One of the peculiar perks of pregnancy is nine-plus months of no menstrual period. But after your baby is born, it’s just a matter of time before Aunt Flo pops in and says, “I’m baaaack!”
If you’re not breastfeeding, you’ll likely begin menstruating between three and ten weeks after giving birth (the average is 45 days); if you’re breastfeeding, you might enjoy many more menses-free months — especially if you’re nursing exclusively. Still, your period will return eventually — and it could make its appearance even if you’re breastfeeding. And though there’s absolutely no reason to pull the nursing plug once your period does resume, your baby may react to the event with a bit of fussing (while you’re menstruating, you might experience a temporary drop in milk supply and the taste of your milk might change slightly due to hormonal changes).

When preparing for postpartum and lactation there are more serious issues to consider here: Even before that first red-letter day, you can get pregnant again (and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise). That’s because ovulation precedes menstruation in the monthly cycle, so unless you’re planning on back-to-back babies, you’d better break out the birth control as soon as you start making love again.