How long did it take for your cycle to return after having a baby & breastfeeding?

[BekZ]

A bit tmi....

I was wondering this the other day. Miss Eva is only 11weeks and she feeds regularly, still twice over night. However this week I have felt pain in my ovary area and my cm is looking rather fertile...I think it is safe to assume my cycles maybe coming back

[Olive]

i just got mine back this time on saturday, 7 months 1 week

[Shanti]

Yesterday I had a tiny bit of spotting!!!! I wonder if that's a sign it's coming soon.... oh no!!!! and we are still feeding sometimes 2-3 times a night!!!

[sneakysparkle]

well could be a good thing - you know, for your plans

[Olive]

ren i think you jinx us!!

[sunshine_sieben]

I got my cycle back when DD was 8 1/2 months old. She was exclusively BF til 6 months, after which she was still BF, but also ate solids.
With DS AF came back when hes was 5 1/2 months, still exclusively BF.
Both were still feeding numerous times at night by the time AF came back.
With DS I had spotting a few times between 3 months and when AF came back properly. The spotting looked more like old (brown) blood, though.

[Freya]

10mths (today actually lol) and he is still feeding twice overnight.

[Sterla]

I got mine back when DS was 11 months, and he feeds 3 times a night quite often.

[skeetaboat]

At 18 months there was no sign of AF or O, and I was desperate to TTC again so I made a serious effort to wean and bang, there she was, the very next month.

[farmgirl77]

Yesterday AF returned. I had been BF DS only 2 times a day for the past month or so, and in the last 2 weeks he had refused the breast and I was expressing, twice, then once a day. DS is 5months 3wks old.

[AndiE]

I didn't get AF back - fell pg with DS2 approx 12 months after having DS1 (by then we were down to morning and evening BF only)! I didn't even pick up any signs of ovulation - suffice to say, finding out bub#2 was on the way was a suprise, albeit a nice one!

[Acacia]

Shanti, I know it's not helpful, but just wanted to add that AF arrived for me at 5.5 weeks after birth - exactly 28 days after my lochia stopped lol DD at that point was having one stretch of 5-6 hours without a feed but feeding 2-3 hourly around the clock otherwise (plus cluster feeds), and I would suppose that was enough my body to say "Yep, time to start making babies again"

What I might be able to add that is helpful is the first few months were a little all over the place - first cycle was 28 days, then I had 2 cycles of about 16 days, then a really long one of about 42 days, and then they settled down in a normal pattern of 27-29 days since then. I think this might have been to do with the frequency of feeding DD in the early days changing and my cycle hormones changing in response. I don't think it would be too uncommon for AF to take a while to settle down when she does return.

I hope that things fall into place for you with TTC another LO, and from the responses it sounds like 10-12 months or so is a fairly common time for her to return. Fingers crossed until then!

[Shanti]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
Wow I didnt' realise I had forgotten to post in here. I got AF the next day after i posted last in here... after the spotting. so 8mths post partum I got AF back!!! And ever since it's been spot on 32 day cycle! I'm very lucky it's regular.....

[Acacia]

Haha I didn't look at the date of your thread and when some of the replies were Great news that everything is back to "normal" with AF's arrival a few months back now and that she's regular - all good news for TTC in the (near?) future!

[AmandaJ]

Shanti that's awesome that your regular already.

I finally got my first AF back at nearly 14mths after Julian, so a record for me, lol.

Good luck with TTC when you start.