Getting Period Again After Nursing

Hi B.,

Good for you for nursing as long as you are. That's great.

As for your period, I'm surprised its taken this long to come back! I was told with my last (who just turned 3 yesterday) that it would take a year for mine to come back. But, I've had 3 other children before her, and nursed them all, and my period came back regular anywhere from 6 months to a year, but never longer than that.

Engorging usually only happens in the first couple weeks/months, while your body and your baby are adjusting to a feeding cycle.

Just like every woman is different, so is every child and every pregnancy. So, when/if you decide to have another baby, don't expect anything to be the same as it was with your little guy. The same with your period. Your body has gone through changes.

When I was a teenager, I had unbearable cramps, just the first day of every period. After my first child, I had no cramps at all. Then I got pregnant again when she was a year old - I had minor cramps, but they spread down to my legs, but worsened over the years. After my 3rd was born I had no cramps at all for the first 2 1/2 years, then started to get uncomfortable after the 4th year. Now, after my last - I had a tubaligation, and had back labor (again) - my cramps are very painful, they are in my back and my legs, and it takes 3 ibuprofen to make me comfortable, then 3 more just 3 hours later. This lasts for 3 days now. Mostly my period only lasts 4-5 days, that hasn't changed much.

You never know how your body will react to changes. Periods change, just like your body. I don't know how your period was before you got pregnant, but hopefully, things don't get too painful for you like they did me. This is something you just have to wait and see.

Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

I'm wondering about your nutrition levels. It's immensely rewarding but nursing takes a lot out of you. I have a friend that was running out of milk early on and she found her milk gushing in after only a couple of days on a high-nutrition protein shake. You can contact me for details if you're interested and I can tell you more.

A.

I brestfed exclusively also, and got my period back when my son turned around 9 months old. I was also on the mini pill the whole time. It was pretty regular right away for me, but really light too. Oh, one more thing, I was still breastfeeding when my period returned.

With each of my three kids, my period returned when the baby was 2 to 4 months old, and they were/are nursed exclusively. At first they are not regular, but give it a cycle or two. That's just my experience. Hope it helps.

You don't have to speak with the doctor, just call and ask to talk with a nurse. That's what I just did - I stopped nursing my 13 month old 2 weeks ago and have had a period ever since. The nurse says it's totally normal for the 1st period to be unpredictable, or longer, or shorter, or heavier, or lighter, it totally varies because of the hormonal changes. I would just give them a call just for peace of mind.

My non-medical understanding is that milk production is tied to hormones. As your milk supply dwindles, your hormones will return to their pre-pregnancy state and you will get your period again. Mine returned very quickly after the nursing stopped. It took about 3 months to be "regular" again, so be careful of your fertility during that time!

Hi B.-
I nursed my son for 11 months. My period returned when he was about 10 months, when my milk started drying up. Before pregnancy my periods were fairly light. Since pregnancy, my periods have been much, much heavier. It has been a year since it returned and still heavy.

Hi! I got my period when my daughter was 16 months old. When I did get it, it was so much heavier than I remembered. It got a little better over time, but is generally a lot heavier than normal/longer than normal. My ob/gyn tells me that this is normal and that my body is also changing due to my age (36). I am regular, which is a plus. I took Camila for about a 1 1/2 months because I couldn't deal with the side effects. One of them was spotting in between periods. I thought about Mirena, but my insurance would not cover it. Hope this was helpful.

Best,
Annie

I had twins 19 months ago and like you I am still nursing them a very little amount (most mornings and evenings twice a day). I almost went two years without a period, but got it again last June. It has been regular. I never used any hormonal b/c during any of this time, though.

Hi! I am still nursing my 16 month old and my period returned when he was almost 13.5 months old. I am back to my regular/irregular cycle. I get my period every other month always have. I refused to be on birth control pills so I do not have any advice there. I hope I helped.