I have been breastfeeding for about 13 months now and my period is really unpredicable. Sometimes I'll skip a month, but the last two were barely three weeks apart. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
Two months after my last post, I became pregnant with my 11th baby. I am now 5 months along and due in November.
it is very common to have crazy periods when they first start coming back after a baby. With my first I got my period back right at the 12 month mark. Then I had another one two weeks after that then I went like 30 some days before having another one. So yeah it takes a while before they will really be regular again.
Anything is possible while breastfeeding, we are all different. I got mine 11 months after giving birth, and continued breastfeeding another 13 months after that. My period is still weird, it sometimes comes every 28 days (before my son I had really long cycles, like 40 to 55 days), but then it will get a day longer each month for several months, and then regulate back to 28 days, and then go a day shorter each month (this past month was 24 days). Maybe your period is just trying to regulate back to normal? Whatever normal may now be.
I have the same issue as well. My cycle is still very random. From my understanding, once you stop breastfeeding it regulates and becomes more predictable.
However, if you are experiencing any discomfort aside from the typical menstrual pain, you may want to make an appointment with you gynecologist. That could be an indication of an underlying problem.
Yup, totally normal!
This is common, mainly because our hormones don't get balanced out for nearly two years after birthing. I was sooo disappointed that the whole "breastfeeding will suppress your cycle" was a myth. (This works better in societies where nutrition isn't as readily available, I've learned.) This myth, too, is often why women end up getting pregnant months having their babies, even while they are still nursing.
What you should be aware of is that your period may very well increase markedly and become incredibly heavier than previously (I have experienced this, as well as siblings and friends), and because of the irregularity, just be aware that you might develop cysts. I was nursing and still had an ovarian cyst the size of a tangerine, which we had to keep track of. (That sucked beyond belief, because the first question was "Is it cancer?") So be aware that your cycle can be a mystery and then some until you are done breastfeeding, and that your PMS/Bleeding can be more intense than before.
While breastfeeding, realize that ANYTHING regarding your period timing is normal.
I breastfed my first 2 for 16 months (they self-weaned to maybe 1 nursing each day by then) and I had my period start 3 weeks after the lochia stopped with each one! My 3rd, I breastfed EXCLUSIVELY (meaning so solid food at all then entire BFing duration) for 18 months and then I HAD to stop. My period was all over the place. Maybe it was the female hormones vs. the males one before? Maybe it was that I was older? Maybe it was the stress?
I did get pregnant with #3 while breastfeeding #2.
