A year after baby and still no period

[cornflakes5]

DD is now over a year, and my period still hasn't returned. I work 4 days a week, and feed her 4 times over 24 hours (day and night) when I'm working, and 5 times when I'm at home. She was EBF up to 6 months of age.

We're now thinking about trying for a second, but that seems unlikely if my period still hasn't returned. Do I need to cut out breastfeeding altogether? I really don't want to, as DD finds a lot of comfort in it and I love the bonding feeling.

Anyone else experience this, or have advice? Thank you!

Thank you damntheman I'm sure you're right, plus DD is chunky! One seems like such a hard age to night wean (though it's never easy, is it) - she's old enough to know what's going on and to know what she wants, but not old enough for me to explain why she can't have it anymore.

I think I'll cut feeds down to 2 a day/night, once when she wakes, and once before bed. Hopefully that'll kick the ovaries back into gear??

Having to make them wean is awful! I was really lucky with mine in that they just started refusing me one day. Much easier. I saw how my friends struggled with the guilt and saying no though. You got this! Come on ovaries!

OP if it helps, I was very surprised how easily my DS took to no BF during the night. Sippy cup, cuddles and a back rub after being put down in the cot. Less than 20 mins each time and he definitely wakes less.

Thanks namechange did you administer the sippy cup and cuddles, or did your partner? And sippy cup of water, I assume?

Mine didn't return until I went back to work and started cutting down on feeding her. She's obviously not fed during the week during the day as I'm at work. Period returned at 13 months.

I found the first night I stopped breastfeeding really tough for both of us, but it got easier very quickly. We swapped the feed out for cosleeping when she woke, for a couple weeks. Once she twigged she was definitely not getting the milk, but was still getting lots of comfort, she would settle down right away. A few weeks later and she mostly dropped the night waking. Still get them now and then, but they're no problem.

@cornflakes5, I did. I do all night wakings - DH works shifts and generally sleeps like the dead

Sippy cup of whole milk - long life. I take it up when I go up to bed. He has a sip or two and that's about it. I only put 3 ounces in to avoid wasting too much as he hardly ever drinks much.

@Namechangeymcnamechange11 thank you - so you just sit him up in his cot and offer him the sippy cup? (I should add that DD doesn't pull herself up in the cot, and only ever lies there. She also went through a phase of refusing breastfeeding unless she was lying down, so our current process is: she cries, I pick her up from cot and transfer to our bed, feed her, transfer back to her cot.) I'll try your approach this weekend 🙏🏼

My period never returned until I stoped bf completely at 13 months and only fed him maybe 3/4 a day for last 2 months.

somethingonce that's interesting, why do you say that?

Because in crazy alternate-reality land I’d have liked seven or eight children. Left it a bit late though

Just to say OP, I was the same. My period never returned after DS because I ended up pregnant straight away with DD with he was about eighteen months old - obviously the first time I had ovulated. I breastfed throughout that pregnancy and even tandem fed for a short time. It was all fine.

Perhaps I'll do another pg test tonight just in case! 😳

We saw the hv recently for DD's one-year developmental review, and when I asked her about night weaning, she said she'd do it if it were her. She was a bit surprised (not in a bad way) I was still breastfeeding, I think.

@cornflakes5 - nope, I pick him up and take him out of the cot, cuddle him close, sit in the nursing chair with him in my lap, sit him up to offer him the sippy cup, when he's had a few sips, lie him back in my arms and he burrows in a bit and closes his eyes, put him back down in the cot, he stirs a bit so I rub his back and leave the room. Hope this helps.
Incidentally, DH had to put him to bed late night as I was held up at work, he went straight off no problems, which I was surprised about (in a good way). We thought he would resist lack of bedtime boob but he drank about 6oz from his sippy cup. Let's see if it lasts or if he was just exhausted!

We night weaned our first around 15 months I think although I wasn't totally strict...period returned around 19 months and ds2 was in the bag a month later. Dad did a lot of the night work, it actually wasn't too traumatic, he learned pretty quickly. I think they still have short memories at that age!

I bf ds1 until ds2 was about 6 months I think (just once before bed). It wasn't a barrell of laughs while pregnant but we got through it.

I feel utterly utterly cheated that I breastfed my third for 14 months yet got my period back within two months.

@cornflakes5 at my little boys 1 year check the hv asked me if I could remember roughly when I had stopped bf and seemed genuinely shocked when I said I hadn't stopped yet!

@Cannyhandleit I guess the majority of people will have stopped by the baby's first birthday. It's not really compatible with working full-time, especially if your work isn't flexible, so I can see why.

It's such a lovely thing for me and DD, I feel sad cutting her back, but I really don't want to be a year down the line and still not be able to start trying for another.

I posted not long ago about breastfeeding and return of fertility. Well, I had some spotting today so perhaps fertility has returned!

My question now is: once your fertility is back, can feeding more take it away again? I'm not talking a lot more breastfeeding, just back to the 4-5x a day/night we were doing as DD seemed a lot happier with that arrangement and I just want her to be happy.

I only bf for 6 weeks and it still took well over a year to get my period back. All normal according to my doctor.