breastfeeding and periods...when did they return?

[missytequila]

just wondering when your periods returned and if you had any warning signs...

No warning signs. In fact have far less PMT and pain since kids.

DC1 after 3 months (and had lochia for 6 weeks) GRRR
DC2 after 9 months

no warnings.
far less pain.

DD1 I had them while BF (may be at 6 or 8 weeks)
DD2 nearly 2 months after stopping BF (19 weeks)

ooh I was going to ask this. Stopped BF a couple of weeks ago and apart from a bit of bloody discharge (sorry for TMI) don't seem to have had a proper period. With DD1 I seem to remember bleeding heavily for ages and ages

I had DS 5weeks ago, I panicked at 4weeks when the lochia became bright red again, GP said it was my first period, it's still going strong! Was told that they may be all over the place for some time and different to what may have been the norm pre-pregnancy.

No warning either. DS1 returned at 12months, DS2 at 4 months; breastfed for 15months and 12months respectively.

Waaaarthur - not sure about your GP's advice - I had this change in lochia both with DS1 and DD1, although not with DS2.

just had my first, v heavy DS 10 months.

for a few months I'd been getting spotting every month though.

strangely this time I had POST-MT instead of PMT.

I had to mix feed DD from the beginning and got my first period at 7 weeks - just as the lochia stopped!

ebf twins who are almost 6 months and just had my second period. ffs.

Am bfing DS, almost 20 weeks old, still no hint of a period.

With DS they came back at 4 months, regular at 6 months. He was ebf and I wasn't on any hormonal contraception. They weren't that heavy, few days, but the cycles varied more than pre-pg.

With DD, well I haven't had a period since Feb 2008! The difference I think was that I went on the mini-pill when she was 6 weeks old. Still bf around 4-5 times a day.

No warning signs and periods returned when DD was 8 months old

After about 8 or 9 months.

First period at 8 months just when DS got really keen on solids, still ebf other than the solids though. Were completely regular and only very minor PMT weepyness. It's a different issue, but I had lochia for 6 weeks plus, which was actually diagnosed as an endometrium infection and whacked with antibiotics (bf-friendly ones, obviously!)

ds1 - bf for 7 months, periods returned after 9 months

ds2 - bf for 12 months, periods returned after 9 months

No warning signs either time, but my periods are now significantly heavier and more painful than before having children.

Have been BF for 10 months, now dropped down to morning and night only and no sign of period.
Have had stomach cramps for a week so I thought it might be coming but nothing so far....

ebf and they started at 10 weeks, so only had four weeks between post birth bleeding and periods .

Warning sign, some usual pre period cramps, but very mild in comparison with before

4 weeks

Lochia for 8 weeks, then at 12 or so weeks thought - odd, I think I'm ovulating - then at 13 weeks - period. Then a period every 2.5-3 weeks until a year out.

DS fully breastfed too. Bah. Apparently there's such a thing as breastfeeding-induced luteal phase defect or something.

Didn't get mine back until 3 months after stopping BF (at 8mo). Sounds like I was pretty lucky

At about 9 months whilst still BF. Had spotting about a month before the first proper one. Much lighter than pre-pregnancy and quite irregular initially. Had to drop to 1 feed per day to get pg again when DD was 15mo.

Mine just carried on as normal after each child. (4 kids). I never got this "break" from them that others speak of. Despite being exclusively bf for at least the 1st 6 months.
(Sigh)
Oh and mine are very heavy and last a week too.

Mine still haven't and ds is 15mo, still bf twice a day, sounds like I'm v lucky!

Nothing yet @ 8mo.

Me too linsell! DS is 20mo, bfeeds roughly once or twice a day most days but still no period.

Similar to SpiceWeasel, knew I was ovulating at 10 weeks, sure enough a few days later I had a period.

Luteal phase remained woefully short for a long time.

I too was ebf every 2hrs day and night. Robbed.

Mine came back 2 weeks after I went back to work when DD was 13 months. I am sure it was because I was then only breastfeeding at night instead of day time too.