I Had My Son Eight Months Ago and I Haven't Started Menstuating Again

I didn't start menstuating until almost a year after my daughter was born. I breastfed her frequently the first year, including at night, which might account for it.

H.

As Im sure, most moms will tell you to feel VERY lucky!
I didn't start until my daughter was 10 months old. I probably would have continued to breast feed her longer than 1 year if my period hadn't come back yet.
Enjoy it while it lasts!

After three kids (12,7 and 3) My cycles started usually closer to 8-11 months after they were born. Everyone has a different hormone clock they are on. Don't stress, just enjoy the nice freedom from Tampax and Always.And enjoy your greatest gift, your son!

I breastfeed my almost 10 month old son and I didn't get my period until a month ago...so don't worry unless it doesn't happen until after you stop or drastically reduce the amount you breastfeed.
good luck.

Hi L.! I had the same problem. Not to worry - it is normal. I breast fed my son until he was 2 years old. While I was breast feeding I was on the pill without estrogen. I also had concerns about becoming pregnant so I stocked up on the "99cent Store" pregnancy tests which are only ninety nine cents! (A great bargain and I felt I could use them whenever I wanted because they were so inexpensive.) I have also found that they are pretty much 100% accurate! (When I found out about being pregnant with my son (now 2 yrs 8 months old) I spent over $80 on name brand pregnancy tests which all either failed or indicated negative! I finally tested positive on the 99 cent store variety! After I stopped breast feeding I went back on the regular pill (I am taking Yaz) and my period started coming back very slowly and has become increasingly more regular. The entire time I was breast feeding and until I went back onto the regular pill I did not have a period. I am 100% healthy, so is my son and my doctor said sometimes (for the lucky ones!LOL!) women don't get their periods while they breast feed. Enjoy! Lol! H.

I didn't get mine until about four months after I stopped breastfeeding! It was driving me crazy b/c, like you, I kept thinking I was pregnant, but I had an IUD, so it would have been nearly impossible. I think what you're going through sounds normal based on my experience.

If you are worry, don't be. I didn't get my period after I delivered my daughter until she was 7 months old. Moms that nurse usually don't get their periods until later. Once you less the feedings your period is sure to come and more likely at the most inopportune time.

Actually, breastfeeding is a great way to defer your periods. As long as you are breastfeeding on demand, it could take a long time for them to come back. Women who get it back very quickly are probably either using a mixture of breast and formula, or train their baby early to be on a schedule, which isn't entirely natural. A good friend of mine has been period-free for 15 months because she breastfeeds her toddler along with solids and (believe it or not) her three year old as a comfort and bonding thing.

In fact, in my studies in college we learned that breastfeeding seems to basically be a form of birth control in some third-world countries (as well as practical when little food is available); moms may breastfeed for up to five years, and their fertility is naturally delayed for longer than average.

In other words, I wouldn't worry about it at all. If your fertility hasn't returned, you're probably doing the right thing by your baby by giving him exactly what he needs. It's much better to go natural, I think. :)

I nursed my daughter until she was 1 year old and I didn't start menstruating until the month after I stopped. I went to the doctor for a physical after 9 months without a period and he checked my prolactin levels and thyroid. Everything turned out fine. Just one of the lucky ones I guess. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Don't worry, L.. With my first daughter, I got my period back after two years of nursing! I am now nursing my 5 months old, and still has not gotten my period. There are no rules with that. Good luck with everything!

I didn't start my period for nearly a year after I had my son. Everyone is different so there's no telling how long you may go. Mine came back when I cut back on breast feeding. (I was tempted to pick it back up!) :)
It is a good idea to use contraception if you're not ready to be pregnant again 'cause it can definitely happen. Just because you're not bleeding doesn't mean you're not fertile!

I didn't have mine until my son was nine months, and now he will be one year this month and I have only had two, and he is my third. My first was at three months and my second was at seven months. Our bodies go through so much from birth to breastfeeding, since your not pregnant, just think of yourself as lucky. It sounds normal but sometimes we do need that reassurance from the doctor.

Dear L.,

Part of the reason you haven't started you period yet is because you are breast-feeding your son. My son was seven months old before I started again, and I counted it as a blessing - HOWEVER, while breast-feeding solely can help you to not conceive, it is not fool-proof. I always wanted/needed to know if I WAS pregnant due to my job as an x-ray tech, so I too did pregnancy tests before I started my periods again after each of my pregnancies (my husband and I weren't real careful the first time postpartum). Breast-feeding stimulates the production of oxitocin which causes uterine contractions. I wonder if maybe your home test was positive because you were pregnant, but the doctor's tests were negative because you had miscarried. Also, remember pregnancy tests are not 100% accurate, so maybe you had a false positive. I had a friend many years ago who didn't start, and didn't start, and didn't start. She went to the doctor and had a negative test. When she didn't start two weeks later, she had another negative test . . . She had to wait two more weeks and for a third test before she had a positive test. So, there are all sorts of explanations. I will admit I am curious as to what your doctor said . . .

