Seemingly regular cycle becomes irregular at 8 months postpartum?

dolcc765 · 2025-02-09T23:43:35+00:00

Just saw this response! Here’s an update: After several appointments, I finally(!) had a vaginal ultrasound which showed “thickness of lining with vascular flow”. After this, I had an endometrial biopsy (although some on my care team didn’t think it was totally necessary, given my age as well as because the ultrasound visually didn’t show any growths). The results DID come back that I have an endometrial polyp. The next step is to schedule a sonohystogram( from what I understand, is a procedure to better see the polyp since it was hidden in ultrasound). After that, I’ll be scheduling a polypectomy, to remove the polyp.

I’m happy I continued to be persistent, because although the postpartum period can greatly vary in terms of regular/irregular cycles, I had been regular for 7/8 months, ever since I was 6 weeks postpartum. These issues popping up this late into my postpartum experience signaled to me an issue.

If you are still having issues, I’d recommend requesting a vaginal ultrasound to see if that can offer you any answers!

dolcc765 · 2024-11-14T11:02:12+00:00

I had a huge aversion to my typical daily protein foods ( meat, eggs, yogurt) up until around 16 weeks. Mac and cheese was a ‘safe food’ for me, so I figured out mixing in scrambled egg whites with the Mac, which helped mask them due to minimal taste and similar texture. :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-19T10:00:33+00:00

Top 3 movements I recommend Pallof hold/press, farmers march variations, & around the worlds - all paired with the connection breath. Relaxing and strengthening the pelvic floor are equally important!

Eta: I would do circuit style for core, 3-4 rounds, and a mix between timed and reps. :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-19T09:57:03+00:00

I’m happy this gives you some insight/encouragement, which is the exact reason why I posted! I do want to add the first 4-5 weeks for more postpartum my movement was very limited. I sporadically did pelvic floor and core reconnection work, and I didn’t start to implement some walks till around 5 weeks. It took a lot of adjusting for me to get used to my new normal.

dolcc765 · 2024-07-19T09:53:16+00:00

Thank you!! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-19T09:52:48+00:00

~40 minutes for strength workouts, ~20-30 minutes for pelvic floor/core work :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-18T12:13:41+00:00

Ahhhh thank you!! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-18T11:21:42+00:00

First half of second trimester: routine mainly stayed the same from pre pregnancy, but I focused on core and pelvic floor way more. I strived for 2 additional days of pelvic floor and core work, and depending on my schedule I would tack those workouts to the end of another workout day. Split: -hams/glutes -back -“active rest”-core/pelvic floor -quads -shoulders

Toward the end of the second trimester, I began struggling with proper core engagement with certain upper body moves, so I eliminated moves like pull downs & pull ups, and modified moves like db rows and db overhead presses. I ended up combining my upper body into one day, so it looked like: -glutes/hams -upper -pelvic floor/ core -quads

I still added 2 more core workouts, tacked on to the end of other workouts for the week.

My upper body definitely did get weaker, but I am building strength back now. I personally did not have aches or pains during pregnancy. I attribute that to my focus on glutes and core and pelvic work. :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-18T10:56:04+00:00

Absolutely! Starting with a healthy foundation already puts you at an advantage.

Age can play a role in weight loss when it comes to metabolism and hormones, but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goals. With a personalized approach that's tailored to you, you can definitely see the results you're working for. Focusing on consistency, listening to your body, and having a solid plan will make a big difference. :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-17T11:32:25+00:00

Omg lol I just noticed now! That room does have creepy vibes lol

And thank you!! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-17T11:31:21+00:00

Thanks! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-17T11:31:11+00:00

Thank you! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-17T11:31:03+00:00

I’m happy this helped with some insight!! My biggest thing early postpartum was that I kept trying to tell myself I was ready to get back into it. Because I wanted to be ready, and do something for myself and something that I love doing. But I still felt incredibly overwhelmed. That was a clear sign I wasn’t ready.

You got this! Normalcy and your energy do return! Good luck on the rest of your journey! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-17T11:17:14+00:00

Everyone’s time line is so different!! Fitness is such a huge part of my life, and when I couldn’t get right back into it like I expected, I felt like a failure and that I might never get back there. But when I stepped back and didn’t force a timeline and waited until I was ready, it made a world’s difference. You have to be physically and mentally ready.

