactation, but it can be taken during breastfeeding and no special precautions are required.
Magnesium and Breastfeeding
Magnesium supports a baby's growth and development in the same way it does an adult, with hundreds of enzyme reactions that are required for energy, cellular growth, muscle health, and more. Since a baby grows and changes so rapidly, magnesium is supporting your baby to thrive.
In general, adult women need around 300mg of magnesium daily. While nursing, shoot for between 400-600mg daily if you go the oral route.
"Something I recommend to moms is the 5-5-5 rule," Pawlowski says. "Try and use milk within five hours at room temperature, five days if in the refrigerator, and five months if in the freezer."
When is breast milk replenished? All the time, even while you're pumping or nursing. Your breasts are constantly making milk, so it's never possible to completely empty them.
If you are pumping before your milk comes in, you may be getting little to no milk. This can be for two reasons: Colostrum is very concentrated and your baby doesn't need much of it, so your breasts don't produce very much. Colostrum is very thick and seems to be more difficult to pump.
It can take some babies anywhere from a few hours up to 48 hours to start breastfeeding. What's really important to remember is that the first hour is often known as the “Golden hour!” This is because the first hour after birth has been shown to be important in initiating your milk supply for now and the future.
Ultimately, if your baby has reached its birth weight and you're pumping enough milk during the day, it's okay to sleep eight hours without pumping at night. Keep in mind there is an adjustment period for your body as it begins to acclimate to the decrease in overnight milk removal.