God Bless!
B.

Sheesh! After reading the responses below, I feel like I was gypped with only seven months off . . .

Hi L.. Congratulations on extended nursing! I nursed all 3 of my children as well. I didn't get a period untill my oldest was 10 months, my second was 15 months and my youngest was 16 months old.
As your son gradually weans himself or you choose to wean him, your cycle will return. Right now the hormones that produce menstruation are producing milk instead. I wouldn't be concerned at all.
God Bless....
L.

I didn't get my period back until my son was almost 16 months old, I nursed him until he was 19 months - when he willingly weaned himself. I say, don't worry and count your blessings, not everyone is that lucky to go that long without the burden of a period! :)

Dear L.,

I nursed my first boy for 14 months and didn't start menstruating until I stopped. With my second child who is now 19 months and nurses only in the middle of the night when he wakes up, I started menstruating a few months ago when he was 16 months old. This doesn't mean that you can't get pregnant though, so keep this in mind depending if you want another child so soon after the first or not.

good luck
C. C.

Don't worry, you're okay!!! :)
When I was pregnant, I attended a class at my doctors office and one of the things that I remember the instructor saying was that your period could be absent if you breast feed for the whole duration. So that's probably all you're going through right now, but if it still hasn't appeared after you have stopped, then you should tell your physician about it.

I'm not positive of your situation, but as far as I know, if you are still nursing you are not supposed to have a period. It's like a natural birth control. Check with your doctor if you are worried, but as far as I know, you should be ok.

Try going to the doctor and having your thyroid checked.

Consider yourself lucky, unless of course you're trying to get pregnant. I got my period when my daughter was around 10 months old and she wasn't nursing as much. My son is almost 10 months old now and I haven't got my period yet this time around either. I know friends who have nursed and haven't had a period for over a year. That is a little strange about the positive pregnancy test, but otherwise it's completely normal not to have had a period yet.

IF you are still nursing this isn't so unusual. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones!

Hi! I breastfed my son for 9 or 10 months and did not have a period for 3 months after completely weaning! Although it was alarming at first I wish I would have nursed him longer! You are still able to get pregnant while nursing so I was still careful, but just enjoy this free ride, not all women experience it! My sister, for example, nursed exclusively for a year and began her periods after only 4 months, she was bummed...
By the way, bravo on breastfeeding!
Take Care,
M.

hi L. i'm a mother of three kids and with my firts baby i was consurned too with not having my period for that long. in fact i did not had a period for alittle over a year.afther doing severar pregnancy test and talking to my doctor i realise that it is normal no to have a period will breastfeeding. (i was happy too it was like being pregnant but with out expecting) now that i have a total of three pregnancies it became normal to me, by not having a period for a year of breastfeeding.so not to worry it is OK.but always use a metod of birth control if you do not wich to be pregnent again.

I took over a year with the first and 11 months with the second and just about a year with the third. I never had a heavy flow anyway so the nursing stopped it all together. I would say if you do not desire to get pregnant again use some type of protection, the absence of the period is from the nursing, you can still get prego. Think of it as a blessing. when your son starts eating more solid foods, it may come back.

I think it in part depends upon how frequently you are nursing. If you still nurse every 5-6 hours your cycle won't restablish itself. I have an 18 month old, with another due in 4 months. For me, and a lot of the mothers in my mommies group, it took 10 months to a year to start our cycles again. (All were nursing mothers - some had babies that slept through the night, others nursed within that 5-6 hour time frame.) It will return!

my daughter is almost a year old and I haven't had good old auntie flo yet! I had some experiences where I thought for sure she was on her way and I felt like she was here for a whole week, but nothing ever came out.

Nothing wrong, just consider yourself lucky, just like me!

Unless you want to try for another child, don't worry about it. Just carry around a supply or two JUST IN CASE!

With my first I did not get my period until she stopped nursing at 8 1/2 months. My baby did not stop nursing until she was 13 months so my period didn't start until she was 14 months. Oh how i miss not having my period. Enjoy while you can.

D.

