Breastfeeders - When did your periods start again?

[Jenbot]

Mine haven't yet at (erm how old is she?) 21 months.

I'm thinking about it now because although I'm not in a MAD rush to have another baby yet, the idea is at the back of my mind as to when I will be able to start to try...

When second child was 10 months old (ie conceived and gave birth to number 2 before periods returned after number 1)

with dd 1 16 mnoths - dd2 1 year to the day and with ds 1 - 5 months

Hi Jenbot, my periods returned two or three months after stopping breastfeeding.

Are you still breastfeeding?
Also, I think (trying to remember details) that you may still be fertile despite not having periods while breastfeeding - I've heard of some people who have been caught by surprise beciase they assumed they didn;t need to use contraception.

I am still breastfeeding.

piprabbit - I thought you could get pregnant before your first period, but only if you happened to accidentally time it so you conceived when your first period was going to start anyway. If you see what I mean.
Maybe that's not right!

Yes Jenbot that's what I thought - watching with interest...

6 months for me

21 months, both times - coincided with sleeping through the night, give or take. Conceived again after first period, both times

About 17.5 months, but it was the tiniest most pathetic period ever, so I don't know if it counts. DS still feeds loads.

Due on today, just based on counting from the last one but although I've had cramps and a bit of discharge, nothing has shown up yet.

Maybe you are already pregnant?

"In other words, the more often your baby nurses, the longer it may be before you get your period again. Experts believe this is because breastfeeding curbs the hormones that trigger ovulation. But remember, you could start ovulating again at any time after three months of lactation, and you probably won't know when it happens. If you want to make sure you don't get pregnant, use some form of birth control every time you have sex."

For more details and anecdotes, here's the link.

Probably a very slim chance though.

this link (kellymom) is interesting, too

DD was 13 weeks old. I was bfing at least every 2hrs day and night.

I was ROBBED.

I fed both of mine to 15mths, both times my period came back around 9mths.

Bloody hell ShowofHands you really were. I'd ask for your money back if I were you...

8 months, fed to a year, same for both.

6 months fully bf and went on for a couple more years

They can keep the money. I'll have my stretchmark free skin back instead.

I couldn't believe it. Seemed like the postpartum bleeding had just stopped too.

Ridiculously, I was ovulating stupidly late in my cycle too as was still bfing every 2hrs (and did till dd was 7 months when she stretched to every 3hrs) so wasn't even fertile. I was bleeding for no good reason. What's that all about then? Eh? Eh?

7/8 months, both times. I was still breastfeeding.

I WAS ROBBED!!

My DD is fully breast fed,is 6 weeks old and my period has just returned

Grrrrrr

9 weeks I blame the fact that DS was given formula in the hospital and I gave him a a dummy when he was 3 days old

Generally if you exclusively bf and don't use pacifiers or introduce bottles, your periods are most likely to return when your baby sleeps through the night. Though even this can vary!

About 9-10 months both times.

I don't know whether a dummy has an effect, DS had a dummy from about 2.5 weeks to about 6 months and I still didn't have periods for 18 months. He was very particular about when he'd have the dummy though, it wasn't a replacement for feeding, it was a replacement for sucking my finger.

no way, i had no idea breastfeeding delays your period! another reason for me to not switch to formula, thanks guys!

Just over 12 months. But only about 3 over the next 6 months, so far.

It's the reason that in medieval times poor families didn't have large families and the upper classes did. Poor women breastfed their own babies, and breastfeeding supresses ovulation. Upper class women gave over their children to a wet nurse because it was important for them to conceive again quickly, to have a large family. The breastfeeding affect on ovulation has been known for centuries, it is only in the past century that breastfeeding has gone into a massive decline in many cultures (including ours) that knowledge is lost.
GPs simply don't promote bfing as a contraceptive, because it is not seen as effective as prophylactic methods. It is said to be about 92% effective, but can be higher, but the baby must be fed on demand, and not use a pacifier or be fed milk in a bottle - as this disrupts the hormonal cycle that suppresses the production of oestrogen.