Postpartum Menstration

Hey M.! She is probably going through a growth spurt and needs the extra food; it seemed likemy now 3 y/o daughter was always wanting to nurse. Also, with my daughter, I breastfed and started my period in Feb. after her birth in Dec. So much for the break!! With my son, I started back after 4 months.

Well, I have had 9 kids, and breastfed them all exclusively, and I too started with my periods 6 to 8 weeks after each of them. For me that was normal. I have heard from a few women that they have had the same thing. and Yes your baby should still be eating that much, she is in a growth spurt phase, she will mellow out here is a little bit, but then she will have another one in a few months. Enjoy your little one, and unless you are wanting another child soon, I would back up with bc because the mini pill might not work for you. My kids are spaced about 12 -18 months apart- so i did get pregnant with them while bf- and the last one, i was tandem nursing 2- a 2 year old and a 9 month old. good luck :), S.- mom of 9

Lol, your post made me smile. Yes its normal that she eats that often. Babies arent like us and dont just eat to be eating. They eat when theyre hungry and dont eat when theyre not. If they start eating less for a few days, its because they arent hungry. Very rarely is it because something is wrong. Second of all, when I was breastfeeding I too thought "yay, no period for a while!" Not so =(
Its normal to start menstruation while youre breastfeeding, although from what I hear, most women dont. I guess we just happen to be the lucky ones, huh? Since you just had your kiddo 6.5 weeks ago it might be a good thing that youre on your cycle now. It gives you another week to heal. When I started being intimate again it still was very tender and sore down there. A 6 week healing period didnt do it for me! So just be very careful and I know being on your cycle makes you have to wait a bit longer but it will be worth it!! Good luck!

Yes, babies that age still need to nurse every 1.5-3 (absolute max during the day) hours. I'd recommend nursing every 2 hours during the day. You might find the more you nurse during the day the better she'll sleep at night.

Every woman is different. Some women start up their periods right away, while others might not have a period for over a year. The minipill could definitely have an effect on your cycle.

If she is latched on for that long...then yes, I think that's a little excessive and she probably doesn't have a good latch on (we had this with my first born). Both of my kids were big (first was 9.8 and second 10.65) The second one never did seem to stop eating...so yeah, sometimes that's just the way it is...but if you are breastfeeding the baby that much I caution you on burn out...I know I got aweful resentful after about the 4th month of it taking SOOO much time from my day...bonding or not.

As for my period...well I bled after both pregnancies for about 3 weeks. Then I immediately started having normal periods (even w/o the pill)... I haven't heard about women not having periods for 6 months unless they were on something like Depo which isn't advisable for breastfeeding. Sorry for the back luck.

I don't necessarily have any advice, just experience. I have had three children, my last was born this past November. With my second child, via c section, I breastfed exclusively w/no bc pills and, bled for 3 weeks after the birth, started a period when he was 6 weeks old and every 5 weeks after that. With the birth of my daughter in November, I bled severely for a couple of weeks after the c section but continued to spot for a whole month, and she was exclusively breastfed. I had finally had two weeks of relief when I went in for my postpartum and to have an IUD placed. I had sort of been spotting for 2 days so I thought I was starting a period when I went in. The dr said it was fine because the IUD would cause me to spot probably for a week and then I may have breakthrough bleeding between periods. When she was 8 weeks I quit breastfeeding completely due to unrelated complications. But, I have continued to spot and have a light pink colored mucus ever since the IUD. SO, my daughter is now almost 3 months old and I have still had no relief from stuff coming out. Not worried about intimacy, luckily, since my hubby is deployed right now. I don't know if this will help at all, but at least you will know you're not the only one. By the way, she still eats every 1.5 to 2 hours, 4 oz or less at a time now that she is bottle fed.

Sounds like my experience as well...

I was an exclusive breastfeeder and thought, 'Cool! 6 more months w/o periods'... wrong! I started the mini pill at 7 weeks post partum and almost immediately started bleeding. Happened for month two on the pill again, so I went off of it thinking my body was trying to get back on track on its own.

After talking to my Dr. it turns out break-through bleeding is common, especially if you don't take it exactly the same time every night (much more sensitive to timing than the other pills). I just decided to stay off of it for now.

Your intimacy will return (just a few more days... hang in there!) - enjoy the reconnection!

As for the feedings... Our 7-month old still nurses every 3-4 hours, 4-5 times/day. Your little one (or not-so-little one :) ) sounds like she's doing just fine.

Hope this helps,
J

I started my period at about 6 weeks the second time and around 8 weeks the 1st time, breastfeeding exclusively each time. As far as what is "normal" for the amoutn a baby eats, I think its different with each child. My second son wanted to eat a lot and hang around on the boob for liek an hour at a time. I felt like by the time he was done doing his thing it was time to feed him again! Check in with your Ped if you are concerned.

My daughter nursed about every 1 1/2 hours until she was about 2 months old. She was little pigger!!

