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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Extended BFers - when did your periods come back?

26 replies

AKMD · 14/04/2011 12:45

Hi, I've been breastfeeding DS for 14 months and still haven't had a period. DS has only had one bf a day since he was 12 months and maximum 2 a day since 9 months so I thought I'd have had something by now. Am I fairly normal or is something wrong? Any experiences would be great! Thanks.

OP posts:
EauRouge · 14/04/2011 13:02

I think it varies quite a bit. I got mine 9 weeks after DD1 was born Angry. My cousin had to stop BF altogether to get her periods back, I think she BF for 18 months. Are you co-sleeping? I think that can affect it too.

AngelDog · 14/04/2011 13:08

I think 14 months is the average - IIRC someone on here was about 31 months, but as EauRouge says, there is a lot of variation.

Kellymom has some info.

Mine haven't returned yet at 14 months although I think my body's working on it. :)

stinkypinky · 14/04/2011 13:12

Still BFing at 1 yr, periods returned when I dropped to 2 feeds a day. Personally I would be grateful - HATE periods!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 14/04/2011 14:09

Can't remember exactly but know it was well over 12 months with both.

jamaisjedors · 14/04/2011 14:10

At about 3 months each time (coinciding with when I went back to work even though I continued to bf).

bigbadbarry · 14/04/2011 14:29

21 months both times - coincided with sleeping through the night (ish)

PuzzleRocks · 14/04/2011 15:26

Don't remember with DD1 although I was pregnant by the time she was 17 months. Around 18 months with DD2.

Fernie3 · 14/04/2011 18:46

My baby is 8.5 months and still feeds 6 + times a day and a couple of times at night and my periods returned at just over 6 months - see totally normal regular periods ( annoyingly).

weasle · 14/04/2011 19:23

15 months, when ds2 started sleeping through the night and was down to 4-6 feeds a day.

currently feeding ds3 (10 months) about a million times day and night so no sign.

lolalotta · 14/04/2011 20:47

My little one was 13 1/2 months old, by which time I was on 3 feeds a day and none at night...still waiting for them to even out a bit though, I didn't have the next one until about 6 weeks later.

blackteaplease · 14/04/2011 20:58

I am still feeding dd (16 months) night and day and my periods came back when she was 8 months old. That was the first attempt at night weaning and lasted two weeks, which I think was enough to kick start my hormones.

ShowOfHands · 14/04/2011 20:59

13 weeks, still feeding every 2hrs day and night.

It's pot luck seemingly.

cupnoodle · 14/04/2011 21:03

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BertieBotts · 14/04/2011 21:03

18 months.

cupnoodle · 14/04/2011 21:04

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gingerwench · 14/04/2011 21:06

6 months I think - I BF DS1 until he was 2 yrs.

Original poster
AKMD · 15/04/2011 13:42

Speak of the devil and he appears...

First period arrived yesterday evening. Worry over.

Thanks everyone for your experiences. It seems like there's a huge variation so I'm well within range :)

OP posts:
ThisFeelsWeird · 15/04/2011 19:28

5wks!!!! Am still bfing now at 14 months but my period came back at 5 bloody weeks. Grrrrr.

seeksnewnamewithgsoh · 15/04/2011 19:35

Shock thisfeels! I was still post-birth-bleeding at 5 weeks!

Thanks for this thread OP. I'm about to hit 11 months with DD (not that I would call that extended personally but some do) and I was starting to think about worrying about no periods. But it's really reassuring to see how wide the normal range is. I'll relax again.

Did you have any indication it was about to arrive?

yama · 15/04/2011 20:13

Not really an extended BFer but at around 8 months both times.

gourd · 15/04/2011 20:43

This thread's interesting as I'm going back to work soon and was wondering how it might affect my hormones - I'll not be feeding my baby anything like as often during the daytime. I had one period when my baby was 6 weeks old which coincided with her starting to consistently sleep through the night, but nothing since then, and she's 31 weeks old now. Wouldn't mind them returning as they were only light anyway, I didn't suffer too badly with PMS and my cycle was quite long (35 days). I hate feeling all hormonal the way I am at the moment and want to feel normal again!

Original poster
AKMD · 15/04/2011 21:48

seeksnewname I called NHS Direct and got sent to the out of hours doctor as a huge emergency on Saturday morning as I was having contraction-like pain. They couldn't find what was wrong with me but I guess it was my body getting ready for a period and wanting to let me know HmmBlush It was better not be like that every time from now, DH thought I was having a baby and panicking as it was his sisters wedding that afternoon!

OP posts:
AngelDog · 15/04/2011 22:22

I had that contraction like pain a few weeks ago, with cramping for a few days - no sign of periods yet, but I've assumed that it was my body gearing up for things again.

CantSleepWontSleep · 15/04/2011 22:26

9 months first time - exactly 2 weeks after she first slept through (not consistently, but it only takes one break of a few hours for ovulation to happen).

9 months second time too I think.

Third time hasn't happened yet, but ds2 is 9 months, so guess it could be soon!

seeksnewnamewithgsoh · 15/04/2011 22:46

omg... and I thought I had bad period pain before Shock

In that case I'm going to enjoy them not being back yet Grin

CSWS, I thought I'd read that too, but I've been back at work since Jan, so for 3 days a week I'm only feeding 3-4 times.