The return of menstruation after childbirth, known as the “return of childbirth”, is influenced by various factors, including hormones, breastfeeding and the contraceptive method used. On average, the first post-partum menstrual period may appear between 6 weeks and 3 months after delivery, but this varies enormously from one woman to another.

Menstrual recovery varies from one woman to another and from one pregnancy to another. What is certain is that, after childbirth, a woman will experience a brownish discharge called lochia. This abundant, clot-rich discharge can last for several days. Lochia are uterine discharges of blood, fluid and mucous fragments, reflecting the healing of the uterine wound left by the expulsion of the placenta after childbirth. This physiological phenomenon lasts 2 or 3 weeks, a little less if the baby is breast-fed.

Around the twelfth day after childbirth, the discharge is often more abundant, without being followed by a resumption of the menstrual cycle: this is called the “petit retour de couches”. This is due to healing of the uterus and the discharge of waste products.

Then comes the return of menstruation. If the woman is not breast-feeding, the return of menses occurs six to eight weeks after the birth of the child. If the woman is breast-feeding, the return of childbirth occurs later: either after the end of breast-feeding or, if breast-feeding is prolonged, around 3 months after delivery. According to the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), the return of menstruation after childbirth can be delayed by breastfeeding, as this can suppress ovulation and thus delay the reappearance of menstruation.