When did your period return after breastfeeding?

[Chantal90]

I was wondering if I could get people’s experiences on when your period returned during or post breastfeeding.

DH is now 9 months and I’m winding down breastfeeding, only offering at bedtime, overnight (if she wakes) and first thing. The day feeds are now formula so there’s a good 12 hours usually between the morning feed and the bedtime one.
I’ve been doing this for several weeks and had assumed my period would make an appearance but nothing.

So I’m wondering if you breastfed did your period come back while you were feeding or did it only come back once you’d stopped entirely?

I hope this is the right topic, first time posting so sorry if I’m in the wrong place!

Period returned 3 months after birth and I'm
Still BF 2 year old 😫

Mine returned straight away, (a few weeks after post partum bleeding) with all three of mine, despite exclusive breastfeeding on demand. But I don't know if I was ovulating, as I didn't conceive the next DC until I'd stopped bf them as toddlers.

DD fed all the time, my period returned at 14 months, a couple of weeks or so after a period of illness where she fed much less than usual for a couple of days (and not at all over night).

Mine came back whiles EBF both times!

I cut down to one feed per 24 hours at about 2 years and they returned immediately - I was then pregnant first cycle!

I’m still breastfeeding at 12 months and still no sign of a period!

Mine returned 4 months after having DD and 3 months after having DS was EBF both of them so I was gutted they returned so fast.

First was 3months pp then nothing until 6 months pp when it came back with a vengence even though I was still exclusively bf up to 6 times a day.

5 months first, 3 months second. Still exclusively breastfeeding both times

I wish our bodies could just tell us what is going on.
Also actually if my 9 month old could do the same that would be ideal 😅

Thanks all! I feel reassured

That's when your hormones have gone back to normal, so it's safe. Believe me, I tried to find a way around it at the time but they insisted it wouldn't be safe.

DC1 I stopped at 8 months, he was a very enthusiastic eater and I introduced the bottle and stopped breastfeeding quite quickly, after being a complete milk guzzler up until then. First period less than a month after that. I got pregnant 2 months later.

DC2 I breastfed him until 18 months but I think period came back shortly after I went back to work when he was 10 months.

EBF and periods returned near children’s 2nd birthdays!!! There is 2 years 11 months between DC1 and 2 and then 3 years 4 months between DC3 and 4 as a result…

Mine returned when my son was 14 months and he'd just stopped feeding over night. Still BFING now and he's 2 this month so they've been back for a while now. Also ttc

Ebf still my almost 9 month old, he refuses a bottle and a dummy and always has. Up until 8 months it was 10-12 times a day including 3-4 times overnight. He was poorly and admitted to hospital 4 weeks ago, didn’t feed through the night two consecutive nights and the third morning my period returned 🤦🏻‍♀️he now feeds 8/9 times a day including 2-3 during the night and I am hoping it results in that period being a one off! Will find out in a few days…

3 DC, breastfeed all of them, each time, no period for 6 months, last one, was 8 months.

I nursed until 24 months. And I co-slept, so while I wasn't nursing much during the day, DC did still nurse during the night. My period returned about three months after I stopped. And my cycle was, strangely, much shorter when it returned, 21 days rather than 28. (It was another year after that until my feet returned to their old size, even though I lost the baby weight pretty quickly. Another strange thing about pregnancy and its aftermath).

4 months while EBF!! Was over a year with my first!

3 months after baby born. Still breastfeeding. Energy levels at an all time low.

Mine returned one month after I fully stopped breastfeeding.

I'm so sorry about your son being unwell. I hope he is better now.

Your period turning up on the third day after not breastfeeding for two nights is a coincidence. If that was what made your cycle restart you would get your period weeks later because you would still have to go through a complete menstrual cycle (follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase) before you would get your period. So you would have got your period on that day anyway because the wheels were already in motion weeks beforehand, so to speak.

I deliberately cut down to breastfeeding just twice a day, morning and evening, noticed signs of ovulation a couple of weeks later and then got my period two weeks after that.

@MargotBamborough thank you. I am sure it was a coincidence, just felt like it was Mother Nature out to get me given the situation we were going through at the time. I am still hoping it was a one off given we are feeding so regularly during the night again!

4 months even though was EBF
Stopped bf 13 months

Noticed an increase in fussiness when my period came back- apparently hormones when you're on your period affects the taste of the milk!

Mine came back when DS was 13months. We were still breastfeeding 2-3 times a day at that point. It decided it was going to make an appearance a few days before my brother-in-law's wedding and it was hellish.

I've noticed my periods are worse than before. Same length but heavier than before - they were heavy anyway but this is worse. And they've gone from being painless to being the opposite 😩

Around 9 months and carried on bfing until around 15 months.