Periods while breastfeeding

[Liz185]

Just very curious... how long after birth did everyone get their period??

I have been breastfeeding for almost 7 months, and I know it's normal for me not to have had my period while breastfeeing, but what is the reason for this?

My period returned quickly for my first, as he was on Formula after 2 months.

[paradise lost]

Hi,

Your period stays away because the hormones your body makes in reaction to the suckling and in order to make milk (principally prolactin but there might be others...Barb?) inhibit ovulation. Without ovulation no endometrial layer (womb lining) builds up and thus it doesn't need to be shed, with a period. When prolactin levels drop low enough ovulation and AF return.

For some women ANY breastfeeding, even one feed a day, is enough to keep AF away, for others (myself included! ) even BFing 10-12 times a day and never having a gap more than 4 hours is not enough to keep AF away (my AF came back when DD was 6 weeks old, she was exclusively breastfed for 5.5months). It comes down to the individual woman and how sensitive to prolactin her systems are.

Some women who are NOT breastfeeding can have abnormally high prolactin (often associated with a tumour on the pituartry gland) and are infertile because of it.

[Liz185]

Thanks for the info I never know all the technical stuff!!

Well I'll have to start work soon, and won't have time to breastfeed ALL day.. so hopefully I can keep my period away... and if I do get it back soon- hopefully it won't come back at the worst possible time!!

[Tobily]

Mine didn't come back until two months ago - DS is 17 months
He still breastfeeds overnight though, once they cut out the night feeds it often comes back.

[Ginger]

hi liz- i just got my first af last week, was hoping she'd stay away a bit longer

[Liz185]

Tobily- OMG that's ages!!

haha no way I'll last that long once formula is introduced..

[danniellabella]

Glad I found this thread before I started one asking the same kind of question. My DD is 7 weeks old tomorrow, I got an implanon put in nearly 2 weeks ago (stopped post birth bleeding about the same time) and now I'm bleeding again, I'm not sure if it's a period, the hormones from the implanon or a bit more post birth bleeding. I have had some very very minor cramps, hardly noticable though. I do breastfeed usually but she does get a bottle probably once a day.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Mine came back at 5weeks. I was BFing 6-8times a day.
She then came again at 8weeks. When i had changed to be feeding 8-9times a day.

You might like to have a look at the following thread too.
It's a poll about your first question
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...post-baby.html

[Ozziehoffy]

I've just had my second one...so for me was around 12 months. I can tell you though that it's more intense than before and I hate it. I seem to have more pain and discomfort the day or 2 before than I did before becoming pg with Oskar. I'm glad though that I lasted that long without getting them Oh I had one day many months ago where I had the slightest amount of brownish discharge but that was it.

[Fire Fly]

My first was 18 months, my second was 9 months and the last is nearly 10 months and still a no show of AF. All have been fully breast fed, and DD#3 still is.

[mbear]

i havent had mine since May 2005 when we conceived DD#2. Pregnant for 9 months, then breastfed, then fell pregnant again, (without having a AF )in Dec 2006. Im still b/f DD#3 and havent seen AF....i doubt i will see her till after 12months....

[MantaRay]

For me it was 7 months with DS1 who was sleeping through the night, and 6 months for DS2 who was bfing in the night. Doh!!!

[FluffyLaRue]

My 3rd child was a boobie fanatic, and I didn't get a period for 2 years marvelous !
My 4th is still feeding now ( he's 2) and I got my period back when he was about 18 months old. I think for me the dropping of night feeds triggers my period to return ( I co-sleep, so most nights there's night boobies )

[Smoke Jaguar]

Haven't had a period since September 2005 since conceiving DS, so we're at 22 and a half months and counting.

DS and I sleep in the same bed and it's a rare night that he won't feed once or twice in his sleep. He'll often 'miss a feed', though and still no AF. Especially during assignment times when I have to leave him with a relative, we'll go for a whole day without a feed, and twice a week he's in childcare on campus, but I don't feed him. I actually thought I'd get it back after two weekends ago when I was away from him and just pumped 3 times a day (he feeds so much more than that when we're together).

[Gigi]

i am struggling to remember, but i THINK AF returned about 8 months after bilby arrived.

at the time, we were breastfeeding multiple times day and night - and still are.

i had expected AF to stay away until breastfeeding stopped - there goes that myth! BUSTED!!!

to the person who's just gone on Implanon - i had that for six months, and i bled continually the whole time - that kind of side effect (and there were others too) was too much, so i had it taken out (surprisingly painless). Pity really, three years of NOT thinking about contraception seemed very attractive to me!!!

[Phteven]

With my first at about 3 months
With my second I got a mirena inserted so it didn't return until my mirena fell out just before he was 2.

[christy]

With my first AF returned when she was 4 1/2 months after she was half bf & half ff (due to me listening to GP's.... for some reason I feel like I have to explain why I ff my first?)

With my second AF returned when she was 17 months and weaning down to 1 feed a day.

[Smoke Jaguar]

for some reason I feel like I have to explain why I ff my first?

Think of it as a community service, Christy If you explain why you did, then someone else who is finding themselves nearly doing the same thing can start to ask themselves and their GP some serious questions I'd hate to think you explain yourself like that all the time IRL, and it's useful here on BB where women come for support and some guidance, no?