When Will I Get My Period

Aleisha,

I breastfed my daughter for 1 year and while I was doing that I was taking special birth control pills for breastfeeding. After I stopped breastfeeding, I still did not have my period for about 3 months so I called my doctor. She told me that I needed to tell her when I stopped breastfeeding so that they could switch my birth control pills back to the normal ones. After they switched my pills then my period started back again. I have a friend who had a baby the same time I did and she started her period while she was still breastfeeding but she was not taking any birth control pills.

Aleisha,
I am still breastfeeding my 15 month old twice a day. I didn't get my period until she was around 12 months. My first daughter I got my period back at 9 months and got pregnant the first time! I hope that helps a bit. I believe that it depends on how many times a day you are nursing.
M.

Your period will only happen if you ovulate (a mature egg leaves the ovaries, traveling down the fallopian tube and into the uterus ready to be fertilized - your period happens when fertilization does not). You will only ovulate once enough hormones have built up in your system to make the egg mature and leave the ovary. Breastfeeding keeps the hormones that make this happen reduced. In most women, once you regularly go 4 or more hours without breastfeeding (even it if only happens once a day or night), you'll build up enough hormones to ovulate.

This is nature's contraception because nature doesn't want you to have another baby sooner than you or the baby you already have can handle it.

Please keep in mind that it is absolutely possible to get pregnant before you have your first period again (you ovulate first, then the period).

If you have more questions, you can get information at www.breastfeeding.com or www.lalecheleague.org (there is a list of Le Leche League chapters on the website and if you haven't yet, I recommend attending a support group meeting - they are run by other breastfeeding moms who are very educated on breastfeeding).

Best Wishes!
J.

I breastfed my daughter until she was about 7 months and my period returned at about 5 months. Even though it was irregular for awhile.

Some people will say that your period will return after you go for extended periods of time (like through the night) without nursing. My daughter was sleeping through the night (7pm-7am) at 6 weeks old so it obviously took quite awhile after I stopped nursing 'round the clock.

Everyone's different so it may be a couple months before OR after he is weaned.

Aleisha,

While everyone is different, I did not get a period again for several months after complete weaning. I nursed both my boys until they were +/- 2 years old. I enjoyed the break. I have known friends, though, who had a period even when breastfeeding full-time and their baby was only a few months old. So, it just depends.

Best wishes,
K.

so let me get this straight you havent had a period for 9 months and you just now noticed you should?..lol Did you not think to ask your Ob after you had your son ..ok ok serioously hun you should have gotten your period bacfk in about 6-8 weeks after you had your son. Are you on birth control or any other medicfation that could stop your period? I would call your dr and maybe something else is going on?

C.

After I stopped nursing, it took about 4-5 months to get my period back. I am sure everyone is different, but I have always been pretty regular and on a schedule. Shouldn't be too long!

K. C.

I nursed my 1st for a year and got my period back after 4 months(which was when I introduced solids to him). I nursed my 2nd for a year and got my period when she was 1 month old. Same with my 3rd. I nursed her for a year (she was born in April) and 1 month later, in May, I got my period. With both the last children, I was nursing on demand and not supplementing at all. You just never know. I've heard of people not getting their period until long after they quit nursing. Hope this helps! K.

Hi Aleisha,
I'm nursing my second now, who is almost 10 months and I haven't started my period yet. With my first, I started when she was about 9 months old. WIth my first, I was supplementing a lot more with formula bottles and I assume that was why I started earlier than I have this time. I hope this helps. :)

I started weaning my baby in June. By the end of July we were down just to a bedtime feeding. My period came back end of August. Also, be prepared because it is a little sad when it happens or maybe I'm just emotional. :)

FWIW my son's a year old and i still haven't had mine. We're still nursing, but I work 5 hour shifts without expressing milk and I'm horrible about remembering to take birth control. It's different for everyone.

In addition to breastfeeding.com and the LLL site, you can check out www.kellymom.com

This varies for everyone. I am still breast feeding my almost 14 month old. I've had 3 cycles...2 of which were back to back, after the 2nd one, I didn't have another one for 5 more months. I'm now awaiting to see if I have another one this month or not. So there is no real "normal" guidelines to go by. It just depends on your body.