How soon after birth can my period start?

How soon after birth can my period start? Is mostly the question that comes to the mind of most women after birth.

After the birth of your baby you will continue to experience blood loss which flows more and heavier than your normal period. Lochia (the discharge) changes in color from bright red to a lighter red, brownish red then to a yellowish white in some women before it stops completely. This discharge continues to flow up to four weeks or more (It differs from one mom to another).

It’s really difficult to tell how soon, if you're breastfeeding it could take a longer time, than if you are not. Breast feeding can delay menstruation and ovulation as some women have had such experiences, but this wasn't so with me as I started seeing my period a month plus (six weeks) after I had my baby while still breast feeding.

It could take up to eight weeks less or more for your period to start after delivery if you are not breast feeding and even if you are (as in my own case).

For those who experience delay when breast feeding your period may return within six to eight weeks after you stop breastfeeding, it could even take some months for it to be regular again totally. Even if you're not menstruating regularly while breastfeeding, you could still ovulate and become pregnant. There's always the chance that you'll get pregnant even before your period starts again. It is advisable to use contraceptives as soon as you start having sex again.

Some women use breastfeeding as a method of contraception (this method is known as the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM)). I'll advice you should not rely fully on this method, as it is not 100 percent sure, though it is about 98 percent or more effective as a method of contraception, when you used properly.

Note that experience differs according to the physiological make-up of each woman.