If you are nursing full-time, it is normal not have your period, until you have stopped nursing. With my oldest son, i nursed for 6 months. once i had stopped, shortly after i got pregnant with my second son. so it is normal not to have a period during this time. Jsut remember to once you have stopped nursing, and a period has not come yet, use birth control, be cause you can become pregnant very early. NUrsing is not a form of birth control, but can be during this time, because your arenot menstration. Everyone's body is different, however, this does sound normal.

I breastfed, and I didn't get my period for 14 months! I wouldn't worry about it - it all has to do with your body, how often you breastfeed (i.e. if you supplement with pumped milk or whatever at any times), and other things I'm sure we don't understand :o)

Don't panick, but it might be what happened to my friend at work. It's worth asking about. She didn't have hers for over a year, and finally got fed up. They found part of the afterbirth still inside. She had to get that removed. I can't remember what else but I was shocked it took her a year to discover the problem.
So ask the doc if this may be the case.

I have 2 children. I started my period 6 wks after the first and 6 months after the second. IN talking to my Dr and other women I have found that when you start has a lot to do with our WONDERFUL hormons. ;) Also how much and how ofter your little bundle is nursing plays into it. My 2nd started teething and nursing less which evidently triggered my period. Now here nursing is up and down. There are times when whe can't seem to get enough and other times when she is content with less. To me it seems when she is nursing more the period is lighter and visa-versa. I hope this helps. I know some women who because of nursing and babies have gone 5 to 10 or more yrs without a visual period. (We are stopping at 2.) ;)

My son is one-year-old and I'm still nursing him and my period has not returned yet. It is sooooo normal to not have your period back while nursing and 8 months is still early. I have a friend who is nursing her three-year-old and she still doesn't have her period yet either. Usually, the more that you nurse, the longer your period is gone. So, for a lot of women who aren't solely nursing (or barely nursing at all) their periods come back quicker. But for those of us who strictly nurse, it usually is gone longer.

Hope that helps!

Relax! Every woman is different. I didn't get my period for almost a year. As some of the mothers have written, enjoy this "time off."

I did not get my period until 2 months after I weaned for both my kids. So I was period-less for over a year after giving birth to each (it was great!!) I still took a progesterone only pill to avoid pregnancy, then switched to a regular b.c. pill after weaning.

With my daughter I didn't get my period for over 10 months. I was also breastfeeding. I would imagine that is probably why. Enjoy the break while you can...

HI! My son was only breastfed and I did not start menstrating until he was 9 or 10 months old! My doctor shared that this is quite typical and minus any other symptoms it is not a problem.
K.

I didn't get my period until 11 months after and was still breastfeeding at the time. I know moms who have gotten it even later than that while still breastfeeding. Sounds very normal to me if you're still nursing.

L.!!!! Hi!!! So glad I found you/you found me! About your question, if you are still nursing, it's within normal range to have not gotten your period. I started an IUD when Liam was 6 months old and haven't gotten more than a day of period, but I'm not sure if it is the IUD or nursing. Congrats on nursing for 8 months!

Still haven't got mine and it's almost 11 months. I know many women who don't get their period while they are breast feeding. Just consider yourself lucky and enjoy it!

Hi L. - I did not have a period until my daughter was fully weened at 16 months. If you are still breastfeeding, this is not at all abnormal. If you are not breastfeeding, your hormones are probably just not back to normal yet. You can ask your OB/GYN to check your hormone levels if you're concerned.

It's actually very common, especially if you are nursing! I nursed both of my kids for about a year and it took 9 months to actually get my period. I had one friend who did not get a period until year later. However, if you are very concerned, I would contact your Doctor.

With all three of my kids, I did not get my period back until they were eleven months old.Breastfeeding will supress your period.
C.

hey L. as far as not gettin ur period till 8 mos...u r one of the lucky ones! i got mine at 10 mos & my friend got hers at 9 mos. so plz don't worry on that account. am not sure abt the pregnancy test comin +ve tho' :-(

take care
G.

It normal for that to happen as the women here have shown.
I nursed my oldest for 16 months and got my period after 6 months. With my second I am still nursing (he's 10 mo) and I got my period when he was 9 mos. My sister nursed her son until he was 2 (never got her period)got pregnant with her daughter and nursed her for 2 years. She didnt' get her period for a total of 5 years! So relax and enjoy this time off!

don't worry. It will come when you are done nursing or when you have cut back on nursing. I have three kids 3yrs,22months and 6 months. My periods didn't come until i was done nursing. Enjoy it while its gone!!!

If the only source of his feeding comes from breast feeding it is likely that you may not start menstruating for up to 12 months. If you have taken some form of birth control i.e the shot then you most likely will not start your period until you stop taking it. Stressing about it can cause false positives at home as well. Good luck!

