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Original poster

Help - period 5 weeks after delivery - is this normal?

24 replies

iris66 · 27/02/2006 21:18

I gave birth 5 1/2 weeks ago and am exclusively breastfeeding but have started bleeding. It's not exactly heavy but is bright red. I've got my 6 week check on Fri but don't know whether I should speak to someone before this. I didn't think you had periods so soon if you breastfed - should I be worried?

OP posts:

fredly · 27/02/2006 21:23

6 weeks after giving birth I was still bleeding from the birth itself. I don't think your period can come back if you're exclusively bfing. Don't worry, it's probably nothing, but do get it checked asap.

KristinaM · 27/02/2006 21:24

Iris - had your lochia stopped? Are you sure its a period?

LIZS · 27/02/2006 21:24

Happened to me - exclusively b'feeding both times.

Original poster

iris66 · 27/02/2006 21:25

KristinaM - lochia stopped well over a week ago - it petered out in the usual way. This is a new bleed.

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 27/02/2006 21:29

Iris, please see someone about birth control! I'm on Cezarette, which is okay to use whilst breastfeeding as well.

Original poster

iris66 · 27/02/2006 21:36

expat - fret ye not - that's top of my list for friday I guess I'm mainly concerned that this isn't a period (am dilerioulsy knackered and probably paranoid)

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 27/02/2006 21:38

No, it sounds like a period. It does happen.

Original poster

iris66 · 27/02/2006 21:40

I'm suitably comforted then - thanks all for your advice

OP posts:

Heathcliffscathy · 27/02/2006 21:45

happened to me a month on the nose afterwards and every month thereafter and i exclusively breastfed. you are super fertile....be careful!!!

Heathcliffscathy · 27/02/2006 21:45

happened to me a month on the nose afterwards and every month thereafter and i exclusively breastfed. you are super fertile....be careful!!!

KristinaM · 27/02/2006 21:48

Oh no, i never knew this could happen.....I thought that if you kept feeding in the night your AF woudl stay away

bourneville · 27/02/2006 21:55

I had only a few days' break from bleeding after giving birth before period started, prob around same time as you did, felt very silly when doc said "oh it's just your period!" I was bf too, very frequently as well!
Didn't know that would mean you're very fertile! explains a lot!!

elliott · 27/02/2006 22:09

It happened to me too but I must disabuse you of the link with super-fertility - I've never conceived naturally!
But I'd sort out some contraception nonetheless.
I have to say I was extremely p-ed off not to get at least a few months off!

JoolsToo · 27/02/2006 22:12

same as fredly here - still bleeding from the birth at 6 weeks - ever so slightly

Heathcliffscathy · 27/02/2006 22:18

it's what i was told by me doctor but maybe it's tosh...

littlelamb · 27/02/2006 22:28

Yep, sounds normal to me! I breastfed my dd for ten months, and it would have been bliss not to have had periods, but I think it's different for everyone - they lead you to believe that you will be period-free but me and my friend both bf for the same amount of time and both had a period 5-6 weeks after the birth.

Original poster

iris66 · 28/02/2006 15:24

Well, on the basis that it doesn't happen to everyone then, I demand a new body as this one clearly has a design fault in allowing bleeding whilst bfing (and can I have one with a firm flat stomach, no superfluous hair, an all year tan and really long legs please )

OP posts:

KristinaM · 28/02/2006 21:15

Iris - i had no period for teh whole 6 montsh I was ex BF DS1 [gloat emoticon]. and I also have a firm flat stomach, no superfluous hair, an all year tan and really long legs

Rach69 · 28/02/2006 22:24

Iris - I forgot to say this on our PN thread but I had some bright red bleeding this weekend which somehow seemed more like AF than resurrected lochia and I too am exclusively bf. I mentioned it at my PN check but they said it could be either? I've never had this before with the others.

Original poster

iris66 · 02/03/2006 17:57

Rach - thanks - I'm going to raise it at 6wk check tomorrow.
KristinaM - you are obviously abnormal so I'm not jealous

OP posts:

Rach69 · 02/03/2006 21:29

Saw mw for sign off today (bit late!) and she thought it could be a period too, eek! I wonder if my hormones interfered with by the complementary formula in the first two weeks? He hardly had any though.

piglit · 03/03/2006 14:45

I got my af when ds1 was 7 weeks old. I was exclusively bfeeding. Be careful!!! I conceived ds2 not long after (when I was still exclusively bfeeding) and there's only a year between them.

tortoiseshell · 03/03/2006 14:55

I had this, but it was definitely a return of lochia, as it was after going for a long walk with dd in the sling, and think I overdid it! DIdn't then have a period for a year.

hoxtonchick · 03/03/2006 14:58

i had the same experience as tortoiseshell. dd is now 8 months, still breastfed & no period as yet.

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