How regular are periods after birth?

[Pippaandpolly]

DD is 11 weeks old and I had my period when she was 6 weeks old (not bf). Had sex 2 weeks ago, when ovulating knowing my cycle. Used a condom. No period so far. Feel sick, same (tmi) odour down there as early days of pregnancy with DD.

How regular should I expect periods to be now? Having had one do they go back to normal or does it take a few cycles?

I know the only answer is do a test but I'm shitting myself. It took a year to conceive DD. We want more children but I simply cannot be pregnant again now. I would be devastated.

Please tell me it will take a few cycles to be back to normal and I don't need to go and buy a test?

I was breastfeeding, so my periods came back a lot later (around 9 months I think). Not sure if that makes a difference. But yes, they took about 3 or 4 cycles to get back to normal.

You know the only answer is to POAS, but does that help a bit?

I bfed so my situation was different but when my periods came back they were irregular. I had one, then nothing for a couple of months, then another and then a three month gap.

If you used a condom and you've no reason to suspect it broke or anything, then it's pretty unlikely you're pregnant.

And yes - do a test. You won't rest until you have so get it over with and get some peace of mind.

Good luck.

Ok, that does make me feel a bit better, thank you.

It hadn't even occurred to me until DH helpfully pointed out that this bug I've got has all the same symptoms I had when I got pregnant with DD. At which point I felt even more sick than I've been feeling for the past few days! It really must be just a bug though, surely. I keep thinking about the 98% success rate for condoms.

This has really underlined for me that I am absolutely not ready to have another baby yet, and possibly need to talk through pregnancy and birth no. 1 with someone before we consider it!

Will buy a stick tomorrow. There should be a terrified smilie!

I think the 98% mainly refers to the possibility of a properly put-on condom splitting unexpectedly.

If the condom is put on properly and it doesn't split, then the risk is very low.

Take a test and then have a rant at your DH for making such bloody unhelpful suggestions!!

Also there's nothing like thinking you could be pregnant for making your body act up. The mind is a funny thing.

Pippaandpolly DP and I have used condoms as our sole means of contraception for 7 years, the moment we stop using then I got pregnant. I think that you'll be fine, try and relax

I'm sure you will be fine Pippa but you know that the only way your mind will be easy about this is to POAS

Pippaandpolly - bear in mind that the 98% rate is based on a year. So if 100 women used condoms correctly for a year (i.e. you can't count the people who 'oops' forgot to use it!!), 2 would be expected to get pregnant. It's not a 2% risk each time.

Have you POAS yet?

My periods were as regular as usual pretty much immediately. I doubt you have anything to worry about though - I used condoms for years with no probs at all. The main reason doctors consider them unreliable is people dont use them!

Thanks for all your encouragement and sorry for taking so long to respond-I have POAS and all is ok! I feel bad for being so relieved especially as conceiving DD took quite a while-I hope karma doesn't bite me when we're trying for no. 2 in a couple of years.

I think relieved would be the normal emotion with an 11 week old!! Glad it worked out and hope no.2 comes along at a good time.

Glad to hear that you're happier now. Even if it took you a long time to conceive DD, you now need the time to enjoy her properly and not worry about other little ones :)

Um I hate to pee on the parade and scaremonger but it CAN happen - I managed to get pregnant 'through' a condom that didn't break and seemed to be on fine. I've always used condoms, we were very well behaved and so on, to ths day I don't know what went on. I didn't know anything was amiss until I turned out pregnant. So, just do the test and get yourself a concrete answer to put your mind at rest!

Rosy - she's done the test if you look at her last post!

Pippa - pleased to hear you got the result you wanted. Hope next time you are peeing oas it will be the positive you want too!

Rosy if you don't mind me asking, which brand did you use?