Hi all,
My dd is nine months old and I still haven't got my period back. It's starting to freak me out a bit-w ith ds I had them back at 4 months, and he was feeding two hourly round the clock. DD only feeds 4 times a day.
I'm also having trouble putting weight on. I'm seriously skinny at the moment. I did mention it to the doctor a couple of months, but he said I was still within the healthy range and not to worry about it until I've finished feeding.
But I dunno. My immune system is shot and I'm run down and exhausted. DS is a whirlwhind and DD has just started crawling. I barely sit down all day. They don't sleep at the same time anymore so I can't nap.
I also am waiting for dear old AF to return...DD is 18 months.
I am pretty skinny too and struggle to maintain my weight (without eating cake all day )
So, loads of sympathy here! Do you want another baby, or do you just want to get your cycles back? It has taken me a while to accept this non-cyclical kind of life...I feel like a man some days...all on even keel. Its not so bad (I don't get the migraines and mood swings of fertile days etc) but it does feel strange. I think our society is pretty bad at accepting the lactating mother as a feminine identity...we're not really sexually available, nor are we fertile...its a limbo space of nurturing, where all our energy goes into our babies...
Anyway, they're my musings on the issue. I hope you can find peace with this new stage in your life
Perhaps a full blood workup is in order? I know being underweight can stop your period, but I think its important to find out WHY you're not gaining y'know?
I have an overabundance, I wish I could send some in a PostPak for you!
I didn't get AF back until DD was 14 months. BF has made me lose a lot of weight too. I now weigh the same as I did in grade 10 at school!! But it didn't stop AF coming back for me eventually.
Thanks so much everyone. That's esactly whatI needed- just to know I'm not strange, I think. I just expected that because this labor and recovery was so much easier, I'd get AF back sooner? I'm not sure why.
Jen, I do have a bit of help at the moment but it just doesn't seem to be cutting it- I'm a bottomless well of need! I feel like if I had a 24 hour maid it still wouldn't be enough (nice, though).
I'm on the multi vitamins and I get full bloods done every six months or so because of my heart condition- I'm not anemic, or thyroid-y or anything like that.
Arcadia, thanks so much for your post. I hadn't realized until I read it just how much the asexual elelment was bothering- I never thought I'd say it, but I miss that ripe, full feeling.
Big hugs, you sound exhausted . How are your iron levels? When mine are down I start to feel very run down and get sick all the time.
AF only came back for me a couple of weeks ago when DD was 9 1/2 months old. It came back much sooner after I had my boys so it was a nice break this time! I also am quite skinny, I am on the very border of the healthy weight range. Running around after busy children and b'feeding a bub seems to keep the weight down. Have you always been pretty skinny or is this unusual for you? I'm surprised your Dr hasn't shown you a bit more care!
Do you have multivitamins to help boost your immune system? It might even be worth a drip to a naturopath?
A 24 hr maid.... that sounds like just the ticket for a week or so! You aren't a bottomless pit of need, hun, don't beat yourself up. You're just really run down and need to take care of yourself.
Plenty of hugs from me, since I can't offer the 24 hr maid.
I know exactly what you mean. I also miss the catharsis of a bleed...and the logic of "oh I'm just pre-menstrual" to explain sudden low feelings or bouts of frustration. I think the sense of giving all your vitality to your baby is not to be underestimated either...the feeling dd was sucking away my life force used to come up a lot for me. But when she started eating more solids and sleeping a bit better this definitely improved.
I always find a trip to the Japanese bath house a nice way to restore some equilibrium to my mind and body. Could you book in for a massage or something?
It's a struggle when you are trying to keep up and the weight just wont stay on Alot of people are well meaning too, and probably say you look amazing after having a baby, when all you want to do is put on a few kilos.
A GF of mind has problems with her thyroid, she is super skinny too (she has the hypo one I think?) and only had her little girl the time as I did, it messes with her general well being too. Makes her grumpy and short tempered and light headed too.
The other thing to try, if you full blood test are ok, perhaps a naturopath? I recently had a friend who went to the GP, tired, exhausted and generally run down. Her blood tests all came back ok.
She went to the Naturopath and explained about the tests and how she was feeling, he said she did look tired and gave her a full look over. Asked her to take of her shoes so he could feel her feel.
He gave her some things to take and she is feeling better.
Might be worth looking into. Perhpas your GP could recommend a Naturopath and they could work together to get you back on track.
Being under weight would hinder AF coming back.
Lots of sympathy here babe
From memory it was about 9-10 months after having DD that I got my cycle back.
9 months, 10 months is such an exhausting age, with bad sleeping and new mobility and separation anxiety, with a toddler as well it's no surprise you're exhausted.
Nine months post birth.
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I also am waiting for dear old AF to return...DD is 18 months.
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Lolli, you sound like you need a bit of a pick-me-up. Is there any way you could get some more IRL support at the moment?
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