To ask how long your periods took to return when you were breastfeeding?

[RoseGoldEagle]

Posted in TTC board but realised most people on there were trying for first time, so probably wasn’t best place to post.

We want to try for another baby soon, but I’m still breastfeeding my 9 month old and my periods haven’t come back yet. Not sure if I’ll need to stop entirely before they do, everything on line says not, but the few people I’ve asked in real life said theirs only came back after stopping completely. I would be ok with stopping, but he feeds a lot at night and I know it’s going to be really difficult to settle him without being able to feed him (I know I could give him bottles but I think at this stage the night feeds are mainly just for comfort). If anyone is happy to say when their periods came back- if it was after stopping completely/ dropping some feeds/ dropping almost all feeds, I’d be very grateful! I know everyone’s different, just good to get an idea of what’s normal! Thanks!

I posted on a thread asking this question 2 weeks ago to say mine still weren’t back with my 11 month old. I came on 2 days later

We still feed through the night, and regularly during the day, we hadn’t cut down any feeds really when they returned. In my group of NCT mums we all breastfed though and periods returned between 6 weeks (exclusively breastfeeding) and one still hasn’t and our babies are all around 1 now. I have heard of people getting pregnant before their periods return though, it may be worth getting some ovulation sticks to see if you’re about to ovulate.

With DD1 they came back when I stopped the night feeds, at 3 months.

Now BF DD2 (who hasn't night weaned yet) and they haven't returned yet after 7 months.

I read somewhere that if you eat a certain amount of extra calories, that "signals to your body" that you've got the resources for another baby and your periods return. Could be bullshit.

13m - I'd gone back to work so DS was feeding morning, eve, and in the night.

Was still bfeeding when I conceived DC2.

I conceived my 2nd while still BF my first and my periods hadn't returned. With my 2nd it was just over a year

You do know that you can still get pregnant when breastfeeding even if your periods haven't returned? My midwife, health visitor and dr have all discussed contraception with me even though I am breastfeeding. It is a myth that you cant get pregnant while breastfeeding.

Baby 1, half breast/half bottle around 8 months. Baby 2, 70% breast/30% bottle around 6 months. Baby 3 100% breastfed and periods returned at 6 weeks! You really do have to be careful if you don’t want to get pregnant!

Mine came back at 15 months. He night weaned himself at around the 2year mark. I got pregnant when he was 2yrs 11mo (as soon as we started trying) and he stopped bf himself not long after he was 3 with very little encouragement (I had terrible nursing aversion when pregnant )

2 years. I didn't do anything different eg continued with night feeds, didn't take more vitamins or eat differently. Was back in work a year at that stage . But you can definitely get pregnant while bf

8 or 9 months. I'm on a Facebook group called breastfeeding older babies and beyond. Loads and loads of women there who have conceived whilst bf, then through pregnancy, then gone on to tandem feed.

4weeks with my first- ebf. Bang on 28 days post birth and as normal after.

With my second it was 7m. Still ebf apart from usual weaning foods.

It’s different for everyone. If you aren’t ready to stop bf why don’t you start ttc, At 9m chances are bf won’t stop a pregnancy for long...

28 days. I know that’s not helpful but I always like to say it because I’m bitter. 28 days.

My personal experience was that I breastfed for 27 months, weaned and had a period a couple of weeks later. Used no additional contraception until period returned. My understanding was that if you fed round the clock it is that that suppresses ovulation, not bf per se.

It seemed to work as an effective contraceptive for us, but it was a risk we were happy to take.

Mine came back 6 weeks after the baby was born every time. I was exclusively breastfeeding dc's 1, 2, 3 and 5 and exclusively expressing for dc4.

22 months - when we went down to one feed per day, in the morning, and stopped night feeds.

Only when I stopped BF completely. We ttc pretty much straight away after my 1st because I had endometriosis. It was 15mths in the end - 2mths after I stopped BFing.

18 months with both my breastfed ones.

Almost to the week, I had three years period free. Breastfed for another 8 months before dd gave it up. I was 38/39/40 if that helps.

15 months and still waiting. Also would like to crack on with DC2!

14 months before I had a period after having DD.

19 months. Conceived whilst breastfeeding. Fed through pregnancy and after.

I wanted to try again from about 12 months and spent a while worrying but research I did said between 1-2 years was common.

DD1 was 4 months whilst EBF: really pissed off about it TBH.

DC2 7 months once solids were well established and he’d dropped a few feeds.

Good luck OP

Never, not until I stopped.

@JoJothesquirrel just read your post. That’s sucks! Now I don’t feel so bad about 4months!

You do know that you can still get pregnant when breastfeeding even if your periods haven't returned?

Your post is not helpful to the OP. This is only possible if her periods are just about to return because she had started ovulating but doesn't know it yet. Just like a girl can get pregnant before she gets her first period, if she happened to time it with her very first ovulation.

Of course it's better to know that you're ovulating again rather than just blindly hoping that you're about to start.

We’re nearly at the 10 months mark and no periods in sight. I did have a ‘period’ when I started the pill at 6 weeks, but then nothing since, so whether it was actually just a hormonal bleed, I don’t know.