Cutting down Bf to get Periods Back- Will this work?

[BaggedandTagged]

DS is 5 months and is mainly bf - he has an average of one formula feed per day, usually mid morning.

At 6mo I am hoping to cut down to 2 feeds a day- the 7am and 6pm ones, and use formula the rest of the time.

The reason for this is that I am 36 this year, really don't want DS to be an only, and want to TTC No 2 asap. However, I haven't got my periods back yet.

So, wise bf experts, 2 questions

• Am I likely to be able to sustain these 2 feeds a day or will my milk supply just dry up?

• If I haven't got my periods back by now, is cutting down to 2 feeds a day going to make a difference or do you think I'd have to stop bf altogether?

Bagged not an expert by any stretch of the imagination and don't know the answer to question one. DC1 had 2 feeds a day but he was older, over 12 months.

As for getting your periods back, mine returned both times when I reduced the night feeds.

Also not an expert, but IME -

By 6 months your supply should be established enough that if you feed twice a day then your supply will match that. Shouldn't dry up as long as the baby keeps feeding, in fact I'm pretty sure it's possible to keep going on one feed a day, or even less (although I think typically that would be for older babies / toddlers)

My periods came back at 8 months, at that point I was doing 3 feeds per 24 hours I think, and none during the night.

HTH, and good luck TTC!

Thanks- maybe the night feeds are the key then. DS usually not having a night feed now- he doesn't need them anymore but sometimes I just feed him to get him back to sleep quicker.

I'm not that worried about not getting my periods back immediately, but ideally I'd like them back by 9 mths.

I thought night feeds were the key too as a few weeks after I stopped feeding ds1 at night my periods returned, he was 17 weeks then. Ds2 is still feeding up to 3 times a night and my periods still returned when he was 17 weeks, very strange!

When ds1 was 6 months I returned to work and he was having a feed at 7am and 7.30pm from me. I expressed at 11.30 and 4 during the day for the one bottle he had at 4 and just gave him that feed at 4 at weekends without bothering to express. My supply never had problems and I fed him at least once a day until 15 months.

I don't know enough about it to advise you but there are plenty of people who bf through pregnancy and tandem feed so I shouldn't think you would have to stop entirely.

Kellymom has some good info. I think the gap between feeds can be what prompts it, which is why night weaning can work - not because it's specifically night.

Other things I've read (either the Politics of Breastfeeding or Taking Charge of Your Fertility - can't remember which) suggested that 4+ hours in the day and 6+ hours at night were gaps which triggered the return of fertility for many.

But I've not got my periods back yet and DS is 14 months. He feeds 4-5 times a day and 1-2 times at night though.

Apparently it's a sudden drop in the number of feeds that often works.

I just had my first period, DC is 8 months and has 3 feeds a day - none at night, and hasn't had any at night for a good few months. I think I had the period about 1-2 months after cutting down to 3 feeds a day.

DD is 18 weeks but has always been a good sleeper so I often go 8 or 9 hours between feeds overnight. My periods haven't returned yet, thank goodness!

DD has been sleeping through and feeding only twice a day for 5 weeks or so - nothing for me so far - my milk hasn't dried up, although I do feed during the day occasionally, mostly she has a morning and evening feed, formula during the day. I am quite happy there are no periods though, have suffered really badly in the past with them. I have been taking the mini pill also though, could be due to that.

Thanks all. Think I'll try my plan of cutting down to two feeds a day at 6mo and see what happens.

Bagged good luck with your plan and try not to worry too much about being 36. I didn't have DC1 till then.