When did your period come back?

[shirleybradshaw]

I know it can vary immensely but just curious.

I've been bf for 8 months (6 months exclusively) and still no sign of it even though I only bf twice a day at the moment.

Same soon2be. So unfair (Kevin the teenager whine). BF exclusively but period came back a month after post natal bleeding stopped. Both times. Grrr

I had looked forward to a few more months with no period too! Although when DD was 6 months I was pregnant again so not too long! Although that was a bit unexpected too!

14 months, when he dropped to less than 4-5 feeds in 24 hours. They were still really erratic though, until I gave up bfing just after he was 2.

They didn't come back for 5 months with ds1 and dd and I only bf them for 4 weeks.

Wow what a lot of different experiences.

Even though i was just curious, i can't help but geekily try to figure out some stats. Apart from a few unlucky ones whose period came back while still in the throes of lactation (poor yous!), it looks likely that it will only return when i decide to give up completely

What do you do then if you don't want to stop bf but are ttc? Ultimately are you forced to give it up so you can conceive first? I suppose by the time you stop bf and get pregnant again it's too late to resume bf isn't it?

Not sure that i want to give up just yet but am also thinking about baby #2.

Erghh!

Post natal bleeding ended after 7 weeks, period back 3 weeks later Exclusivly breastfeeding too! actually I breastfed till she was 14 months! hope it's a bit longer this time round due in 8 weeks.

I bf DS for 14 months. Most of this was expressed as I was at work full time from 4 m. First period after about 13 months. I was ancient though when I had him.

shirley -some mums find that making a sudden change to their LO's breastfeeding routine causes their period to return, e.g. night weaning.

One study showed that in families where babies were bf exclusively for 6 months and then continued to be bf on cue thereafter the average time periods returned was just over 14 months, BUT there was a huge range. It's common for them to return soon after weaning starts. For a few women, periods won't return until the child stops bf, but these ladies are in the minority.

Kellymom has some useful info here.

Also, to whoever it was that asked, yes it is possible to have periods for months without ovulating or (possibly more likely) for the luteal phase to be too short for implantation to occur effectively.

In either of these cases charting fertility signs may be useful in understanding what's going on. the Toni Weschler book "Taking charge of your fertility" is really good.

3 months for me, I was gutted and surprised. Excl bf but he started sleeping through which prob could have been the cause?

9 months with all 5 of mine, even though all were still breastfed at that time (with varying degrees of night waking/exclusivity/solids intake).

Both times after 6 months, basically as soon as I started offering solids, even though I was still feeding every 2-3 hours and lots a night.
Was not at all amused....