EXTENDED BREASTFEEDERS - When did your period return?

[Quootiepie]

Hiya,
Im BFing my 20 week old DS and plan to continue on demand for the 12 months, but am unsure whether to continue past that. Does your period return as they begin to cut the breast feeds down? Or not until you stop fully? I was thinking about TTC when DS is 1 so would drop the BFing then if it still stops periods...thanks x

my periods started again when my children were both 7 mths old even though i was still BFing

It varies from person to person. Mine came back when he night-weaned himself at around 9 months. I also know women whose periods returned right from the birth even though they were bf on demand, women whose periods didn't return until their DC was completely weaned, and every position in between.

o... well I guess ill see what happens Thanks x

With DS my periods started again exactly 4 weeks after I stopped breastfeeding him (at 9 months).

With DD, they started again when she was about 8 months, even though I was still breastfeeding. And she was still being breatsfed quite a lot then.

My periods had started again by 16 weeks, before I'd ven started him on solids. But then, he'd been sleeping though from very early on (from two weeks - I had to wake him to feed him for a few weeks until he got to a certain weight).

I think mine came back around 10 months or so - probably Mother Nature's way of telling me I should get on and have another one!!

I posted the same question yesterday
ds2 is almost 18 mionths and still no period

I am still BF dd aged 16 months. Period back at 9 months I think.

11 months both times, but after dd2 went on mini-pill when AF returned and then no peruid until I came off it pre-TTC

Message withdrawn

oh congrats psychobabble! Mine came back at 9m - quite irregular still at 14m (still bfing)

mine didn't come back until stopped BF at 1Y but friends came back after a couple of months even though she also BF for a year. So there's no telling.

Erm, I can't remember now. 14 months, I think? I think the main thing that prevents a return to fertility is providing the sole nutrition for a baby under 6 months, and feeding frequently through the night. If you are not doing those, you can ovulate. I do know friends who have breastfed for years without ovulating but I think they are in the minority. I would wait and see how it goes, your periods may return sooner anyway.

Mine came back 8 weeks after the births of each of mine, despite full bfing. Must depend on hormonal makeup I reckon. Make the most of the break if you can! Would be a problem if you were ttc or conversely, very much wanting the reassurance of Auntie Flo's visits! Also I have known mums to conceive without having a period between babies.

dd1: 14 months
dd2: 8 months (still feeding at night)

still no periods - my ds is 15 mths old

When DD was just over 8 months I spent about 6 weeks gradually cutting down on breast-feeding to just one morning feed a day and period came about 3 weeks after getting down to one feed. DD was about 10 months. She is now 12 months, still bf and have and have had 3 periods. Not completely regular though.

Within a month or two of stopping. But I practically stopped cold turkey during a nursing strike at 17 months. Prior to that, was doing night feeds, sometimes 3x an hour!

Am still feeding dd3 (2 last week) and periods only started again 3 months ago. Just as well as was starting to get worried . Mind you she is a greedy little madam especially at night so I guess that's the reason for the long wait?

B/fed ds1 until 2.5 and period came back when he was about 1.5 for no appar reason. Interestingly have an aunt who did a phd on cow fertility (not kidding) and found that it was bFing during certain hours of the night that has the effect of suppressing fertility and appar this is the same for humans and is well documented.

Mine started the day after ds's 1st birthday. I am still bf at 16mths and I am having quite long, unpredictable cycles.