Breast feeding and the return of your periods.

[Writerwannabe83]

I was under the impression that whilst exclusively breast feeding a woman does not have her periods.

I have an EBF baby of 11 weeks and over the last 3-4 days I've been having deep aches and cramps that are exactly like the ones I'd get a few days before my period would arrive.

Could it be possible my body is gearing up for them again despite breast feeding??

I've a four month old EBF baby and have had three periods pp already. And my baby has never slept through the night and generally feeds every two hours.

yes, periods can come back at any time despite breastfeeding.

I exclusively BF two children for at least 6 months and on both occasions was having periods again by the time baby was 12 weeks.

I regularly got aches and period pains (at the same time every month) but no periods until I weaned DD at 6 months. With DD2 it was a year before my periods returned, but again with monthly cramps beforehand.

I ebf dd periods arrived back when she was 3 months.

What's even more hysterical is that I conceived dc2 when she was 13 months old and now she's 21 months old and still bf!

It took 3 years to conceive dd. 3 minutes to conceive dc2

Thanks everyone - seems it is more common for periods to re-start then I had thought. I have noticed that it fits in with he fact that DS is now sleeping through so am not BF as often. He will sometimes go 8-9 hours between feeds overnight - I did wonder if that is what might trigger my periods back into action.

Mine came back at 5 weeks pp. a week after lochia stopped
I read somewhere that the heavier you are the faster they will return and I was HEAVY. No offence to anyone, that's just something I'd read.
Dd was ebf and didn't sleep through so my whale-ness was what did it for me I think.

I used to be super, super heavy too - until I had my Mirena put in.

As soon as my periods do return I'm going straight to my GP's to have another one put in!

Sorry I meant fat!

you dont need to wait for your periods to get a new one as long as you wait 6 weeks after the birth

I was cross about my periods returning mere weeks after giving birth. I struggled to BF and was in pain for four months. BFing during my period was agony.

My period was back at about 10 to 12 weeks after the birth. And I was breastfeeding exclusively on demand, never even expressed a drop. And also had some hormonal problems before the baby. It seems pregnancy cured all that.

ginger I am not heavy at all, was anaemic after the birth and still it felt like I had my periods back just after the lochia had stopped.

Mine came back before six months last time I remember, though not sure exactly when. I read they come back quicker for 'well nourished' women which I assumed was a tactful way of saying overweight, which I was. Hoping they stay away longer this time as the lochia lasted over six weeks and I got really fed up - want a decent break!

I think it's common for periods to return once you're not feeding during the night. Mine did at exactly that point each time - though my babies took a LOT longer to sleep through. Trade off of one inconvenience for another!

Mine would have come back at 11months if I hadn't got pregnant!

My LO fed rarely in the night from a couple of months old and totally stopped at night by 7 months so it's not always to do with night feeds.

Still no period here. DS is 24 weeks. Went on the pill at 8 weeks pp then came of it at 16 weeks but nothing since. DS is mix fed and has slept through from 12 weeks so no night feeds since then. Got me worried now...

Wow, 11 weeks and sleeping through!

Mine came back at 8 and 6 months, despite still doing night feeds. The end of night feeds is a common trigger though.

Penguins, my first slept 10 hours a night at two months. I had no idea how lucky I was . If that's why my periods came back early, I guess I'd take that inconvenience over the night wakings!

Mine were 12 and 21......months!

I got mine back at about 8 months I think - I don't think DD was sleeping through but she was definitely taking a lot less milk as she'd taken enthusiastically to solids.

I would definitely take early return of periods in return for an early sleeper-through!

Got mine back at about 10 months with DS. Still no sign with DD now 5 months on which I'm sure is because I'm up feeding her at least twice a night still.

My periods came back at 8 weeks pp and ds1 was exclusively breast feeding. Got pregnant with ds2 a few weeks later.

Penny drops veeeerrrrry slowly...... I've been having horrible stomach cramps, roughly once a month for the last few months (DS 4 mo) and bf has been a bit more uncomfortable the last couple of days, and DH said I was being "a bit hysterical" yesterday..... Periods! Of course! I'd forgotten about all of that :)
Can't decide if just getting the symptoms rather than the bleeding is preferable but it's sort of comforting that things are returning to normal after a horrific birth.

How does being on a period (or having one approach) make breast feeding uncomfortable? Is it painful?