Changes in Your Cycle

52 Comments

After pregnancy, menstruation begins again. But when it begins depends on a number of factors. If you breastfeed, you may not start menstruating until you stop nursing your child. If you decide not to breastfeed, you will probably begin to menstruate six to eight weeks after you give birth. And remember, you can get pregnant even if your period hasn’t returned.

How heavy or light your period is when it returns depends on your level of hormone production. Also, it might take a while to develop a regular cycle again. And don’t be surprised if it is different than before you became pregnant; it could be heavier, and cramping could be more severe.

Rate this article

What others are saying.

Jocelyn Garcia, 6/4/2008 6:20:11 PM
Why does my stomach grow when i'm pregneat?

Anne, 6/5/2008 12:21:12 PM
Uh maybe because your baby is growing? duhh

Kandy, 6/10/2008 7:36:39 PM
It makes sense, doesn't it?

India, 6/16/2008 9:23:48 PM
ok this question isnt making sense.... thats common sense, to know that your stomach grow becuz the baby is growing. like Anne said DUHHHHHHHHHH

tam, 6/22/2008 9:05:54 PM
She didn't seriously ask that question did she? Wow! And in public too

Tati, 6/24/2008 6:05:07 PM
Aww that's cute, she's probably 12

Myra, 7/17/2008 12:48:50 AM
Wow, this is a site for women to help other women and girls and communicate about their problems and questions. This question may have been a little weird but it does not mean for us to ridicule the poor girl.

Mommy Ness ph15, 7/19/2008 11:01:49 AM
is it pregneat or pregnant? ...well, ye Why not ask such question. might she badly need an answer. ***when pregnant ye by default baby's growing thus tummy grows, its a natural phenomenon in your body since your system recognized you're a preggy or something arrived inside you.

tink, 7/20/2008 11:59:21 PM
does her mother know that her 11 year old is pregnant. this girl needs to talk to an adult friend, relative or counsler. a 5 year old can figure the reason out. hope she gets the help she needs.

dymin, 7/21/2008 10:13:08 PM
maybe she had no one to tell her the things she needs to know

peaches, 7/26/2008 1:48:31 PM
well can a women get pregnant and still have a cycle or is that a myth .

claire, 8/2/2008 2:01:13 PM
in reply to peaches, yes a woman can get pregnant during her menstrual cycle. It is NOT a myth.

Also, it is also possible to still have a menstrual cycle WHILE pregnant. It is very rare, but it -does- happen. (ask your Ob/Gyn, they will tell you it is true.)

jaymie, 8/7/2008 11:33:49 AM
Yes, it is true you can have a cyle during pregnancy, my last two pregnancies were such as that up until my 20th week.

Diva Jr, 8/14/2008 11:31:30 AM
tink there is no reason to make fun of the woman or girl she has opened up to all the woman on the page and she dosent deserve that even if she was 12 at teast she wants to be infomed

Rachel, 8/14/2008 5:18:31 PM
I agree with Myra, Jocelyn should be able to ask questions without being ridiculed.

lynn, 9/25/2008 6:45:08 PM
ok i have an interesting question, i know this has nothing to do with the topic of a menstral cycle. But when you find out you are pregnant do they draw your blood and things like that ?
The only reason i ask is because im afraid of needles, and i was just wondering how many times i would have to deal with the needle thing. i want to have kids so badly! it excites me, and i will do anything to make sure that my baby is healthy. i will put my fear of needles aside, i just want to know. i have asked other people i know, but they really didnt say how many times they had to deal with needles.

and that poor girl up there, you know no question is a stupid question... the only stupid question is the one not asked. :) she may have been joking, or who knows she may have been serious either way she asked and may have needed an answer.

alexandria, 9/25/2008 6:47:07 PM
I started my period just recently, it was late, but i was wondering if there is still a possibility that i can be pregnant?

i have been having some of the symptoms, and i really havent thought anything of it, but my friends have suggested that i may be pregnant.

any thoughts?

military wive, 9/25/2008 6:59:12 PM
your stomach grows because your baby is growing, its not a bad thing :)
your not getting fat or whatever else you might think, so whatever you do dont overwork yourself or anything.
you want your baby to be healthy :] and if you are growing and eating right your baby should be. :]


if you really didnt know the answer to that question maybe you should contact your OBGYN or ask your mother.


being harsh towards someone for a question they asked is wrong, you should learn to be respective of other peoples questions, they came here for help and it sounds like she honestly needs help. you dont know anyones situation, she could be young, or she could be mentally handycapped. or she could just NOT KNOW. so please take all this into consideration when answering someones question.

Tracy, 10/6/2008 8:16:13 PM
Lynn,

I used to be the same way about needles. I had my first baby in a hospital, and I had blood drawn maybe twice. Once was at the beginning to test for pregnancy, and the other was at the end for something else. They also gave an IV during the labor, which I think is pretty standard these days.

My second child was born at home with midwives. I did one voluntary finger prick to check iron levels in the last couple of months of pregnancy. Other than that, I had no tests or needles. Home birth was so much better!!

