Periods after delivery change in females and the return of periods depends if the mothers are breastfeeding or not. For mothers who do not breastfeed post-delivery, the return time is expected to be six to eight months. If the child is only being breastfeed, then the mothers might not receive their periods until the feeding phase gets over. For the rest, the menses will return in a duration of few months.

Lactating mothers do not receive their period for a long time because the milk producing hormone prolactin controls the reproductive hormones. This stops the ovulation process and the chances of menstruation become less.

The first period after pregnancy will have symptoms which will be different from all the past cycles. Mothers will feel painful cramps, blood clotting, heavier flow, irregular cycles and irregular flow of the blood. The flow gets heavier after pregnancy because of the shedding of the uterine lining.

For mothers who will use birth control pills as contraceptives, the periods after pregnancy will be lighter. If the pills are not being consumed post-delivery, the periods will be heavier in flow. For women who experience heavier periods, cause could be the uterine cavity causing the endometrium to shed. If the periods become lighter post-delivery, the reason is that childbirth and pregnancy stretch the uterus and the cervix — making the uterine muscles relax. The release of hormones post-pregnancy also relaxes the muscles.