After childbirth, the puerperium or quarantine begins, a recovery period that lasts between six to eight weeks, in which the mother begins to physically recover from all the organic and physiological changes that occurred during pregnancy and childbirth.
During this stage, postpartum lochia will occur , which are vaginal secretions in which blood, vernix caseosa, cervical mucus and placental tissue are expelled throughout the first four weeks.
Naturally, during this process we will need to be constantly cleaning and make sure to follow the indicated care. Some women wonder if they can use tampons after giving birth , so we will answer this question.
Can I put a tampon after giving birth?
The short answer is no. But we will proceed to explain why it is not recommended that tampons be used after childbirth, and when we can use them again.
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During the puerperium, the vaginal area is recovering and very sensitive , especially if there were stitches, so inserting something into it can be quite annoying.
But the most important reason is because there is a risk of injury or infection. Just as it is recommended not to have sexual intercourse during the puerperium , the same applies in the case of tampons (at the time we explained it when we talked about the menstrual cup ).
For feminine hygiene, at least during the puerperium, it is better to use postpartum pads at first , which we can later change to normal pads.
Around four or six weeks after giving birth, an appointment is usually made with the gynecologist to carry out a control and check that the recovery is being positive. This is the time to ask all the questions we have, including knowing if we can use the tampon now or if we should wait a little longer.
When will I be able to use tampons again?
Usually, we can go back to or start using tampons when the first period after giving birth appears , something that is different for each woman and that will depend on several factors.
After expelling the postpartum lochia, the rule can appear in a woman who has not breastfed after a few weeks, while in a woman who breastfeeds it can do so after weeks, months or even years .
The most normal thing in women who are not lactating is that ovarian activity restarts a month after giving birth. However, in some it can be two or three months. According to WHO data, almost all women who do not breastfeed their baby four months after delivery have already restarted their menstrual cycle .
It is important to mention that it is very normal for there to be imbalances during the first cycles or for the period not to be like it was before delivery in terms of duration and quantity.
The first periods after having a baby are usually heavier and can last more days than usual, so if you were already using a tampon before your pregnancy, you may need to use others with greater absorption capacity or change more frequently. often the ones you already used.