I know that a lot of people are concerned about the health of the baby and mother during homebirth, but everything went wonderfully for us, and I wasn't the least bit afraid. The midwives had directions to the nearest hospital and were trained to know if anything looked wrong. It was all so natural and relaxing!

I prayed my way through both labors. I am so terrified of needles that I preferred to go natural rather than getting an epidural. I'm so thankful that I made it fine (just like women have done for thousands of years) without medication or needles, and my faith in God has strengthened, too! :-)

So to answer your question simply...I had two needles that I remember during my hospital pregnancy.

Holly, 10/9/2008 9:36:31 PM
Bloating---
My daughter is 11months now. I have lost the baby weight. But for about two weeks AFTER my period I'm really bloated, to the point where I look pregnant, and people have even asked if I was. Then it just goes away and I'm my stomach is flat for the next two weeks (except that pooch at the bottom lol). But I'm just wondering why is it now AFTER my period that I'm bloated, and why does the bloating last that long? It was never like that before I had a child...

Melissa, 10/22/2008 12:10:37 PM
I have some interesting questions.....
My daughter is now 14 months, I had her by C section (i hated it) She is my only child. Before I got pregnant I was regular, like clock work, I than had a missed month than the next month I got it twice. ( I was pregnant I thought) the clinic I went to calculated the last period to be the "from" date (which she was wrong and I was right) any how after the birth I was bleeding for about 2 months than my cycle started coming late every month either 2 weeks late than 3 and so on once I was late 64 days (I kept tabs) I had all the symptoms of pregnancy swollen feet, hands and face, morning sickness and tired all the time. To my dismay I was not pregnant I went to the hospital and all they did was take a pregnancy test. I was told that it was all in my head and that it will go away in a couple of days. I was also told that there was no False negatives on pregnancy tests yet ones I took were wrong THUS my daughter. I was given a pill to take which was suppose to make me feel better for the morning sickness feeling and that night I got my cycle with cramping on the scale of 1-10 a 35. So my questions are..
1.How do you know your having a miscarriage if you were told you werent pregnant???
2.When does your cycle actually get back on track???
3.Why doesn't the hospital doctors know what they are doing????

I have been to my ob gyn and all she says is that it's normal for the cycle to be a little off ( I say "A LITTLE!!!") i haven't seen her in while after that comment

Please I need some type of answers

kyla, 11/9/2008 11:29:01 PM
i just had a baby 3 weeks after i started takin the pill then a week later i started my period my stocmach went down
now iam bloated
do birth control make you blaoted
my periods been over for 2 weeks

y, 12/11/2008 3:08:50 PM
This is to Melissa's comment: Well it is normal for a woman's cycle to be off. Generally when this happens I go and get birth control pills. Birth control is commonly used to regulate cycles, as well as pregnancy prevention.

Amy, 12/21/2008 10:26:57 PM
Ok, Wierd Question, I think I'm Pregnant, But I'm not sure. I'v taken several at home test and a few clinic tests(np blood tests) and they all come out negative. I'm absolutley terrified of needles and faint at the sight of one so I haven't gone to the hospital yet. I have several of the symptoms but I'm still not sure. I didn't have my period one month and then the next I had 2 periods 2 weekd apart. I've had breast tenderness, heartburn, weird cravings, issues sleeping, some nausea. I just need some advice as to what to do, before I put myself through the stress of a needle.

Melissa, 1/26/2009 2:48:13 PM
This is in regards to Amy's question. I was in your shoes before. I took the "regular "PEE" test" and all came up negative. The result of that was False, I indeed was pregnant. So what you have to do is take another pregnancy test than talk to your gyn and make arrangements for that blood test. HOPEFULLY you get the results you're looking for.

ashley, 2/28/2009 9:38:40 PM
my daughter is four months i have not gotten my period probably because i breastfeed her but i sometimes get bloated why is that is all the blood staying in me or what?

Katie, 3/15/2009 9:08:30 PM
I have had three kids, My last by c-section. My first and second I started my period after 3 months. I'm going on 9 months here and haven't started yet. Does anyone know whats a normal time frame to start your post-pregnancy period?

ps I'm not pregnant

KAY, 3/23/2009 7:34:18 PM
I STOP BREASTFEEDING FOR FOR A MONTH NOW, I JUST WONDERING IF THEIR IS SOMEONE WHO HAVE AN IDEA WHEN MY PERIOD WILL COME BACK.

Autumn, 3/26/2009 4:15:57 AM
So Iv had my baby, had the six weeks of unsightly bleeding then the following month (feb) my period came, all the while YES I was breast feeding. Now its the end of march and no period. PMS symptoms YES but no period. O and I stopped breastfeeding about 3 wks ago. I know every body is diffrent and Iv also heard women do the 6 wk bleeding but then get no period after that due to breastfeeding. But that one period told me Im gunna be regular, right? But I will admit I had intercourse back in Jan. Should a get a test? Even tho i already had my period, or is this all to be expected?

netta, 3/29/2009 4:49:02 PM
do anybody have any tips to help me get pregnant faster.

