When do periods return?

[DaisyKate265]

I am 13 weeks PP and my periods have not returned yet. Do periods not return if you are breastfeeding? I express breast milk 3 times per day (I use formula for the rest of the feeds, can't BF direct from the nipple so express only) Would the breastfeeding be the reason for the periods not returning?

Breastfeeding will delay your period starting again. I didn't breast feed at all and with all 5 of my babies my period still didn't return till they were 4 months old so everyone's different.

I'm breast feeding and my period just returned at 4.5 months (and I'm really not happy about it).

Last baby it was 5.5 months.

But everyone is so different.

It will likely be due to BF/expressing. It's nature's own contraception (though beware it obviously isn't foolproof!). I had no periods for 18 months after both my DC. I fed them beyond that but I guess it must have reduced a lot by that point.

It was about 15 months for me and I wasn't fertile until about 18 months! BF at bedtime til she was nearly two though- it was going down to one feed that brought mine back i think.

I'm so jealous of 15 months

Breastfeeding and expressing milk are 2 different things all together. The benefits of breastfeeding only come when your baby nurses directly from your nipple. This results in production of hormones oxytocin and prolactin which stimulates further production of breast milk (and also delays ovulation, reason why it is said that breastfeeding mothers are already on a natural contraception plan). From research, it is absolutely okay to have your periods from 6 weeks or sooner and even upto 24 weeks so your period not showing up isn't much of a concern.
Regards