With my first two I didn't get a period for approximately a year, but I was breastfeeding still. Are you breastfeeding? Because that is totally normal:)

Hi L.. You will get your period once you stop breastfeeding. I stopped breastfeeding at 6 months and then I got my period. My friend breastfed for 14 months and she didn't get hers until she completely stopped breastfeeding. Enjoy it! :)

I nursed my oldest till she was 8 months and did not get a period untill she was weaned off. I am now nursing my 6 month old and still no period. In other words most women do not start there period till they are done nursing so dont worry you are just fine.

Many moms find that their period will stay away as long as they are nursing frequently. Once your child is nursing less frequently, your period will return. Every mom is different. Some find their period returns within a few months after delivery even if they are nursing while others find it takes a year or more. Keep in mind that you may ovulate before your periods come back, so if you don't want to get pregnant, you'll want to consider birth-control options.

B.

I have three children and I never started my period until at least the cycle FOLLOWING ending breastfeeding, which meant it was about 10 months. Just enjoy the break, because when it comes back, the first couple months are brutal. Hope that helps.

Hi L.,

My son is now 18 months. I nursed him exclusively for 6 months and then started jar food/solids, etc. I nursed him 3-4 times in a 24 hour period until he was a year. I didn't get my first period until about 6 weeks after I completely stopped nursing. Interestingly, I also had a positive home pregnancy test the next month. I then went to the doctor and had a blood test done which showed that technically, I was pregnant but that I was having a very, very early miscarriage called a "biochemical pregnancy". I had friends who got their period many months before I did. I guess each person is different!

Hope this helps.

L. S

L.,

Don't sweat it for a second. Some woman don't get a period until after they stop breastfeeding while others will get it as soon as they stop the night feeding. My friend hasn't had one yet and her daughter is 21 months... Do you want to get it back? If not, than enjoy this little break and of course your little peanut!

K.

I didn't get my period until my son was a year old. If you breastfeed often, it can also delay your period. I breastfed every 2-3 hours, so I think that it just wouldn't allow my menstration to come.

I breastfed both of mine, with my first, I got my period around 18mos, with my second I got it around 9mos. Your period may come at anytime when breastfeeding. I am still nursing my second (he is almost 3). Breastfeeding will supress it but it also has to do with how long they suck (or so I've heard) my first would nurse for no less than 45min a session, my second could nurse for 10 minutes and be done.

I've had three babies and I don't start my period until after I stop nursing (about one year, but as long as 13 months). It's as if my body can't nurse and menstrate at the same time . . . that may be too much info. But it doesn't sound like you're pregnant, so I would guess your body may work the same way. Just make sure to eat right and try to get some rest. Good luck!

Hi L.,

Enjoy the season! If you've consulted with your doctor and you are not feeling ill, then don't worry, be happy! Let your body do what it is doing and keep loving yourself.
God Bless you,
T.

I didn't nurse my son for longer than 3 1/2 months, but I started my cycle once that stopped. The book, "What to expect while expecting," says that it could be a year or even until the baby is weaned.... I say you're lucky!

I didn't get my period again after my first child until I stopped nursing, around 11 months. Its nothing to worry about, enjoy the time off. hehe! With my second, my period returned around six months after birth, and I was still nursing. I was so bummed because I loved the fact that I didnt have to worry about it for so long after my first. Don't be surprised if it is worse once it comes back.

Dear L., Not to worry. It is very normal for a woman to not have a period for many months when she is breastfeeding. As long as your prolactin level is higher than your estrogen level, you will not have a period. There is a great book called Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley that explains why women have extended amenorrhea (no period. You might want to read more about this.

I might suggest that you ask your obgyn to do a couple more extensive tests to make sure that you didn't retain any placenta or that you don't have any scarring in your uterus. Sometimes doctors don't get too worried, but if you are planning on having another child this may be the first indication of something wrong that if not treated may lead to fertility issues later. Just talk to your doctor and don't let them tell you not to worry... there's a reason your period isn't happening and you need to figure out why. I wasn't that concerned when it happened to me and I ended up with Asherman's Syndrome - but I don't want to worry you without you talking with your doctors. Here if you need to discuss further, but just get your doctors to do their job! Good luck. J.

I didn't get my period for a year after both my daughters were born. I breastfed both for a year. I think it has to do with hormone level.

Oh yes, very common, especially for a nursing mother. I am surprised that your Dr. didn't tell you that! I didn't get my period back until my daughter was almost 12 months! Hang in there... enjoy it while it lasts :)