To be panicking in this situation?

[panickingpleasehelp]

NC for this but regular poster.

I have an 8 month old who I recently stopped BF at around 7 months. I combination fed the baby from birth so never EBF. My period returned around 3 months pp if I recall. My cycles were initially very long (30-40 days), later settling into my usual pre pregnancy pattern of 28/29 days for the last 3 months. I was still occasionally BF during the time I was having these regular periods.

I stopped BF just under 4 weeks ago and my period is late this month - I'm currently on day 33 of my cycle so it's around 4 days late. I have had sex with my partner a number of times and we have used condoms, however I know this isn't 100% reliable.

What are the chances the delay in my period this month is related to stopping BF, as opposed to a pregnancy? For many reasons another pregnancy isn't something we want and I would have to terminate, which fills me with dread and upset. So I want to ask if anyone has experience of this, and what are the chances it's just my hormones going a bit crazy after stopping BF? Has anyone experienced a late period after stopping BF?

Thank you for any thoughts or experiences.

Just take a test and find out.

My periods were totally erratic and untrackable for a while after. I wouldn't worry unnessecarily yet. Have a lovely Christmas

@mildtomoderate

Just take a test and find out.

I will after Christmas but I can't cope with finding out just before. I'll be so preoccupied with it if I'm pregnant as I know I have to make a really difficult decision.

@Tiredmum12389

My periods were totally erratic and untrackable for a while after. I wouldn't worry unnessecarily yet. Have a lovely Christmas

Mine were too initially but then seemed to have become more regular for the past 3 or so months at 28/29 days, so this cycle is completely random as I'm already on day 33.

@Tiredmum12389

Thank you. Have a lovely Christmas too.

Have you had a covid vaccination recently?

@Iveputmyselfonthenaughtystep

Have you had a covid vaccination recently?

Yes - I had my second vaccine on around day 8 of this cycle, as I was coming to the end of my last period. Could that explain it?

Just test and put yourself out of the misery. No one here can tell you.

Condom are 98% effective at population level, when used correctly. So only 2 out of 100 people fall pregnant on them. So it is more likely you're not pregnant if you haven't had any kind of accident with them.

I think you should do a test as well though its obviously going to be on your mind anyway and you sound worried about it so there is a good chance it will put your mind at rest

I had my booster about 2 weeks ago and my period is currently 12 days late. I'm definitely not pregnant.

I'm 4 days late and had my covid booster on the 4th December. The last 2 vaccines messed with my cycle as well.

Oh yeah I'm sterilised so no chance of pregnancy!

Ok so I feel a little reassured by the vaccine experiences! My first jab didn't affect my periods though. Could it be that the first wouldn't and the second would? 🤔

I’ll be so preoccupied with it

You are likely to be preoccupied if you don’t know as well though. I would just take the test.

It depends where you were in your cycle each time. It can delay ovulation.

@DrinkFeckArseBrick

Condom are 98% effective at population level, when used correctly. So only 2 out of 100 people fall pregnant on them. So it is more likely you're not pregnant if you haven't had any kind of accident with them.

I think you should do a test as well though its obviously going to be on your mind anyway and you sound worried about it so there is a good chance it will put your mind at rest

This but just to add that these figures are for over the course of a year in people having regular sex, not 2% of each sexual contact.

Take a test. I hope it is whatever you want it to be so you can relax. And yes, the vaccine can definitely interfere with your cycle briefly.

@PurpleBirch

It depends where you were in your cycle each time. It can delay ovulation.

Ok so this is interesting.
First vaccine I was on day 13 according to my app and likely to have ovulated already the day or so prior.
Second vaccine I was on day 8 of this current cycle and my period had only just ended.
So the 2nd vaccine could have delayed ovulation, whereas the first couldn't....?

Take a test. You'll be preoccupied whether you know or not. If you are, the sooner you know, the better for your options. If you're not, merry Christmas.

Nothing we say here can help because you know either outcome is possible.

I'm another who would take a test now, my view is you are already thinking about it anyway and the sooner you know the better.

So the 2nd vaccine could have delayed ovulation, whereas the first couldn't....?

OP, you might be pregnant, or you might not be, for any number of reasons. I can't see the benefit of frantically researching the vaccine's effect on your cycles and looking up your cycle history and asking Mumsnet and just upping all the theoretical stuff, when you could just take a test and find out.

A negative might not be entirely reliable at this stage, but it's a much better indication than any guess you could make, which is all you're doing right now.

Well I can't take a test right this second because I don't have one, I'm at home with a not very well baby and my partner is at work. I've asked him to bring a test home with him, I'm not dragging the baby out for that when she's not well. So in the meantime I thought I'd come here and ask for experiences and advice, which is what I assumed MN was for. 🤷‍♀️

It actually does benefit me to find these things out and know they might help explain my situation. It helps me to manage my anxiety until I can find out for definite. I'm sorry I bothered now tbh, just feel judged.

@rockinghorsebadge

Just test and put yourself out of the misery. No one here can tell you.

Yes, I did not have my period for three months after vaccinated. Take the test after Christmas but try to block it off your mind for now. It is probably a side effect of the vaccine.

Ask an unanswerable question, expect sensible advice. No need to be snappy. If you just wanted to hear one specific thing then repeat it to yourself, asking an open forum and then getting pissed when we don’t give you the exact answer you want is only going to frustrate you.

Has anyone experienced a late period after stopping BF?

I didn't think this was an unanswerable question??

I don't mean to come across as snappy but it's really not helpful for people to just tell me to take a test - I can't at this precise moment because I don't have one. So I'm doing something that personally helps me in the interim, which is to seek others' experiences and also just discuss it with others as this sometimes helps me. That's what an online is forum is for, is it not...?

@fourandtwo

You've made a lot of incorrect assumptions there. There is no specific answer I "want", at all. Just basically a sounding board and a bit of a discussion with others so I don't feel quite so alone with it while I wait to take a test.

Like I said, I'm sorry I reached out for help now.