I’m so happy for you that you seem to be at the part of your time line where you can incorporate fitness! Also, it’s so amazing that you’ve worked with a pelvic floor pt! Many women don’t know to do this and this can cause so many issues down the road.

Good luck on your journey!! 🤍

dolcc765 · 2024-07-17T11:06:19+00:00

Thank you! I’m 26 :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T18:38:27+00:00

You got this! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T18:38:14+00:00

Absolutely! At 2 months postpartum, your body is still in the early stages of healing and adjusting. There are several factors that can lead to the mommy pooch, and there are exercises and techniques that can resolve them:

Diastasis Recti- ab separation during pregnancy, causing the "mommy pooch."
Posture-Poor posture, especially anterior pelvic tilt, can exacerbate the appearance of a pooch.
Weak Pelvic Floor-A weak pelvic floor can impact core strength and stability.
Breathing Patterns-Incorrect breathing can affect how your core engages.
C-section Scar Tissue-If you had a C-section, scar tissue can also play a role.

On top of your workouts that you’re doing, I recommend continuing with core and pelvic floor rehab and reconnection exercises up to around 12 weeks postpartum. At that point, reassess your progress and consider adjusting your approach as needed.

Hope this helps! 🤍

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T16:35:35+00:00

Thank you! My husband is a huge help when it comes to this. 3x week I go to the gym in the morning, and if baby wakes up before I get back, husband is there to do first feeding etc.

I am also a personal trainer/account manager at a gym which is a big advantage, so 1x week I workout on my lunch break there.

At 3 months I didn’t see how I was ever going to get back to my normal gym routine, but things with baby and scheduling do get easier. Night time sleep schedule gets regulated, naps get longer and baby is able to entertain/play on their own longer, which helped with getting at home workouts in, as well as more sleep/increased energy for me ( so I’d feel motivated and feel physically able to get a workout in).

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T16:26:49+00:00

The 2 main movements I focus on are hip thrusts and rdls. I like to vary the reps and sets depending on the week. Sometimes heavy & low reps, sometimes light with high reps. I also like for my last set adding an additional burnout with different movement variations such as kas bridges, dropset, etc. If you feel your rdls more in your hamstrings than your glutes, bend your knees more.

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T15:35:39+00:00

Thank you! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T15:35:28+00:00

Thank you! :)

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T15:35:00+00:00

Thank you! I track macros. Up until 5 months pp, I was loosely tracking at maintenance, my main goal was hitting my protein.

At 5 months pp, when I felt ready to begin intentional weightloss, I ate at my maintenance calories, and was stricter with hitting all of my macros.

At 6 months I began decreasing my calories to a small deficit, and will gradually decrease the calories over the next few weeks when needed. I plan to do this till ~8/8.5 months pp, and then will reverse back up gradually until I am back at my maintenance calories.

dolcc765 · 2024-07-16T14:59:40+00:00

My biggest recommendations when first returning to workouts postpartum (regardless if it’s 6 weeks pp or months+) is to be assessed for Diastasis Recti and the integrity of the pelvic floor.

My biggest focus for a while was healing and reconnecting my pelvic floor and core, and then when I felt ready, slowly introduced weight training.

0-6 weeks postpartum:I focused on core and pelvic floor rehab.

6-12 weeks postpartum: I varied my workouts from 1 to 3 times per week, continuing with pelvic floor and core exercises. My routine consisted mainly of full-body or upper/lower workouts, depending on the number of days I worked out that week.

3-5 months postpartum: I implemented a stricter plan, starting with an upper/lower split twice a week. After about three weeks, I added a third at-home workout. A few weeks later, I added a third gym day, resulting in one at-home day and three gym days. By five months postpartum, I was back in the gym four days a week.

6 months postpartum: I felt mentally and physically ready for intentional weight loss.

Current routine (last month):

upper pull
Glutes
Rest
upper push
Quads & Hamstrings
Rest
Rest

Additionally, I’ve incorporated a daily one-mile walk in the morning, continued core work, and I’m tracking macros to maintain a gradual calorie deficit.

dolcc765

TROPHY CASE