Bridget, 4/4/2009 8:15:03 PM
Ok so, I had a period on the febuary 28th and according to my ovulation calender I had sex the 14th of march which according to the callender is my best day to get pregnant. and i still got my period on the 31th but it was 4 days late and its the 4th of april and it stopped, it was only 3 and a half days. could i be pregnant??

daliya, 4/4/2009 10:09:25 PM
how do u get twins

Naomi, 4/11/2009 11:40:44 AM
Got the depo shot and have been bleeding off and on for two weeks. My son is 6mths and am still breast feeding but this is my second period after him? Should i be worried

sherry, 4/18/2009 8:53:34 PM
im 7 weeks postpardum i have a question i had a regular dilevery no complications a what seemed normal time after then i had the return of what i thhought was my normal cycle but then a few days after it was over it seemed to return again is this normal or does it sound like there could be a problem??

Alexis, 5/1/2009 9:38:43 AM
ok i am on the depo shot and i know that i bleed irregular but i have been spotting on and off.. ill stay on for a day then go right back off... i had most of the pregnacy symptoms a while ago and i took a pregnancy test and it said negative but im having those sypmtoms again plus more now should i get another one at the hospital to be sure or should i not worry about it???

Juanita, 5/8/2009 10:18:54 PM
Question...Should I be concerned, I had my first period after having my son and 20days later had another now it's been 32 days since that one??? I took a test a day a ago. Anyone been through the same and share some insite?

Christina, 5/15/2009 12:36:22 AM
I am having the same exact issue, and I thought about going and buying a pregnancy test but I'm too afraid!!! I am hoping to god that Im not preggers again. I just had a baby 12 weeks ago and I have a 2 year old. I stopped pumping in the middle of April, and I had a long heavy period right away, I remember it being very heavy April 17th, and I expected to be on it again by now, is this normal? After having my second child I bled for 6 weeks as well!! I thought my cycle would be normal by now. Any advice?

Rose, 5/15/2009 10:08:49 AM
Hi my name is Rose i give birth on 12-13-08
i breasfeed for 3 month, my daughter is now 5 month i had my period on 2-22-09 and i having had another one since, but the only problem is that i been spoting for the past 5 weeks and its dork brown. Should i be concern? please help

des, 5/23/2009 9:25:23 AM
can u be pregnant and still have a period

Sarah(Very worried), 5/26/2009 10:07:28 AM
i am 13 years old and i had my second period in a month just after 25 days of the last .is this normal?

MaryAnn, 5/30/2009 3:56:09 PM
Sarah
At 13 years old your body is still not used to having a period. It could take a few years for your body to adjust and have what is considered to be a "normal" cycle. There may be months when you don't have a period at all, or you could sometimes have short cycles. If you are worried about anything at all I think it is very important that you ask your mother or someone else that you trust. I hope you have someone that you can talk to, but please do not worry. It is very common for many women, especially young women to have irregular periods.

kristy, 6/6/2009 6:21:41 PM
im on period can i still be pregnant?

Ashley, 6/8/2009 6:22:18 PM
Ok so i just had a baby in May but now i am kinda confused.... i got a period before i got pregnant but it was normal for the first day and then just started slowing down and was only half the length of a normal period... does that mean i got pregnant before my period?

keisha, 6/11/2009 7:30:03 AM
my period is 2 days late, could I be prego...

Marco, 6/23/2009 2:33:02 AM
well i was wondering if a girl can get pregnant during the first day of her period?? her period always last 6 days but strangely this one ended ummm like within 2-3 days.. so the question is could she be pregnant?? plus what if we had intercourse a week before aswell.. whats the possibilitie??

ja'miayh , 6/23/2009 1:26:05 PM
yes a girl can get pregnant during her first period

jamiyah, 6/23/2009 1:29:02 PM
ok im 14 years old n i just found out that im pregnant im scared to tell my mom n stepdad n my boyfriend still dosent know please help me with ways i could tell my mom n step dad n a way to tell my boyfriend because im 8 weeks prego

christy, 6/30/2009 3:28:28 PM
ok so I have been having a abnormal period just recently(like four months ago) i am wanting to know why is my period going on 7 weeks apart. I did feel symptoms of pregnancy,but my pregnancy test said_____----------negative. what the heck could be wrong?

TASHEENA, 7/5/2009 10:37:13 PM
I HAD MY THIRD CHILD ON APRIL 29TH OF 2009 AND GOT A DEPO SHOT AND NOW I AM STILL BLEEDING IS THAT NORMAL?

rosemary , 7/16/2009 7:42:30 AM
I have very irregular periods and blood clots bigger than a quater. Should I be worried. I am 30.

maria, 8/4/2009 12:24:28 PM
wen u have sex before or during ur period does it mess it up((like chages how long it will last or how heavy its gonna be)) and if so is it a bad thing....because thats wut happens wen i have sex and im about to start or im already on it???

yve, 8/5/2009 5:24:37 PM
hi everybody i watched and read all question and comment about pregnancy. well i got one please be understanable to my question, in 2001 i had an abortion it wasnt the right time for me and my boyfriend. than 4 years later and still now we are trying to get pregnant but we any body knows what i should do? or is there any medication i could take to get pregnant, please i need help.

Share your thoughts.

First Name

Comments

Subject to approval before posting.