Menstrual Cycle While Breastfeeding

my period started when I introduced solids, at about 6 months. it is very irregular still, but it hasn't seemed to impact my supply at all. I have noticed that my daughter will get cranky, about a week before my period starts, but I don't know if that is because I am crankier, or whatever.
good luck and great work with breastfeeding!
R.

Hi, L.. I was also under the impression that while breastfeeding I wouldn't have my menstruation. But, after I had my kids (I have 2) I got my period. I had mine after 2 months. Don't worry - your milk supply will not be affected. Well, mine was not! I breastfed my first one for 2 years - and then, my second daughter is already 6 months and I am still breastfeeding. My milk supply is still good! Good luck!

Hi L.,

My name is H. and I am a board certified lactation consultant. I don't know what kind of information you have received. I just wanted to give you a professional point of view.
Just a little back ground about me. I have 4 girls, they are 10,13,14,16. Lets just say lots of estrogen in our house. I have taught women how to breastfeed for about 15 years. Not all successful but it depends on the reasons. I have over 5 years of personal breastfeeding. Enough about me. Lets get some of your questions answered.
When should I get my period if I am breastfeeding. The answer can be as late as 6 months but it depends on an individuals circumstances.
If you are exclusively breastfeeding, no bottles, no supplements, no pacifier usage, the baby doesn't suck on his/her thumb. No cereal, fruit, veggies, no juice, no water, NOTHING OTHER THAN BREASTMILK. oh, yeah! Taking oral birth control can throw your hormones a loop and this can also effect when you will get a period.
If supplements have been introduced all that needs to be determined are ..... is it necessary, it is recommended, who is recommending and any other reasons. I am able to answer other questions as you feel comfortable.
You may be getting ready for a miny period. Your milk supply may temporarily decrease but no concerns it will readjust as soon as you stop bleeding. Increasing your supply by frequently nursing or cluster feeds. Make sure you are drinking enough. We tend to retain fluid during our cycle. Some Tylenol or motrin is fine to take. If you are feeling swelling get something to drink. Its your bodies way of keeping us hydrated. We don't always know what symptoms to look for. I would avoid pamprin or generic type. If you would like to take this instead, recontact me and I can look it up and get information from a drug hot line in New York. They are the only University that actually research drugs and breastfeeding. I don't like to get my information from book, its often past dated. NO ASPIRIN, THINS YOUR BLOOD AND INCREASES BLOOD FLOW. ALSO NOT RECOMMENDED TO TAKE WHILE BREASTFEEDING BECAUSE OF THE CHANCE OF RYE SYNDROME.

Last but not least. Your due for another posiible anoying phase of breastfeeding. It is not unusual for a baby to easily get distracted while breastfeeding. You may start feedinga nd your baby may pop off to smile at you, look at the dog, tv, ect. Sounds cute, I know. But if your child decides its not going to release your nipple and takes it with them in what ever direction they are looking in. Do not let this happen. Even if your baby does not have any teeth, it still can cause damage to the nipple. try to slide your finger in the corner of the mouth and break the suction. If this does not work, then push the baby in toward the breast. This will block the nose and cause the baby to open the mouth to get a breath. Instant release. No damage. Any problems with biting, just give me jingle. Also around three months of age the bowel movements patternas may change. Some babies only go once a week, what out when they do go you will want a change of clothing. As long as your baby is ahving 1 explosive bowel movent a week, then she/he is not constipated. They are just digesting more of the breastmilk, having less waste products available. It should still be very loose if exclusively breastfeeding.
Thats about all I can think of but if you ahve any other question just write me back.
Keep up the Great work. Wether you are exclusively or supplementing while breastfeeding. Its all wonderful. You are providing your child something nobody else can. When you are ready to wean give me a jingle and we talk about some suggestions. My breastfeeding hotline number is ###-###-####.

