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!

Bf till ds was 4yo, but periods returned 4weeks to the day from his birth..

13 months ish both times, after finishing breastfeeding at around 12 months.

14 months

Mine came back at 3.5 months despite the fact that DD is still feeding through the night. However, until the 4 month regression hit she was sleeping for 4-5 hours sometimes and using a dummy, so not meeting all the criteria for bfing as contraception. We think we want to start ttc again when she is 9 months so I guess I should be grateful.

Happy new year all. I’m in same boat op. We haven’t been preventing at all since the birth of our little one. I’m currently 13 mo pp and no ppaf. Still waiting! And it’s very frustrating feeling that you can’t even try or maybe catch the first egg!
How often are you feeding now? I’ve just cut back to one feed per day, before bed, to see if that helps. He’s been night weaned for a while now, thought that would trigger it, I’m back at work, thought that would trigger it 😡 alas nothing!
I hear that eating lots helps- I’ve been doing that😳. Also taking some vitamins, zinc, vitamin b, vitamin c, raspberry leaf tea, shatavari, COD liver oil. Still no period, just the odd spot here and there that lasts less than a day! Would you consider weaning to get pregnant? That’s what my husband wants but I don’t fancy it. We want more babies so badly! I’m 30 this year but have one baby and want three! baby dust to you!! 😄

I feel like this thread has brought me luck, my periods started today! (OP here). I cut out the feed before DS’s morning nap a week ago as he didn’t seem too bothered by that, but still feeding him before his afternoon nap and overnight (every 2 hours last night ) Have read that even when periods are back feeding can still suppress implantation, so I am still a bit worried but I guess at least we can try and I can track what’s going on a bit more.

Mommybear05 it does seem so so variable, a couple of my friends said it took stopping altogether to get their periods to start (both said they started about a month later). You’ve done amazingly to feed to 13 months! I am 38 so really feel like time isn’t on my side! You still have loads of time to have two more Baby dust to you too!

Resurrecting this thread to say mine has just come back at 15 months. Down to on about average 4 feeds a day and DS has recently started sleeping through from 7-7. I’m delighted because I’ve had trouble with period going AWOL in the past so was starting to worry it wouldn’t, and/or that I’d have to stop feeding DS before I wanted to give up just to see if it would come back and put my mind at rest.

Hi, could I jump on this thread to ask a related question? When your periods returned after breastfeeding, was your cycle similar to before? My DC is 18 months and I'm still breastfeeding him morning and evening. I have had one period when he was 16 months but nothing since (and I have taken several pregnancy tests - all negative!) Before I was pregnant my cycle was every 28 days like clockwork. Has this happened to anyone else that their period appears and then disappears again?

I had two periods a month apart when they returned and then none for three months, so I think it can take some time to get back to normal.

6 weeks. And I didn't stop bf until 4 months. Not sure I did it properly!

Everyone is different. First baby they came back at 14 months, 2nd baby about 8 months...this time round I am 3 months pregnant and have a 9 month old!

7 weeks 😢

I didn’t have a period after DC1&2 because I was pregnant six months after they were born despite breastfeeding . My periods didn’t return with DC3 until I stopped BFing all together at 15 months and with DC4 they returned when he was 6 months old despite the fact I’m still BFing him now at 15 months.

Mine didn’t come back until I stopped bf at 13 months. I went back to work when he was 11 months so for the last 2 was just doing morning and bedtime.

15 months
7 months
18 months
10 months.

I think it’s a case of ‘how long is a piece of string?’

DC1 was 5 months pp and DC2 was 3 months pp both were exclusively BF

Ds1 was 4 months (this was when weaning - was guidelines at the time),
Dt were 6 months again had just started weaning. Thought I might have had longer because I was feeding two didn't work out that way.

Perhaps the thread brought me luck too- ppaf at 13 months not long after my post. Yay! Trouble is now at 14 months pp and nothing! on cycle day 41. And then I read comments on here people saying it comes and then goes! For months at a time! What a tease! I was really excited too- thought I was pregnant as was like clockwork before. Test said no. The retest said no and the test after that said no (boo!)

It’s not meant to be for me just yet... (Hoping comments like this will bring more luck hehe )

7 months (after I left dd for a while day) and 17 months after I weaned first my 2. Got pregnant month after weaning dd1 despite being "careful" I'm guessing we weren't being careful just I wasn't ovulating before

21 months for the 1st and 14 months for the 2nd. Got pregnant with my 2nd while still bf my first.

Does it matter? I was warned that contrary to belief, nursing does not offer contraceptive properties and the year after childbirth you're fertile as a bunny.
From la leche
It is also important to mention that after six months, there is a higher chance that you might ovulate and possibly become pregnant before your first postpartum period

Oh I stopped nursing Three years ago, I'm still waiting for regular periods, what I get is a couple months off then flooding for 3weeks or a bit of pinky discharge for a few days.

I fucking hate menses

8 months, immediately after stopping breastfeeding completely.

I had one period and then was pregnant again — a shock TBH (not an unpleasant one).!

Bang on four weeks both times, despite EBF.

I got mine exactly 4 weeks after I gave birth lol. Was exclusively breastfeeding also!