Breastfeeding and periods - urgent advice needed

[roberta]

I've just starting having a period even though I'm breastfeeding my nearly seven month old month year old. Gave me the shock of my life as it's been so long! Is this normal/OK - I thought they wouldn't start until i stopped feeding? (sorry if this is a stupid question)

Don't worry roberta - this is normal You are really lucky to have got this far with none. Mine returned at 6 weeks first baby despite exclusive feeding. Sucks doesn't it?

Breastfeeding only delays they restart of periods. Mine stared when DD was a similar age to your baby.
I know what you mean though, it came as a shock to me as well, but it is perfectly normal.

Yes, it is normal. You don't normally have periods whilst exclusively (ie before weaning) breastfeeding on demand. Although occasionally people do. However once you stop fully breastfeeding/ drop a night feed whatever, it increases the chance that your mentrual cycle will start up in its campaign to have another baby. So at nearly 7 months I would guess you have introduced a few solids, and possibly dropped a feed or 2, so you periods would be likely to restart now.

Mine started around six/seven months too, and I'm still breastfeeding.

Phew, thanks for that guys - am greatly reassured. It's a timely reminder to be a bit more careful about contraception aswell, I guess.

For goodness sake don't rely on breastfeeding for contraception. I got pregnant with ds no.3 when no.2 was 7 months old. You don't know how lucky you have been

They can come back at any time whatever your frequency of bf - I'm like mears and had mine come back at 6 weeks when I was exclusively breastfeeding - 2 hourly, day and night!

eeek - I'm still b/f ds (11mths) and on the mini pill - haven't had a period since Nov 2001 - it's going to be a real shock!

I'm wondering when most peole have had their period come back, I breast and bottle fed for 2 then when only bottle feeding I went on the pill for 3. My dd is 9 months old and still no period?

Mine came back around 12 months both times. Lactional amenorrhea (not having periods because of breastfeeding) is extremely good for your health, so the longer the better.

Urk! LacTAtional not lactional...blech. Why do I feel like it's Friday when it's not even Wednesday, yet????!

well, good for your health it maybe (why so? I can only think of reducing the risk of ovarian cancer, is there anything else?) but there's b*** all you can do to influence it....I have to say that breastfeeding a three month old for half an hour eight times a day while you've got period pains really feels unfair!!

My DS is nearly 7mths and I started weaning him at 4.5mths but still no period - one of the many reasons I love breastfeeding. Mind you I had an IUD installed at my 6week check up as I knew I would be devastated if I fell pregnant again quickly.

I may have it wrong, but I get the impression it's good for your health WRT all the female cancers. Each year without periods reduces the breast cancer risk by something like 10%. Monthly ovulation is biologically abnormal; we're designed to be pregnant or lactating most of our fertile years. The egg literally rips out of the ovaries, leaving damage in its wake. There are hormonal-induced tissue changes in breasts & cervix with each ovulation.

Post breastfeeding the body rebounds by stocking up extra calcium; having a child before you're 35 will usually increase your bone density for life; breastfeeding is itself a risk reduction factor for osteoporosis. A new variant on the birth control is being developed for perceived health benefits (see here .

oh well, looks like I've completely had it then
I thought it was breastfeeding per se that had a protective effect against breast cancer, via its effect on the breast tissues rather than its effect on ovulation. Don't tell me I spent six months at it for no benefit to myself!!

From everything I've read the protective effects (against breast cancer) seem to last even after women's periods start. Nobody is quite sure why. The % reduction in risk (from extended breastfeeding even after periods return) is also less quantified than the risk reduction from pregnancy or lactational amenorrhea, when periods aren't present at all. What I just posted below was referring to the specific benefits of lactational amenorrhea.

Boy, I must like a challenge, trying to spell those words!