I’m not going to bury the lede here. This post is about how I got my period back when my baby was only 2 months old, and how that sucks. Do with that information what you will now. This post is about periods and it’s only going to get more period-y from here.
Okay, if I still have you, YOU GUYS OMG WHAT.
I stopped bleeding postpartum right before my 6-week checkup. It wasn’t heavy at all toward the end. That probably only lasted a couple weeks, but then I started bleeding again around 8 weeks out. It had been at least 2 weeks of nothing, so this totally surprised me, but it was within that 10 week timeframe when you can expect to bleed postpartum. So. Okay, whatever. I thought maybe I just… had to get more out.
That lasted for, like 4-5 days, not super heavy, not super light. When it stopped, I thought surely that was it.
I haven’t started my period after the last three kids until at least a year after having them… I think? Details are fuzzy, but it’s definitely nowhere near the first few, or six, or even eight months of their lives. I get a nice long break! I love not having my period!
I guess it’s worth mentioning that I’ve exclusively breastfed all of them. They don’t start solids until 6 months, and I nursed them in the middle of the night for a long time, too. I am also breastfeeding Wallace, and, given that he just turned 3 months old yesterday, I’m breastfeeding him quite frequently. He is certainly not sleeping through the night. Not even close.
Welp, I guess none of that matters this time because I had an actual period last week. It lasted 5 days. It was not crazy heavy like my usual 2nd postpartum period is. (Naturally, I have blogged about this phenomenon a couple times before.) But, I did have to dig around and find my old Diva cup.
This was about 3 weeks after that last round stopped, and as much as I want to believe it was my body just… still… postpartum bleeding, it’s not, is it? This is it? It’s back? It will be back next month?
Ugh. I’ve been meaning to try a new menstrual cup because the Diva cup is just not the most comfortable thing for me. I’ve been using it since before I got pregnant with Lowell, and I mostly love it, but I feel like it could be a more comfortable (and less leaky) experience, and cups have come a long way in the last few years. So after that last period, I went to PutACupInIt.com and took their quiz and found out I should get a LENA cup. I ordered it from Amazon, and it should be here tonight, in plenty of time for next month.
But if the universe wanted to be like, “Oh, you just bought a new cup? Well, now you won’t get your period again for another year!” I’ll be fine, that would be great. Can someone arrange that? Ugh. Periods.
*Okay, but more about PutACupInIt.com– 1. This is not sponsored. 2. Put A Cup In It is run by a couple friends and I just love what they are doing. I have long been a menstrual cup convert, but there is still such a stigma around it. I love that they are not putting up with any shame surrounding using one, or any period shame. Period. They are super informative, and they’re funny. If you’re at all intrigued by switching to a cup from pads and/0r tampons, I think you should plan to have a drink and spend an hour on their site. Take the quiz to see which one would work best for you. Read their blog. Watch their videos. Empower yourself. Go team!
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5 comments
ME TOO! I started on regular vs. low-dose BC pills after my 6 wk checkup because like you, this was my 4th AND LAST baby. Of the 3 pill packs I’ve taken, I’ve bled for about half of that time so my doc is switching me to low-dose pills hoping that will make this nonsense stop.
I totally empathize, with my first child it returned at 10 weeks postpartum, which is relatively soon but nothing compared to kid number two; I bled for 16 days, had a week off, then my cycle started up. I was positive this was just a restart, because I was only 3 and bit weeks postpartum, but then 28th days later, like clockwork, I got another visit.
After a couple months I switched to cloth and a cup, and started making and selling pads on Etsy to afford my paddiction, and cup collection.
Shameless plug: Complimenses is my shop on Etsy and Facebook.
The nice thing is that you probably won’t get what I call “broken vagina,” since you’re period is back. With my second I had “broken vagina” (essentially, nursing makes your body reactlike you’re in menopause- I can’t remember what it’s actually called because I have pregnancy brain). Didn’t have it with my first, hoping I won’t have it again with third (due June), because it was terrible. I would take a period over that any day!
I took the quiz and it says I should get a Lena Large or a Lunette. But I’ve used a Diva for about 5 years now 🙂
Oh, man, that is so not cool if it is back for real! With my fourth baby I thought I got mine back when he was about 3 months and I was super ticked, but then I didn’t get another one until he was 11 months. So maybe there is hope, after all!