Stopped bf, when will periods return?

[hollyweens]

Ok, I know it's been done to death but after a quick search I can't find anything that's relevant to me.

I bf dd2 exclusively for the first 13 weeks. We then introduced a formula top-up which put us on the slippery slope towards complete formula feeding. However, she was still being bf through the night at least once. This only stopped three days ago, she's now 21 weeks.

So, I was wondering when periods tend to return as I've been told a few different things. I as told they may return when she started sleeping through at 5 weeks (though this only lasted two weeks and then back up for night feeds again), then I was told they may return when she was only bf 5 times per day then I thought they may return when I was down to only the night feeds.

So far, I've had lots of cramps that have been going on for about 6-8 weeks (basically since we converted to night feeds) and some nausea and hot flushes, my signs of coming on, but no af. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

Everyone is different so there really is no hard and fast guide. With my DD1 I bf exclusively for 12 weeks then added occasional bottles and carried on mixed feeding until she was 5 months when I stopped bf completely. She slept through (12 hrs ish with no feeds) from when she was 8 weeks old. My periods did not return until she was nearly 10 months old (i.e. approx 5 months after I stopped bf completely and 8 months after I stopped any night feeds.

I exclusively bf DD2 and DS until 6 months, then stopped completely, both slept through by 3 months. Periods returned about 2 or 3 months after stopping bf both times. I think you just have to wait.

Nelly's right. There are no specific rules about when periods should return after stopping BF.

I stopped BF when DD(youngest at 5yo) at 4.5months and my periods didn't return until about 3 months ago, so I've not had a period for well over 4 yrs.

Thank you for the responses. I'm in no rush to get them back, just sick of feeling like it's coming and then nothing.

Another 2-5 months is fine by me :o though I think if it got to a year I'd start to worry. Chilled - that's a long time to wait, were you not worried?

I bf ds1 until he was 15 months but he slept through the night from 8pm-6am from 14 weeks and my periods started 4 weeks after that and remained regular as clockwork straight away.

Mine have varied with each child, from not at all between No 1 and No 2 (but was clearly ovulating by 12 months ), to 6 months after for DD1, and 8 months after DD2. They came back virtually on the dot of 12 months this time even though I'm still bfing 5-6 times a day.

There's no set rule- every woman is different in how effectively the prolactin suppresses the other hormones.

about 20 minutes before your next swim or big night out...

Bumpybecky - My dh's 30th and our first night out in months occur at the same time next month so I can probably predict it on the calender :o
That reminds me of going to CP as a teenager and getting my first one ever in the changing rooms of the swimming pool on the Monday :(

Duchesse - I hope that doesn't happen to us, we couldn't cope with a third. Dh has been a bit edgy with the nausea and cramping but no af though I've explained that it's unlikely with our frequency and heightened protection :o

Cinnamon - I've been told by one of our bf counsellors that its the night feeds that keep the prolactin higher so I'm expecting them to start in the next few weeks.

Thanks again for the advice. I'm predicting, using a combination of advice received that af will arrive around the last weekend in November. :)