Hi M.,

Congrats on your baby girl! I have three children, 4 1/2, 2 1/2 and 8 months. I nursed all of my kids and I am still nursing my 8 month old. I can tell you that each child is different with their feeding schedule. I can tell you that my son (8 month old) ate every 2 hours for 5 months! My girls were every 2-4 hours. Anyway, I think your baby is fine on that eating schedule, just be sure to take naps during the day! As for your period, I nursed exclusively with my first and never had a period until I stopped. Saddly I had to supplement with my second because of a surgery that I had and I did have a period. I KNOW just how you feel about the nice little surprise you just recieved! It STINKS!!!!! I am nursing my son exclusively now and I haven't been surprised yet with a period! My friend breast fed her son exclusively and she had a period around 6 weeks after having him! I think it all does come down to your hormones and body chemistry. It is not a wives tale that if you breast feed you won't have a period but that doesn't mean that you won't have one. Each woman is different. Also just because you don't have a period doesn't mean you can't get pregnant BUT it is not likely. The pecentage of getting pregnant without having a period is very close to the the percentage of getting pregnant while you are on birth control. You should go to the Le Leche League website.http://www.llli.org/ It has lots of wonderful information! I know that it stinks but it sounds like mother nature has blessed you once again! In the mean time enjoy that precious baby! Take care!

M.

Hi M.!

Congrats on the baby girl :) lactational amenorrhea (lack of period and fertility while breastfeeding) is NOT an old wives tale. It does happen - some women experience a lack of period and fertility for at least 6 months while exclusively breastfeeding. But this is very difficult to obtain because it requires you to be EXCLUSIVELY feeding on demand 24/7 - no pacifiers, pumping - all you. Of course a woman's unique body chemistry affects it as well, but if you do anything besides nurse (even offer solids at 4 months) you are increasing your chances of having your period back. I think the mini pill might have something to do with it too.

If you google Lactational Amenorrhea or search that phrase on the la leche league website you will learn a lot and hopefully it will clear up a lot of misunderstandings.

As far as your concern about how much she is eating - I agree with previous posters. Breastmilk is digested very easily so babies need to eat it more frequently than formula fed babies. Also, nursing is a source of comfort - they love to be as close to you as they were in the womb. Enjoy it - you will miss it when it is gone.

You are totally normal and so is your baby. My son is 18 and I still remember the first two months nursing him. He also was over 9 lbs. At 61/2 weeks I was getting ready to return to work so I really kept track of his schedule and tried to pump those extra ounces he would need. Many little ones hit a growth spurt/ appetite increase right around 6 weeks. He did and I was panicked that I wouldn't be able to keep up. He leveled off but never really stopped being a healthy nurser. As to your own cycle, no one follows the same pattern but it is not unusual to have a regular period and then lighter periods after that first one. Just don't use it as your only indicator for birth control. Since you are a health professional you probably know that but babies are so much more fun when they are spaced out so everyone is healthy. Good luck and enjoy that sweet girl.

Had my daughter 5 weeks ago. She is exclusively breastfed. Just started my period and have been spotting ever since I had her. She's my third, and it has been different with each one. I think I started early this time since I am soooo stressed. Have a new born on top of my two toddlers and my husband is laid off, so we are living off unemployment and food stamps.

Everyone's bodies are different, it's not that women who exclusively breastfeed WONT start til 6 months, it's just that they MIGHT not because it releases a hormone that can do that. But if your stressed or depressed or something, and your hormones aren't on balance, than it's different.

My girls both nursed every 2-3 hours until we stopped breastfeeding. Each baby is different. She will tell you when she is ready to eat. As long as she is on a good schedule, there is nothing to worry about. As for the period, it always took me a while to start again but that is just my body. I am currently about 8 weeks postpartum and still haven't started and am not breastfeeding. The whole idea that you will not have a period when you are nurses is one of the biggest old wives tells out there and it is TOTALLY false. You can start your period again at any time and it is not unheard of for women to get pregnant again before they even have a period thinking that they are safe. Sounds like your body just kicked out those hormones really fast and is trying to get back into its normal routine. Also, sometimes it takes a couple of months to get regular again even after you have your first period. So don't be suprised it you have one now but then don't have another one for a couple of months. A couple of months after you stop nursing, you should get back to regular if you haven't by then. Oh, and the mini pill won't necessarily stop your periods but it will usually make them lighter.

I don't think feeding her so much is a big deal she is hungry or needs to be soothed and your breast are her attachment.As far as breastfeeding and periods don't assume what one woman went through will happen to you because hormones for everyone are different.You may have started already just keep track of your bleeding of course how long heavy any clotting or if they become the size of a ping pong ball call your OB right away.I however after my 2 kiddos started my periods soon after the 6 week postpartum I didn't bleed much after having them it was like 21/2 weks or so maybe less and now on my 3rd due in March.Good Luck with baby!!The HAPPY Journey has just begun

Both my girls were 9lbs 15 oz and basically ate every 2-3 hours that young, except both started sleeping through the night by 6 weeks!! As long as the baby is gaining weight, it means she's getting enough food.
I got my period exactly 4 weeks after I delivered!! yeah for me :) I, too, started the pill and was breastfeeding or pumping, so it really just depends on the person!

I agree with everyone else. My soon to be three year old always ate ever 1.5 to 2 hours, especially at night. I went back to work part time when she was weeks old and even then, I pumped and nursed her. I also agree that the mini pill will affect your period. I also took it and had regular periods while nursing. Back to how often the baby eats, my doctor told me to stop breast feeding at 12 months. Simply because I was not sleeping. My little cuddlebug still insisted on nursing ever 1.5 to 2 hours at night. She was down to nursing in the morning before I went to work and 2 times in the evening, but wanted those nighttime feedings.

Enjoy it, nurse her as often as she wants, she will only be at this stage for a very short period of time. Cherish every moment.