What are the chances??? ***Warning - TMI***

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I don't know if this is a question, a vent, me looking for someone to calm me down or quite what, but i think it needed to be here and i desperately needed to get it out. and i didn't know whether to put it here or 'your body after baby' - Mods please move if required.

AF came on Sunday... at approximately 12:42pm.
I was disappointed, in fact feeling quite ripped off... breastfeeding delaying the return of a period and all that jazz... Even more so when i read the non BFing women can go up to three months with no return... and what i lasted 5 weeks??? Anyway... that doesn't matter.

Apart from the initial darkish red onset which wasn't enough to soak through a few pieces of one ply toilet paper (we were out at a boy-mates place), all i've had is a tiny bit of spotting like five spots since, and slight pink tinge when i wipe. It stopped altogether after 8pm last night. Then a slight bit of spotting and slight pink tinge late afternoon today.
I've had some cramps, but not recently, so been waiting for 'pseudo AF' to eventuate... but it hasn't and now i'm worried.

I was under the impression the first AF post baby was generally heavy and messy? Am I misinformed? Is it just my body readjusting?

Alexander has been a 6in24 feeder since birth (bar day 1 cluster feeds) & has a dummy - could my prolactin levels just started off "too low" to delay ovulation and menstruation?

We DTD last at at 4wks2day. So it would have been 7days on Sunday... Do you think this is implantation bleeding?

Is implantation bleeding consistent with each pregnancy - ie. I didn't have it last time?

Could AF just be coming slowly? It's been three days now...

DF and I were obviously super fertile originally to conceive on the pill and with him having Glandular Fever... it makes this whole theory even more possible...

Can someone tell me the stats of conception in first month after birth??

Assuming it is now say 10DPO - how early can I test?

Oh... and one last question... what the hell do i do???
I'm a mixed bag of emotions right now...


ETA: I bet now that I've sat here and got it out of my head... AF will turn up.

[butterfly*kisses]

Hi Ashant,

You have a right to feel a bit cranky and ripped off about AF returning so soon.

Although my AF took 6 mths to return (lucky for me huh), the return of AF the first time was only spotting. There was most certainly no heavy, messy carry on for me. I actually went to the doctor to ask what the spotting could be - and he told me that if AF arrived in another months time, then it was likely that the spotting was AF.......and he was absolutely correct.

Get along to see your doctor if you are concerned.

On a personal note - I think you are probably feeling a little down/anxious because of all of the wild changes going on in your body and also the environmental impacts that new bubs have on their mums. Try a spot of lavender oil on your clothing - its very calming - it always helped me .

[Twin Sister]

It may not really be AF yet. The same thing happened to me and it went away.

My Lochia stopped at 3 weeks and then somewhere between 4-5 weeks I started bleeeding again. I was told it was AF but it was pretty light and very little cramping. It only lasted a few days. Then sure enough 3 weeks later the same thing happened. I was so bummed as I too am BF and did not want AF back yet. That was almost 3 months ago though and I have not seen her since. I think my body was just adjusting to all the hormone changes.

[Pretty Butterfly]

I have fully b/f all my babies, and always got AF straight away.... hence some of my babies being sooo close!!! But it does just sound like AF gearing up honey.... I started just like you, and within the month, full blown... Check with the doc to ease your mind babe....

[Cricket]

AF can do all kinds of weird and wonky things when you are BFing, and I think pretty much every mum has been in your shoes worrying about another pregnancy so soon! After Marieke was born, my first period was very heavy, whereas after Emily, it was at about 5 1/2 weeks post partum and fairly light. Since then, I've had some months relatively normal, some missed, and some really light. Get a bunch of pg tests for those stressful days, and POAS to ease your mind.
All the best!

[Trillian]

I took a good 10wks to get my AF back after Alister and he was only BF for a few days (milk never came in) and even now they are still all over the place.

Its possible, but also just as impossible that you're pg kwim? Sometimes it is so hard to know for sure once we've had a bub what AF is going to be like - in my case it was heavy and longer, but it isn't like that for every woman either. If could have been AF and only been short and light because you are BF. If you are worried, do a test in about 3 days time I reckon.

Implantation bleeding isn't consistent with each pg either - I only had it once out of 4pgs.

[SallyJ]

It sounds like lochia to me - I had it on and off for the full 6 weeks, and didn't get
AF for about a year.

I doubt very much you could get pg when your baby is only a few weeks old.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Sally - we are extremely fertile in the first weeks after birth - in the first three months we can be more fertile than at other times when we are TTC!! Generally BFing will counteract this but it doesn't all the time.

Nai - i have been BFing at least five times a day - but it does of course differ with everyone and there is also always conflicting advice from EVERYWHERE under the sun. For instance my mum has always got her period back within six weeks even though BFing, except this time but she's put that down to feeding twins.

Anyhow. DR. today had the opinion that BFing is only an accurate measure against ovulation if you're feeding every 3 hours, so i had to discuss Alex's feed patterns (4 HRLY, 6-8 overnight), and when i mentioned the spotting i was made to go for a BT. So will know tomorrow for sure.

Thanks everyone for your ideas, reassurance and support, guess i'll be posting tomorrow just to update.

[SallyJ]

How can you possibly be "extremely fertile in the weeks after birth" if you are not ovulating? The reason BFing suppresses fertility is to give our bodies time to recover from pregnancy and birth before doing it again. It is extremely unusual to ovulate so soon after birth, especially if you are BFing.

[_JeSs_]

ash i have read that too that your really fertile after birth! because everything is still all 'open'.. and you can deff fall preg while BFing
if you read other sites it says that its very easy to fall preg in the 1st months after birth and that the whole BF contraception thing is a myth!
i know a girl who has a 3 month old baby, and wasnt getting her period so she didnt think she could fall preg, but she did!

[Pretty Butterfly]

I have fallen preg 3 times within months, and been fully breastfeeding!!! Lucky i wanted a big family!!!