Breastfeeding at 14 months and still no periods? Time to be concerned?

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

That's it, really. (and I ought to know about this, but I lent my LLL 'Breastfeeding Book of Answers' to a friend when she had bf probs and haven't had it back yet!) DS2 is 14 m and breastfeeding happily - maybe 5-6 times in 24 hours? My periods show absolutely no sign whatever of returning. Cervical mucus occasionally looks like I might have ovulated but nothing happens approx. 2 wks afterwards. I did once get some reddish smears, but nothing else happened. And sometimes I get the odd twinge.

DS1 was breastfed for 26 months (and then I stopped mostly because I was about 6 weeks pregnant and fancied a break for a few months!). I think my periods came back at about 7 months with him, yet I'd swear he was requesting his milk a lot more frequently than DS2. The only thing that might be significant is that I'm cosleeping with DS2 and didn't with DS1. But DS2 only tends to have a feed at 11pm and another one before about 7, when he wakes (and feeds) - he very rarely feeds more than that at night. I know that every mother:baby pairing is different, but should I be concerned at all? We don't really want to have another baby but I'd like to know that everything's ok down there.

Oh, and I have spent a whole night away from him in order to get pished with some MN mates and that awayday entailed a good 30 hours with no breastfeeding at all (my boobs were a sight to behold). That should have done it (got me ovulating), surely? (It was 2 months ago.)

Mine came back when DD was 13mo.

At 12mo we went to two feeds a day, two weeks later I got ov pains, two weeks after that I got my period.

Was almost Twilight Zone-ish

I think you probably don't have to worry too much if he's still feeding frequently.

Thanks, StetsonsAreCool (so are bow ties. ). It's amazing how regular a pattern it can snap back into, isn't it? I remember that I had a period pretty much 28 days to the day after both of my mcs.

I think with DS1, I started menstruating again at 7 months because he was an avid and enthusiastic eater of solids, and though he seemed to be feeding fine, I think he was probably taking a lot less because of the solid food he was eating.

Just looked it up on Kellymom (why do I always forget to look there??) and apparently I'm practising 'ecological breastfeeding' (cosleeping, feeding at night, lying down, etc) and that the average return time if you do this is ... 14.6 months!

Oh well, I'll have to find something else for my rampant hypochondria to latch onto.

Aha, a classic case of Speaking Too Soon I suppose

DD was always about the milk, and solid food was a bit of a distraction. I'm amazed and pleased that she's still going at 21 months, but I can't imagine the effect that stopping completely is going to have on her. If I have my way, we'll stop after her 2nd birthday, but I know she'll have other ideas.

I have to keep my own inner hypochondriac in check, what with escaping breast tissue in my armpit and all

Mine came back within a few weeks, despite co-sleeping and feeding all damn, bloody night! I am, apparently, over-nourished. too fat

15 months with DD - in fact, two years to the day since the last period I'd had before getting pregnant. Spooky.

13 months with DS, who was a more frequent feeder and worse at solids.

So I don't think you need worry. But perhaps talk to your GP if you are concerned.

just a thought but

have you done a pregnancy test?

runs off and hides

Haha workshy - that's the bombshell I wasn't quick enough to think of

Sorry reshape.

I have the same situation but DS is 13 months. No reddish smears though, you lucky thing. Not a sniff. :(

We're mostly co sleeping and feed up to 8 times per 24 hours - mostly because DS likes a lot of milk at night.

Ttc #2 but due to the lack of 'happenings' down there we've gone off the boil a bit.

DS2 is 21 months- still no sign of a period! I think the co-sleeping and frequent night feeds have something to do with it.
With DS1 my periods came back at 19 months but we had to night wean him first. We don't plan any more children so I'm not in a hurry to night wean DS2, it'll be interesting to see when my periods eventually return. Not looking forward to it..

Yes, 14 odd months is the average for 'ecological nursing'. Wikipedia says the longest is 42 months post partum.

AF returned for me at almost 23 months post partum. I practise ecological nursing and DS was feeding 6-8 times in the day and 1-5 times at night.

If he'd not fed so much, I think my periods would have returned sooner. He went on partial strike for a fortnight at 13 months (only feeding 3x per 24 hours instead of 7 or 8x) and I had a week of cramping and period-type pains. They went away again when he resumed feeding though and I had another 9 months without periods.

I do know people whose length of time without periods has varied quite a bit between different children (not necessarily obviously to do with how often they feed either).

I got mine at 17 months. DD is now 18.5 months. BF on demand and co-sleeping.

You know, I'd never heard the term 'ecological nursing' until yesterday, when I read it on kellymom. no wonder I chucked in my BFC training

Oh, this is all very reassuring! I think the big difference must have been I didn't cosleep with DS1. (And he slept through from about 8 months, the wee angel.) I had a lot of pain around one of my ovaries last night and did wonder if, in fact, having posted this thread, something is about to happen anyway!

As for pregnant - did you not read the part where I said I was cosleeping? Once, we've done it. Once. (in spare bed)

17 months with DS. And we didn't co-sleep and I worked full time, so only BF at weekends and mornings/evenings (and he was on just one/two feeds a day from about 14 months).

nope - mine came bck at 15 months and only after I night weaned - took six weeks. Anecdotally, it seems to be about six weeks after going 12 hourss at night, among my bf friends. Age seems to have something to do with it - the over 33s amongst us found it took longer to come back, too.

Hi Reshape I got to 25!!! months with DD3. Is the single best reason for extended bf IMO :) (DD1: 21 months; DD2: 21 months.)

Wow, BBB! That's amazing I am staggered that you managed to produce two more lovely babies and yes, a clear benefit of extended bf and cosleeping. (Did you cosleep with DD1?)

Oh well. I was a bit concerned that Something Might Be Wrong, but I can see that it's all perfectly par for the course, so I'll just enjoy it. Can't find my mooncup anyway.

Ahem. Said lovely babies are fairly well spaced :). And yes, I slept with them all - with dd1 until about 20 months in fact....

mine never came back till more like 18mths plus, infact with ds2 i never really got a period but still got preg with ds3, my age gaps range from 2yrs 4mths, to 3yrs 2mths and we co slept with each of them, still are with dd who is 15mths.

extended bfeeding and no periods is great! i bloody hate periods!

I do remember what a horrible shock it was last time, to start bleeding again. Apart from the lochia, it felt like a long, long time since I'd menstruated. But they were painfree and very light for a few months (and then reverted to their painful gory glory ).

BBB - yes, I was being sort of hyperbolic. No idea how long we'll sleep with DS2. I keep on thinking I'd like him out of the bed, but actually, I'm not sure I really do. I'm such a lazy slut, and I know he won't sleep half as well (lie-ins until 8am most mornings!) in his own cot.

yes lighter periods to begin with and then back to their horrible heavy awful painful usual selves :(

we co-slept till each of ours went into their own bed between age 2-3yrs but we have a huge futon and a toddler bed at the end of it, the toddler bed is the same height so at some point (varied with all of them) we started putting them in the toddler bed at the start of the night, they would inevitably crawl into bed with us at some point! but gradually they stayed longer and longer in the toddler bed adn then happily went in a big bed in their own rooms by about 3yrs? tho they would join us for a cuddle/feed in the mornings.

i am far too lazy to have my children sleep in a seperate bed!