Missed Period While Breastfeeding

I did not have regular periods while breastfeeding. I had maybe 2 and then they would stop. While you can get pregnant while breastfeeding, if you are using condoms you should be safe. Just look for other warning signs of pregnancy or take another test next month if you are still worried. It is more than likely from breastfeeding though.

I think I remember hearing that your period can take up to a year to get back to your normal after giving birth. But, breastfeeding isn't 100% birth control as you do still ovulate while breastfeeding, you just don't always shed the lining (that's your period). You're thinking correctly to contact your doctor if it's still not back in a week (& maybe take another test as you'll have more information to then provide to them to help them determine if a pregnancy blood test is required).

If the pregnancy test came back negative and you have been using protection, I would not worry about a late or absent period while breast feeding. I had this same experience after my second child - had what I thought were a couple of periods after a few months, and then did not have another one until she was nine months old, at which time they returned with a normal schedule. Many moms don't have a period until they start to wean - or are feeding mostly baby food and are only nursing a couple of times a day.
Everyone is different, but I would not be concerned about it. Hope that helps

C.

I started my period when we started switching to solid food. It seems like the more nursing I'm doing the less chance of a period but as my milk supply goes down because hes eating less of me my periods come back. This time around there was a time where I was so exhausted that I just went back to nursing and he wasn't doing all that well adjusting to solids.

I had previously had two periods and didn't have another one for a couple of months as I was nursing more again. When his stomach seemed more ready for solids we tried again, he did fine and my periods came back. Are you nursing more lately? Is he going through a growth spurt? If not you could always wait anther month and take a pregnancy test then.

More than likely you are not pregnant. It's not unusual for you to have abnormal peroids both after birth and while nursing. It will most likely be different after each child as well.
hth
V.

You could take another test just to see, but after I started doing natural family planning one thing I was surprised to find out is that a lot of times, your true fertility won't completely return and be regular (including hormones in your body) until a year or year and a half after the baby is born. Obviously people can and do get pregnant before that, but I know my period was a lot more irregular after my second than I remember with my first (I had two "regular" and then two that seemed off). Best of luck and congrats on your new baby!

Don't panic-DO keep testing, but don't panic. With my first child, I didn't get a period until a month or two after I stopped nursing. With the second one, it started four weeks after delivery, was regular for a few months, and then went crazy for months--it was far apart for a while (once I went more than 80 days and felt like I was going to explode from the fluid retention). I started buying pregnancy tests in multi-packs. And then it came every 15 days for a while, which was a huge pain. Check in with your OB-I remember mine ended up having me get a vaginal ultrasound to be sure there wasn't anything left in my uterus from the delivery that was messing with my hormones. There wasn't, and I went back to normal soon after that. Good luck!

Hormonal changes can cause all kinds of things. I would take the test again. One thing though, do not think that if you are breastfeeding, you cannnot get pregnant. I am not sure who started this misconception and somehow it caught up. The only thing that keeps you from being pregnant is protection and you say that you use condom.
Good luck!

Well just wanted to say - I am 9 weeks pregnant while breastfeeding and using condoms - but most likely you are not. I used to be very regular as well, but after my last son was born (last April), had my first period in Sept and only three others before finding out I was pregnant in March. So even though you had two periods, you could still be irregular. If you don't have your period in another week. Try another test, if it's negative and you are still concerned, call your doctor. With the breastfeeding, your hormones will still be out of whack though, don't worry too much!

I was weird with my periods after giving birth. it's been a while but i think i do remember skipping even after thinking i was back on schedule. i'm wondering if your hormones could be a little off due the baby having a growth spurt or possibly finishing one and slowing down.
I would double check either with another test or a visit to the dr just to rule out preganacy.
so try not to worry about it, it's probably normal. but check it out like you said.

Hi D.,

Contact your local La leche league representative at

www.llli.org.

Hope this helps. D.