Breastfeeding & period returned - 2nd baby?

[swaddleaholic]

just wondered if anyone else had experienced this? With my first son he was breastfed apart from the 11pm feed, my period didn't return till he was 8 months old. My second son is 9 weeks old and I think I have my period? He is also breastfed on demand bar the 11pm feed? Unless it's very new post partum bleeding again? Has anyone else's period come back at different times with different babies and so you think it should be checked out if not?

[SaulGood]

I only have the one baby but my periods came back at 13 weeks. I was bfing round the clock, no breaks, no dummies, nada.

I think like everything, it varies woman to woman and then baby to baby. I think you only have to have something like a 6hr break from bfing on a single occasion for your body to ovulate or your hormones to change enough to restart your cycle.

[AngelDog]

It varies a lot - I know others who've had their periods return at very different times with different babies.

The range I've read for cycles to return is anything from 6 weeks to 42 months post partum.

[raspberryhead]

My dd is 20 weeks old, and is breastfed apart from a bottle before bed and one overnight. Generally start bf again around 4am. I had a brief bleed at 2 months, again at 3 months then nothing since. I wouldn't worry too much. People can easily get pregnant when bfing so if you can ovulate you can def also have some bleeding.

That said, if you are worrying about it, get checked by your GP for some peace of mind.

[FirstVix]

I've only had one, also beastfed with no dummies/bottles at all and mine returned dead early at about 6 weeks. They seem lighter though, not sure they're 'up to speed' as it were?

[Malvapoeding]

With DD1 my first period was exactly 4 weeks after my post birth bleeding stopped she fed every 2 hours 24 hours a day for 6 months. DD2 is 14mo and I have only had 2 periods she fed for longer at each feed but only fed every 3-4 hours and for the last 6 months has slept for at least 8 hours a night without a feed.

[IgnoringTheChildren]

With DS1 my periods started 8 weeks after he was born (I initially though it was more post parting bleeding until 4 weeks later it happened again!) and with DS2 it was 6 months. They both fed a lot in the first few months!

I guess this is why the midwives warn you about assuming BF is a contraceptive - you just don't know how your body will respond.

[swaddleaholic]

Thanks feeling reassured by your responses x