How can I get my period back while breastfeeding

[Jellywellyfish]

Hi. Only Looking to hear from others who were breast feeding and got their period back!

we’d like to start trying for another baby in a few months (my daughter has just turned 5 months) - not looking for any comment on this choice! - and at the moment I’m still ebf my daughter. Would like my period to return now, so any tips on how I can get my period back but still continue my breastfeeding journey with my little one? Happy to supplement with formula but would still like to be able to offer the breast for comfort - I have heard that dropping night feeds can help? My daughter will take a bottle and I express milk for her to have one bottle a day in the evening. this week I’ll be introducing some formula to that bottle (breast milk / formula mix) which she typically has between 7.30pm-9pm before she goes to bed. She currently wakes twice in the night and will have a good feed each time - would it help if I swapped these feeds to formula do you think?

my daughter is on the 91st centile and showing signs she’s ready for weaning so we have decided we will start weaning in a couple of weeks.

Hi, I didn’t quite get my period back while breastfeeding, I got pregnant again before it happened so I guess it was imminently due!

I was still feeding twice during the day (naps), once at bedtime and once in the night (around 4am) when I discovered I was pregnant, we had recently dropped down from 2-3 night feeds in the weeks before - I’ve also since read that night feeds are often the trigger and also that sudden/dramatic changes rather than gradual phasing can also get your cycle going again. At least I’ve learned for next time!

Having said that, it’s very individual and there’s no definite answer that will bring them back. Some women have to stop completely, and even with some changes it might take a few months for you to start ovulating regularly. Whatever works for you, but from my experience so far don’t rush your body. Pregnancy with a baby/toddler is crippling at times and exhausting all the time, and while I don’t regret this pregnancy one bit, I do wish I had a bit more to give DS, at least until he can understand a bit more!

Hi! Mine didn't come back until 6 weeks after stopped but I researched and its alot to do with the body being assured there is enough energy as much as with stopping feeds leaving gaps etc. I.e make sure you eat enough and are of a normal weight. I lost alot of weight while breastfeeding so it could have been alot to do with it. My baby stopped night feeds 3 months before I stopped feeding

As PP said, every woman is unique when it comes to the impact breastfeeding has on hormones and our menstrual cycles - you may need to cut down a little bit, or you may need to stop altogether.

I've only just had my first period and my DD is 15 months. I stopped feeding during the night at Christmas (something a lot of people suggest works), but that did nothing. I also used it as an excuse to eat loads, as lots of people say it's about lack of energy/food, but nope, all I did was put on a stone in weight and still didn't get a period! In the end I've had to cut down to only two very short feeds a day, first and last thing, and that seems to have done the trick. So I'd suggest you start slowly cutting down the feeds and see if that works, but be prepared for the fact that you might need to seriously cut back, or even stop, if you want your periods back.

Oh, and unlike the PP, I did go totally cold turkey on night feeds at Christmas, when DD was 10 months, and that didn't work for me, despite it being a very sudden and significant change in feeding, so unfortunately that doesn't always work. I do think I'm in the minority though, as I have clearly needed to do only minimal breastfeeding to get periods again, so hopefully you will respond quicker to any changes.

It might be just around the corner - I have always ebf mine and periods returned on their own at 4 and 6 months and I never needed to cut down. Look into your vitamins and nourishing your cycle, make you sure you eat plenty of healthy fats and drink enough water. It's a frustrating wait but everyone is so different it's hard to work out what might help. Good luck!

I believe there’s some evidence that the hormone that stops periods is actually related to nipple stimulation, not milk production, and is slightly different to the lactation hormones.

I got my period back 3 months after birth despite EBF round the clock for over a year! DD was a super-efficient feeder though, and feeds only lasted about 5 mins each, every 3 hours; so even though I was EBF she wasn’t actually on the breast for much time at all. Maybe that was why?

I tried to find out why some women’s periods return whilst BF whilst others’ don’t— there’s not much research on this and what there is, is quite inconclusive to be honest, so I’m not sure you’ll find any particular way of making it happen! It seems very idiosyncratic.