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!

Mine came back 3 weeks after I stopped breastfeeding. DS was 14 months then.

15 weeks. Ebf to 6 months still going strong at 2yo I felt cheated :(

5 months, still EBF

My 1st got them at 4 months
2nd 7 months
3rd 9 weeks
Still feeding 2nd and 3rd atm

I ebf all 4 of mine not one drop of formula and yet my periods returned each time at 5 weeks! So jealous of the people who didn’t get one for 2 years

Have a 8 month old. Reduced down to two feeds a day and my periods returned quite quickly after that.

We also want to TTC too so i was quite happy about that.

Reluctant to stop fully

8 weeks with dd1. 12 weeks with dd1. Both ebf, I wasn't impressed!

Four months, and breastfeeding. I'd dropped a night feed when he started sleeping longer. Pregnant again at 7 months, at first try, which was a bit of a (welcome) surprise as it had taken almost a year to conceive DC1.

OP, these threads come up quite often and the wide variation of normal is really interesting. If you want to start trying for DC2 there's no reason why you shouldn't - you'll be fertile again before you have a period, you won't know that you've ovulated.

One thing I found was that I didn't suffer any pregnancy sickness with DC2 until DC1 weaned off breastfeeding at 9 months, when I was 12 weeks pregnant. I thought I'd got away with it, then the sickness kicked in with a vengeance and lasted until 20 weeks

*12 weeks with dd2

Thanks everyone, there really is so much variation! I’m late 30s and DH is mid 40s so feel like time isn’t on our side! I know it’s possible to get pregnant before my periods return (if I happened to catch the window approx 2 weeks before my period would have returned), and we are trying (well, in that we’re not doing anything to stop it happening), I’d be absolutely delighted if it happened, but I feel like I should actively try and reduce feeds now as I’m worried about leaving it too late. Thanks for all the advice

12 weeks each time, like clockwork. Exclusively breastfeeding on demand three times. Through the night. All the stuff that the experts say will stop your periods and work as contraception.

I would never, ever advise any woman to rely on exclusive breastfeeding as contraception for that reason. Very jealous of hte women who go for years without periods.

BFing for 4 years, periods came back after 11 months.

9 months! And it really bloody annoyed me as he was still feeding soooooo much then and they were back like clockwork/have been ever since despite still feeding. At least it did mean I could get pregnant again.

Exactly 4 weeks after stopping breastfeeding (baby 15mo). Had been feeding only once a day for about a month before that and 2-3 times a day for a few months before that, so for me it really was a case of needing to stop completely.

6 sodding weeks. Grr 😖

I became pregnant and stopped breastfeeding around the same time so they didn’t come back until after I had DC3.

@PickettBowtruckles I read your comment earlier thinking that was funny as I've been wondering when mine will come as baby is 8.5mo...well, it arrived this afternoon! What are the chances?! Currently experiencing horrible cramps so have sent DH for wine and takeaway

@babysnowman clearly there’s some weird mumsnet jinx on here!! Wine and take out sound good though - I found the cramps were worse the first 2 or 3 days then calmed right down so hoping you feel better soon :)

I breastfed to 15 months and my period came back 3 months after I stopped which I think is a very long time!

DC1 breast fed until 14months, DC2 breastfed for 10months, both times periods came back 30days after last feed!

Mine returned when DS was 11 months. Stopped bf when he was 14 months, pregnant 3 weeks later.

18m and 12m

DS a month after I started mixed feeding at 7 months
DD1 when we were down to just a morning feed and a nap feed at almost 2 years
DD2 when she was 5 months and very much still feeding on demand day and night!

I breastfed both our children around the clock, my periods returned after 6 months with the first and 9 months with the second. I got pregnant (we weren't trying) when our first was only 9 months old, I stupidly thought having had 2 periods bang on 28 days that I was back to 28 day cycles, so we threw caution to the wind the day my period was due (I did feel like i was about to start!) and I was actually ovulating. My scan was 2 weeks out, so I had ovulated 2 weeks late... Cycle day 28! It was only 6 months sooner than planned, but a bit of a surprise at the time.

So yes they might return but take quite a while to settle back into a normal pattern if you continue to breastfeed (but you can obviously still get pregnant). With my second I had a period then nothing for months.

Baby 1 , was exclusively breastfeeding and came back at 10 months
Baby 2 was exclusively breastfeeding up to 7 months then was also giving a bottle and it came back a month earlier at 9
Best of luck with ttc!