Hormones after pregnancy: recovery and when your cycle returns

After pregnancy your hormones go through one of the biggest shifts your body knows. Within a few days your oestrogen and progesterone drop sharply, because the placenta no longer makes them. At the same time prolactine rises, the hormone behind your milk production. That shift determines, among other things, when your cycle returns.

Without breastfeeding your period often gets going within six to twelve weeks, with full breastfeeding it can take months. Below you will read how your hormones recover and what you can test.

What happens to your hormones after pregnancy?

After birth the pregnancy hormones oestrogen and progesterone fall back sharply in a few days. That drop can affect your mood, sleep, skin and hair, and belongs to the natural recovery. If you breastfeed, prolactine deliberately keeps your oestrogen low, so your ovulation stays away a while longer.

This interplay is exactly why you can feel different in the first months than you are used to. It is not a sign that something is wrong, but a temporary new balance.

How these hormones normally work together, you read in understanding your menstrual cycle and hormones.

When does your period return after birth?

When you bleed again depends mostly on breastfeeding. If you do not breastfeed, your cycle often returns within six to twelve weeks. With full breastfeeding prolactine suppresses your ovulation, so your period can stay away for months. The table below gives a rough picture.

These timelines are guidelines, not laws. The first periods are often irregular before your cycle finds its old rhythm. That is usually just part of it.

Can you get pregnant before your period returns?

Yes, you can. Your ovulation returns before your first period is visible, so you are fertile without noticing. Because of that you can get pregnant again even before you have menstruated once.

If you want to avoid a short gap, discuss contraception in good time with your GP or midwife. Breastfeeding does slow fertility, but is not reliable contraception on its own.

In short, do not rely on your period staying away as protection.

Which hormones can you test after birth?

If you want to know where your hormones stand, you can have a hormone test for women at Lunara without a referral. It looks at values like oestrogen (oestradiol), progesterone and sometimes prolactine. During breastfeeding a high prolactine and a low oestrogen are normal at that moment, by the way.

A hormone test is mainly useful if your cycle stays away for a long time or is very irregular and you have wound down breastfeeding. What the values mean depends strongly on your phase, so discuss a result with your GP. You can find more background in hormone testing in women.

This article belongs to our overview of recovery after birth. If fatigue plays a part, see fatigue after birth.

Frequently asked questions

Is an irregular cycle after birth normal?

Yes, in the first months that is very common. Your hormones are finding their rhythm again, certainly if you still breastfeed. If your cycle stays away for a long time after you stop feeding, or is very irregular, you can discuss it with your GP.

Why does my period stay away during breastfeeding?

Prolactine, the hormone for your milk production, suppresses your ovulation. As long as you feed often, your oestrogen stays low and your cycle away. When you feed less, the period usually returns on its own.

When is it smart to have your hormones checked?

Mainly if you have stopped breastfeeding and your cycle has not returned after a few months, or if you keep having other symptoms. A blood value gives a snapshot that you can interpret together with your GP.

If I could give you one thing to take away: give your cycle time to return, and do not let those first irregular months worry you. If it stays away for a long time after you have stopped feeding, a hormone test can help you further, together with your GP.

References

1. NHG and Thuisarts.nl. Menstruation and contraception after birth. Dutch College of General Practitioners.
2. RIVM. Pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.
3. Voedingscentrum. Breastfeeding. Voedingscentrum.

Every blood test result through Lunara includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. Blood testing through Lunara does not replace the regular postpartum check-ups. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP or midwife.