Is it normal to have irregular menstruation more than a year after giving birth?
Mar 27, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lv Aiming
Introduction
Menstrual irregularity more than a year after childbirth may be due to endocrine function not yet returning to normal, along with breastfeeding, which can lead to delayed recovery of ovarian function. This is generally considered a normal physiological phenomenon. However, if accompanied by symptoms such as genital atrophy, breast atrophy, and absence of milk production, it may indicate hypopituitarism caused by severe bleeding during delivery, which is generally considered abnormal.
Irregular menstruation more than a year after childbirth may be normal or abnormal, depending on the specific circumstances.
1. Normal
This may occur because, after delivery, a woman's endocrine function has not fully returned to normal. Additionally, breastfeeding may lead to delayed recovery of ovarian function, resulting in lower levels of estrogen and progesterone secreted by the ovaries. These low hormone levels fail to induce regular cyclical changes in the endometrium, which is generally considered a normal physiological phenomenon.
2. Abnormal
If irregular menstruation is accompanied by symptoms such as genital atrophy, breast atrophy, absence of breast milk, memory decline, and poor appetite, it may indicate that the woman experienced severe hemorrhage during childbirth. This could reduce or interrupt blood supply to the anterior pituitary gland, leading to prolonged ischemia, pituitary cell degeneration, and necrosis—resulting in hypofunction of the anterior pituitary. This condition is generally considered abnormal.
When the above conditions occur, patients are advised to undergo systematic evaluation under a physician’s guidance to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.
