# A Menstrual Question for Ladies Who've Given Birth **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977 "2006-01-08T05:36:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977/1 "2006-01-08T05:36:56Z")
My Google-fu has failed me tonight, so I’m going to take a poll here. A woman in my parent’s group & I were talking about our periods since we had our babies/stopped breastfeeding. I’ve noticed that since my period returned for real in May, my cycle has averaged 31 days instead of the previous 28/29. I used to be like clockwork- down to the freakin’ hour (between 10 and 11 am, seriously). Now it’s 30/31/33 days, and it can suprise me any hour of the day or night. Is it normal to have longer cycles postpartum? Will I go back to my regular 28 day regularity? Does my uterus need more fiber in it’s diet? What was your experience? ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977/2 "2006-01-08T05:54:26Z")
Mine went screeching back to normal as soon as she was weaned (at 18 months). Every 23-ish days. You could just about set a clock by it (except sometimes it’s on day 23 and sometimes day 22). I am currently trying the “staying on the pill with no break” to try and stave off my migraines. I have started pack two with few problems, but that may be way TMI for what you wanted to know. I do know my sister’s went a little kooky for a while, but settled down. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977/3 "2006-01-08T06:08:39Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > I am currently trying the “staying on the pill with no break” to try and stave off my migraines. > > I have started pack two with few problems, but that may be way TMI for what you wanted to know. . Have you thought about ortho evra? It’s super-lazy! A patch a week, requires no thought! Oh, and damn near nothing is too TMI for me. Unless it involves dental work. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977/4 "2006-01-08T06:22:19Z")
While nursing my cycles were seriously wacky. Nothing at all for the first 10 months, then every 2 - 3 months. I went on the minipill when first kid was about 18 months so after that I can’t really say what my cycles wouled be naturally. I do know though that I went off the pill in March for baby #2 and was knocked up by May. This kid, who is 11 months old, I’ve been on the minipill since about 6 weeks postpartum, because I’m not nursing exclusively this time. I did the patch for a month or two and it just killed my milk supply, I really regret it for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977/5 "2006-01-08T06:27:03Z")
Mine’s been different since I had kids. Different symptoms, too. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977/6 "2006-01-08T06:29:14Z")
> [@inkleberry](#): > > Have you thought about ortho evra? It’s super-lazy! A patch a week, requires no thought! > > Oh, and damn near nothing is too TMI for me. Unless it involves dental work. Tried that, made me CRAZY. Like Screaming Banshee to Weeping Willow in 3 seconds crazy. So now I am trying this…so far, so good 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-menstrual-question-for-ladies-whove-given-birth/338977/7 "2006-01-08T06:40:10Z")
Cool. But let’s get back to how often we surf the crimson tide or ride our cotton ponies.