When Should I Expect to Get My Period?

L.,

The return of your period is really a pretty individual thing and can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy. I am still nursing my 20 month old. She nursed all day and at least 2-4 times per night until she was over a year. My cycles returned when she was about 7.5 months old and at that time she was only getting 1 meal of solids every 2 or 3 days - so she was relying on my milk for the bulk of her nutrition.

Generally the less you are nursing (and pumping) the more likely it will return sooner.

S.

it could come back at anytime. my first it came back at 3 months pp. mt last was 7.5 months when i stopped breast feeding and my period didn't come back till he was over a year.

With my first child I did not get my period until I stopped nursing. With my second, I got it a few months into nursing. It just depend on your body, everyone and everytime is different.

You could get your period at any time. I nursed and stayed home with my kids and still got my period within three months. The "you can't get pregnant while nursing" is a myth. A nurse that I work with told me that her doctor said as long as you are the only source of their suckling ie. no bottle no bink, only nipple then you won't get your period and she didn't, so maybe that's the trick. But, as my midwife says, you could get pregnant any time. Enjoy your sweet one, it goes so fast!!

hi L.,

typically you will start to get your period once you stop nursing/pumping every 3-4 hours. this usually coincides with the introduction of solid foods or supplemental formula.

Everyone is different. I never got my period until I was completely done nursing (I was down to once a day at the end) but some people I know get it when they're nursing full time.

It varies. With both of my boys, it returned at about 6 months, even though I was still nursing at least part of the time. It won't necessarily be when you stop nursing, it could be sooner.

It is hard to tell when your period will return, everyone is different. Mine returned after about two months and I was nursing exclusively. Also, make sure you use some form of birth control.

Hi L.,

Contact your local La Leche League representative at

www.llli.org

They may be able to help. D.

I would say it just depends. I think went about 6 mo with out one, had one, skipped a few months again, had it twice, that sort of thing, It takes your body while to adjust and there isn't a magic formula for how much breastfeeding you do vs when it comes back full force.

Please use contraceptives though, whether you are getting yoru period regularly or not, that is unless you want another baby immediately. Ha, i'm sure sex is probably the last thing on your mind, but be safe if you do.

Great job on the nursing though, Any little bit is just Fantastic, and i now how hard it is to pump at work. Kudos to you!!

There is no one answer for this. With my first two children, as soon as they began sleeping all night, I got my period back. With my second two, it was nine months and then one year.

With all four my period came back while I was still nursing them. I think it has to do more with the frequency than whether you stop all together.

I got mine when she was 8 months, and I'm still nursing her at 12 months.

I too was only able to pump 1x a day at work when I went back she was 3.5 months old. I figured my period would be showing up sooner rather than later:)

Once she started taking in more foods and nursing less is when I got mine, but I don't think it has anything to do with anything. Our bodies just go to the beat of their own drum.

I just always had fem products in my work bag or diaper bag just in case that day was the day:)

you should be gettting it sooner than later, i usually got it back after my kids were 9 months and i was exclusivly nursing, not pumping since i was home all the time, this time around my son is 9 1/2 months and i still havent started mine, not that i am in any hurry, i am just trying to enjoy not having one.

I was able to stay home with my second son until he was 6 1/2 months because I lost my job. But I also noticed when I was nursing full time, that even though I wasn't getting my actual period, I still got PMS every month; cravings, bloating, acne, and sometimes cramps. I did find a new job, but didn't bother pumping during the day because there really wasn't anywhere other than the only bathroom to do it. I did continue to nurse in the evening and morning before work. I got my period about a month after I started the new job. I'm still nursing at home most of the time and I have been consistent with getting my period. Good Luck with going back to work!

It is usually around six months before you get your period again when breast feeding,it varies. I have a coworker who breast feeds and her son was around six months old when her cycle resumed. remember to be careful,breast feeding does not prevent pregnancy. even if you do not have your period you could still ovulate.
I would be happy in the meanwhile if i was not pregnant and did not have my period.

HI! I got my first period after I stopped nursing also. I do not remember how long after I stopped nursing that it started though. Hope this helps!!

Hi L.,

Everyone mother is different but just know that the average mom whom nurses will go 14 months without getting her period. I got mine around 18ms and low and behold got pregnant that first cycle. We nursed until 21moths. I went back to work at 3ms and stopped pumping around 11ms. Again everyone is different.

Don't wish it back :-) Enjoy the break.

Take Care
J.

Hello. Everybodies body is different but I was in the same boat as you and I didn't get my until my daughter was nine months. I am curious if the same will happen with my son. Hope this helps, just remember you can still get pregnant again even if your period does not come! -N. j

Dear L.,
I have heard that as long as you are exclusively nursing (and not supplementing with formula or other foods), you will not get your period. As someone else already pointed out, if you conceive the first time you ovulate, you might not get a period at all between babies. This happened to me. :)
N

My little one is 12 months and no AF yet! Be patient. :)

I got mine about 3 months in and I nursed until mine were about 8 months. My one freiend didn't get her's until she was done. No set time it just depends. I have four boys and trust me each time I nursed it was different with each one when I started. Good Luck and just enjoy not having it, but know that it is much easier to get pregnant right after you quit nursing.

There's no set answer. When I was nursing my daughter, I went back to work when she was 5 months and got my period back when she was about 10 months. Two years later with my son, I had to go back to work after only 12 weeks, but still didn't get my period back until he was 8 months old. Be careful though - I got pregnant with my 3rd after just that one cycle and I was still nursing my son at night. So, if you aren't on birth control yet, now is the time to be thinking abour re-starting.

Based on my experience and my friends experiences it totally varies between people, and pregnancies. I have friends that exclusively nursed and still got the periods back after a few months, where others did not return until over a year later. I nursed, and even when I was weaning it did not return until my son was 15 months old. At that point I was only nursing him once a day. With my daughter, she was 9 months old when it returned.

So, I don't think there is an answer. It varies so much!

L. - there's no set standard. I breastfed my little girl for 10 months but unfortunately got my period back only 2 months after she was born...I was hoping to go a bit longer ;)