Weaning and Periods

[theresat858]

My cycle returned at 14 mo pp, a few weeks after limiting to 3 nursing sessions a day. It took us a while to get pregnant after that.

[things]

With my others, EBF, including frequent night/comfort nursing (an important component of LAM): Dd1, 8 months; dd2, 13 months; ds1, 9 weeks (no BFing); ds2, 9 months.

It was likely delayed further with dd2 because she continued nursing every 1.5-2 hours (including at night) until 12 months.

[gingersaurusrex]

DS got more formula than breast milk from the very beginning and I only pumped for a little while so AF came at 13 weeks, when I was down to 1 or 2 pump sessions a day. My cycle has always been a little bit inconsistent, but it was back to what I considered typical for me within 4 cycles. I probably could've started charting at that point if I wanted to.

[alyssajones]

Mine returned at 15 months. I had to completely night wean and cut DD down to 3-4 sessions a day. I also have PCOS so there were some talks of inducing mine, but it returned on its own. GL!

[kbmama]

With babies 1-4 of EBF and night nursing, I still got AF at 3-4 months ppd. But they weren't regular until weaned completely. LO is almost 4 mo and I still haven't gotten it,which I am actually thrilled with.

[danisgossipgirl]

Have you already night weaned? That may be enough to get your cycles back.

My first pp AF was right around a year both times, we weren't actively weaning but at that point naturally nursing less frequently, more solids, cups of water, etc.

[octavia65]

I got my first PP period at 11 months. At that point I was nursing about 4 times a day with no overnight sessions. Unfortunately there is no rhyme or reason to when you will get it back. I have a friend who EBF and got hers at 4 months PP and another who had to completely wean at 24 months. Good luck!

[octavia65]

Jan 16, 2015 13:25:27 GMT -5 @iheartmyshiba said:

Don't hate me... We haven't night nursed since maybe 6-7 weeks old. She's pretty much been STTN since with the except of a random wonder night here and there.

She's been supplemented one feeding with formula a day since birth. If it was the feeding right before bed, I would pump so I wouldn't be so engorged in the mornings. Last week I cut out our 11 am ish feeding so now am down to BFing 3 times a day and then she gets two 6 oz formula/formula BM mixed bottles. We've also just started solids as she'll be 6 months next week.

Thank you ladies for your input! Hoping it comes back soon. I was terribly irregular before DD and took Chasteberry to help regulate my cycles. It's probably not BFing safe so I'd have to completely wean to take it which I don't want to do until LO is at least a year old.

No judgement here...you have to do what feels right for you and your LO! I've read that some women use Vitex/Chasteberry to increase milk supply so I'm guessing it is safe to take while BFing. I've never used it, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews about the effectiveness of Vitex in general. I'd recommend asking your doctor or if you have a BFing hotline in your area, call and see what they have to say.

[tarheelmom]

My first PP period was at 15 months (3 months after I stopped pumping at work). DD (just turned 2) still nurses when we're home together, but my cycle has been regular since it came back.

[Unknown]

My first pp period came two days after the last time I BF, and I was down to only nursing by that point.

[mooncharm]

I'm now 12mos PP, with no PP period. We're weaning a little, but my son is pretty insistent that he still wants to nurse. Some days more than others, but it's 5-8 times in 24hrs.

[ellewills618]

Thanks for asking this (I've been wondering too). DS is almost 11 months and is a nursing machine. I'm ready to get my cycle back but at this rate I think he's trying to make sure he's an only child! Whoever dreamed I'd want my period back...

[clldll]

I dropped my last pumping session at work at 15 months. At that point we were still nursing on demand first thing in the morning and in the evening/ON. Maybe a total of 4-5x a day. AF returned at 16 months. She was super irregular (and crazy heavy)for 3-4 cycles and then evened out. I always had a supply dip around ovulation and again around AF's start. I'd also have super sensitive nips then too. Once he weaned down to 2x a day that sensitivity and supply dip are less obvious.

[Sparkly]

Jan 17, 2015 4:37:28 GMT -5 ellewills618 said:

Thanks for asking this (I've been wondering too). DS is almost 11 months and is a nursing machine. I'm ready to get my cycle back but at this rate I think he's trying to make sure he's an only child! Whoever dreamed I'd want my period back...

