Return of periods whilst breast feeding

[Beanfrog]

DS is 13 months and still breast fed - I still haven't had a period. I was wondering how much you need to cut back the breast feeding to get them to start again or should I just be more patient? We're starting to think about having another child.

There's no hard and fast rule in my experience. With dd1 I was down to only one breastfeed a day at 6 months but didn't get a period until she was 9 months old.

With dd2, I am still giving her 3 or 4 feeds a day and my periods came back when she was only 4 months at which stage she was fully breastfed (ie. 6 or 7 feeds a day).

I'm an oddity, DD was fully BF until nearly 6 months and my periods came back 4 weeks after the lochia stopped and continued every 4 weeks like clockwork until she was 9 months (when I conceived DD2).

MW said it was because DD slept for 6 hours at night without a feed from very early on it triggered ovulation.

My periods came back, both times, soon after I stopped night feeds. They are meant to make a huge difference.

As others have said, though, everyone varies. I have a friend who did loads of night feeds, exclusive bf, and her periods started 6 weeks after giving birth. She's a bit cranky about it, oddly enough.

Mine took 18 months to come back following the birth. Each time wanted to have another child & had to decide to cut down on bf to achieve this. Was still bf on demand in the day & evening when got preg with dd3 & dd4. But had stopped bf in the night on demand when dd3 went into her cot at 10 months. So took 8 months after stopping this to get cycle back.

I've actually forgotten that I'm meant to have periods.

Mine came back when dd was 2 months old and i breast fed her until she was 17 months. Blooming typical of my luck!

Mine came back bang on 6 months, when solids were introduced. Interestingly though Sweetkitty, my dd slept through the night from 5 weeks, so crammed all her breastfeeds in during the day (every 2 hours til 5 months), yet my period didn't start til she was 6 months.

Mine cam back quite early (can't remember exactly when) but ds slept through from very early too (I was having to wake him up to feed him from about 2 weeks! ), so that is probably why.

can't say I missed having periodseither ! mine came aback at around 9 months i htink - am I right in thinking you could still conceive even if they're not back yet?

Mine came back after around 14 months-no hard and fast rules I think.

You can cocneive without them having come back - if you happen to conceive the first month that they "ould" have come back, ie you've ovulated for the first time and successfully conceive, then the period would (obvioulsy) never happen.

Mine came back 8weeks after having DS. I BF'd until he was 11wks. Have to say I was gutted that they had come back so soon. Esp as they have come back 3times heavier than before i was pg that is just my luck!!

My AF returned last week. I exclusively bf DS2 until he was 16 weeks old and he is now 26 weeks. It scared the life out of me as i thought i might have been pregnant again!!! I hope they AF returns soon and GL TTC!