When Will My Period Return?

S.
I no you are concerned, but every women is differnt I dont think any of us can give you the answer you want we all have a story to tell. Like me I breastfeed my children for 12 months and used a comdum got PG around 11 months feeding with one and 8 months with the other and lost both. didnt have a period with any breastfeeding but got it back three months after feeding some women dont start on there own and have to go to the Dr. to get pills to get them to start. so I guess you just play it by ear like the rest of us and do what you feel is right for you. sorry

Like everyone said, it varries from person to person. Mine took 8 1/2 months to come back, and I nursed to about 7 1/2 months.

IF breastfeeding can be an effective contraceptive, I believe "keeping your child at your breast while sleeping so the baby is comfort suckling and feeding on demand throughout the night" is the only way, and I don't believe it has much to do with preventing Ovulation, either. ;)

I'm sorry to say, even if your period was 100% predictable before, it isn't right now.

I only goe my period once I decided to being weaning (at 6 months old) by eliminating one nursing period each month. So, my child would nurse 5x/day. Beginning with the 7th month, I went down to 4x/day with 1 bottle. Then by the next month, I got my period. However, my friend with twins who exclusively nursed both babies got her period by the 3rd month! So, everyone is really different.

I can't really answer for your body but know that I got my period back when my first was 9-10 months and with my second it took until after a year (which I've heard is more rare). I nursed both of them for 15 months.

If your period isn't consistent without the pill I'd say it may be hard to gauge when it may return...could be any day...could be a while.

Sorry I can't be of more help!

Read Breastfeeding and Natural Family Planning for the biology of how your body works. La Leche League has a free library and you can check it out there. My cycles didn't return until 26 months or so, when we were trying for a second baby, and a lot of times cycles return when night time feedings are no more.
Nursing even just once a day is so wonderful for you and your baby. Take your time weaning, once that door is closed, you can't go back and time is fleeting when you have a little one.
www.lightlink.com/hilinda/Diane/breastorbottle.html is a great list about nursing too. Good luck !
J.

Hi S.,

I got my period exactly 4 weeks after I gave birth to my son in December, and I was breastfeeding exclusively at the time!! My periods have continued to be regular (every 28-34 days), even though I continue to breastfeed. My Nurse Practitioner said what I have experienced is rare, but not abnormal.

There is no way to predict how your period is going to be, but I would guess that you will continue to have an erratic period, and it would be several months before you get one.

I was surprised that you haven't gotten your period yet. Feeding once a day isn't enough to prevent ovulation. But then you said it is normal for you just a couple times per year. I would however, take a pregnancy test before starting the pill. I know many mom's that thought they couldn't get pregnant because they were breastfeeding. Breastfeeding only stops ovulation if you are exclusively breastfeeding (no formula or foods) at least 8 times a day.

If you are not breastfeeding "ecologically" (I believe that's the term used to distinguish from the widely misused and misunderstood "exclusively; also called natural mothering) you can get pregnant/period at anytime. Even after the first few weeks after delivery.

Ecological breastfeeding means that not only are you breastfeeding exlusively, but you are breastfeeding constantly and on demand such as in cultures where the child is worn at the breast at all times so the baby is constantly feeding for both nurishment, and just for comfort instead of using a pacifier.

Ecological feeding also includes keeping your child at your breast while sleeping so the baby is comfort suckling and feeding on demand throughout the night. Bottom line, in order to effectively space children using breastfeeding, the child has to be feeding constantly, on demand, during the day, and most especially at night.

Many people misunderstand how using breastfeeding to space births works because in western cultures we believe that if we don't introduce formulas or bottle feed (even using breastmilk) we are effectively spacing our children. Where this method fails many women is when we feed on a schedule. Schedule feeding(even a fairly rigorous one) doesn't trigger the appropriate hormone levels necessary to suspend menstruation. Only feeding on deman and constantly can effectively ensure a total suspension of menstruation. As a result many people are often surprised to find they are pregnant a month after delivery even though they are breastfeeding and only breastfeeding. So to answer your question, even with a somewhat irregular cycle, you probably stand a high chance to get pregnant/ovulate within the next 2 to 4 weeks of beginning to wean, and subsequently see your AF return shortly thereafter if pregnancy doesn't occur.

While challenging, spacing using breastfeeding is doable and can be very effective, allowing you to hold off pregnancy for up to a year or more if done "ecologically". I'd recommend you consult a La Leche League consultant or the LLL website www.lalecheleague.org for more information on how to do this effectively. Also read "Breastfeeding and Child Spacing" by Sheila Kipley. It is the best explaination of how to do this and in a simple easy to understand way.

S.,

I think that this depends on the person. My first son I nursed to 15 months, had my first period when he was about 9 months, was pregnant by the time he was 11 months. Then, with my second son I didn't get a period till he was nearly 12 months, then was pregnant (and still nursing) when he was 14 months. I think a call to your doctor would be a good idea, and being on the pill will probably regulate you pretty well.

J.

Be careful- one of the responses isn't accurate. Even nursing 8 times a day isn't a guarantee that you won't get pregnant. I have a friend who got pregnant with her second while nursing 100% and her baby was only 4 months old (and that was after 2-3 years of fertility, and invitro conception). Then, after her third, they were planning to be done, so she took a low dose of the pill so she could still nurse, and again, got pregnant at 4 months while nursing exclusively. That's why most OB's offer some type of contraception at the 6 week appt.- as everybody is different.

I got mine back when my son was 10 months old (nursing about 4 times a day as I was back to work) but then about 6 weeks before I got it again... it was pretty irregular for awhile.