Same here. I've been thinking (and hoping) my cycle was coming back for months, and nothing. We wanted to TFAS sooner rather than later, but it appears DD has other plans for that! I'm a little scared of PP periods, from what I've heard, but it would be nice to know what's going on with my body!

[lilqt3929]

Sparkly I was scared of PP periods too but they havent been as bad as I expected them to be. I think it was more or less the fact that I went 1.5 years without one and I forgot what it was like to have one.

I got my first PP period at 8 months (still BFing about 5-6 times a day) and has come every month like clockwork just as it was before getting pregnant. I just recently (last week) stopped nursing all together at 15 months and got my period a couple of days after that (I wasn't expecting it for at least a few more days, could be a coincidence for sure). Hang in there, your body will regulate once its ready.

[Deleted]

Jan 16, 2015 0:21:58 GMT -5 @iheartmyshiba said:

For those who started to wean and didn't already have their monthly cycles back, when did Aunt Flo make her appearance? Once you started to wean? Fully after stopping BFing all together?

We are trying to have #2 close in age to our first but I haven't gotten my first PP period after 6 months. I'm planning on slowly weaning over the next few months but if I get my period back, I'll keep up with however many nursing sessions a day my body will allow with keeping my cycles.

Am I crazy or are you a Jly14-er too?
I'm similar to you  - BFing and supplementing, DD is 6 and a half months and the plan is to TTC ASAP. We're just in the process of reducing night feeds, more about the sleep than anything else but if it helps, I won't complain. Not gonna lie, I'm jealous of your STTN LO!

[mooncharm]

Jan 17, 2015 12:17:35 GMT -5 Sparkly said:

Jan 17, 2015 4:37:28 GMT -5 ellewills618 said:

Thanks for asking this (I've been wondering too). DS is almost 11 months and is a nursing machine. I'm ready to get my cycle back but at this rate I think he's trying to make sure he's an only child! Whoever dreamed I'd want my period back...

Same here. I've been thinking (and hoping) my cycle was coming back for months, and nothing. We wanted to TFAS sooner rather than later, but it appears DD has other plans for that! I'm a little scared of PP periods, from what I've heard, but it would be nice to know what's going on with my body!

we're in the same boat, too. It's pretty much my only incentive for weaning right now. I just don't feel ready, but I'm ready to TTC, and feel like weaning might be necessary in order to make that happen. I'm not looking forward to the PP period, though!

[SpinsOffResonance]

I got AF back at 9months PP, soon after DD1 went from eating 3x at night to sleeping 12 hours. She was still nursing 4-5x during the day

[salemkitty]

I stopped pumping at work at 13 months. My period came back about 6 weeks later. He nurses on demand when we are home and through the night. Lately that has been 3-4 during day and 4-6 at night. Weekend are on demand so I'm not sure. 

[Sparkly]

Jan 18, 2015 20:34:22 GMT -5 mooncharm said:

Jan 17, 2015 12:17:35 GMT -5 Sparkly said:

Same here. I've been thinking (and hoping) my cycle was coming back for months, and nothing. We wanted to TFAS sooner rather than later, but it appears DD has other plans for that! I'm a little scared of PP periods, from what I've heard, but it would be nice to know what's going on with my body!

we're in the same boat, too. It's pretty much my only incentive for weaning right now. I just don't feel ready, but I'm ready to TTC, and feel like weaning might be necessary in order to make that happen. I'm not looking forward to the PP period, though!

this was also part of my motivation for cutting back pumping... I *think* I finally ovulated last week, so it may have worked!

[okiemama]

Mine came back at 13 months, after DS started eating more solids and sleeping longer periods at night. We didn't fully wean until 18 months (because of pregnancy).

[jennlin]

with my first, i got my period at 6 months and 1 week.....which was 1 week after we started solids. i got pregnant at 11 months 3 weeks-ish, while i was still nursing.

with my second, every time i had an off-day...at 6 months and a few days, when we started solids..i would spot, when i just went a little bit longer than i should've between pumping/nursing, i would spot...but i didn't get my actual period until 14 months pp...only have had 1 so far. (baby is 15 months).

[ellabee]

Mine came back after 9 months. LO was down to eating 5-6 times a day plus 2 solid meals. No MOTN sessions since 6ish months.

I've also heard anecdotally that raspberry leaf tea can help with period regularity in addition to general uterus health...

[jtizzay]

Ebf still but af came back 7.5 months when i tackled my oversupply. Went from 50ish oz a day to 25:30 and got af. I'm no help!