So, a common question I have is, "When my period will return after I've had my baby?" It's very dependent on whether a mom is strictly breastfeeding with no formula supplementation, or if she is adding a little bit of formula and still making some breast milk.
And if some women are just not breastfeeding altogether. So in women who strictly breastfeed, those women often times will not be a period of the entire time they're breastfeeding because they lack estrogen and higher amounts that make menstrual lining shed with their period.
And women that add formula, they're making a little bit more estrogen so they may see random spotting; still not consistent cycles for a while until breastfeeding is completely done. In women who are immediately to formula - they're not breastfeeding, those women will have periods return almost within the first four to six weeks after they've had their baby.
And I always tell them, you know that first period is going to be a heavier flow because the menstrual lining has gotten a chance to build itself. And so, expect that. Women asked me, "But if I don't get my period am I actually ovulating?" "Am I going to be able to get pregnant if I don't get my period?"
Well the answer is yes, even though you don't get a period doesn't mean that you're not releasing an egg. It's less common to release an egg every single month when you're not seeing menstrual flow, but some women do. So that is a time that you still need to contracept even though you're not seeing a period.
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