H. Bushy
IBCLC

Also do not use your return or lack of your period as a form of birth control. Some women ovulate before the bleeding starts and end up pregnant without ever getting a period. Any supplements that I mentioned earlier also stand as a recommendation for lactational amenorrhea (or lack of period, lack of ovulation). Even if your baby is exclusively breastfeeding but uses a pacifier, you can get pregnant.

With each child it is diferent. With my daughter I bleed for 8 weeks after having her. Then I did not have a period untill she was 10 and a half months old. With my son I only bleed for 6 weeks then stoped. I had a period that started on new years eve after having him in Oct. But then did not have another period untill he was 18 months old. Now with my second daughter it looks like I might bleed an even shorter time after having her so we will have to wait and see what happens. The good thing is that my milk supply was never affected. Both of my older children nursed untill they were 21 months old with no problems. I hope this info. helps you .

After my first baby my doctor advised me that I "probably" won't get my period back until I'm done breastfeeding. I wasn't one of the lucky ones - it started at 2 months. I breastfed him until 1 year so there was no effect on my supply. With my second baby, he was only 5 weeks & I started AND it was coming every 2 weeks, heavy bleeding, cramps & all - ugh! Again, no effect on milk supply, just inconvenient. So every body is different.

Just remember, with or without your period you CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding!

I nursed my daughter, now two, for the first year. My period came back when she was about three months old. I didn't have any problems with my milk supply. But I did consult a lactitionist about this issue also. She said if you are really worried about it, just make sure to pump out the ramaining milk after feeding to ensure your milk supply. Your body will only make enough to sustain your childs feedings. So it is good to pump your remaining supply, you can put this in the deep freeze for up to six months. Pumping your remaining milk gives you a good supply in the freezer and also helps sustain production. This is good becuase, as your child gets older her appatite is going to increase. You can also leave your pumped milk with the sitter for when you're at work. Good luck!

I have a four month old little girl that I am breasfeeding and I just started my cycle two days ago. Woo Hoo, lucky me. I was told not to rely on breasfeeding preventing your cycle. I guess alot of women do and end up preggo! Yikes! It is normal and my supply seems relatively same. Good luck.

I started my period when my son was about 4 1/2 months old. My milk supply remained the same. I noticed that when I breastfed less my period came, it was very small, and when I breastfed alot, it would skip a month. My son is now 8 1/2 months and I quit breastfeeding two weeks ago and I have only had 3 periods since he was 4 1/2 months old. I am now finally back to normal:-) but hate having my period:-( Don't worry, I think that your mild supply will be fine, just don't cut back on breastfeeding or it will lessen. Good Luck

With both of my children, I exclusively breastfed them until they were at least 12 months old. I started my period with both of them when they were 5 weeks old. With my first born, I breastfed him until the day my daughter was born, 2 years and 3 months after his birth. I breastfed my daughter until she was 4 years old. Breastfeeding didn't change my menstrual cycle at all. Everyone is different and I guess we are just the "lucky" ones!!

S.

Hi L.,
I am a grandma now, but I breastfed both of my boys and unfortunately my periods came 4 wks after each. I had no problem, huge milk supply and it did not make a difference. I agree the break would have been nice but enjoy your breastfeeding experience.
~L.~

I breast fed my son up to 2 1/2. My period started after about 18 months. It didn't effect my milk supply. I'm pretty sure that everyone is different with this and starting your period would be pretty normal. I just got lucky.

Each person is different. I still had a period while being pregnant with both my girls. So b glad u had a break. and no it don't slow down the flow of milk. Ur period is basically a way of ur body cleansing its self of bacteria and othr junk.

It took mine almost a year, but it is not uncommon for it to return at anytime. Are you supplementing your nursing with formula, water or other foods? You should ONLY breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months. If your body thinks it is weening (trigured by implementing other food sources), the body will begin to go back to normal, thus the period startiing again. After 6 months, you may introduce others foods. I didn't with my baby...I let him sort of show interest in foods that I was eating, before he tried other things. I also still nurse him and he is 32 months and I am about 4 months pregnant.

Hope this helps spme!

S.

Ha, ha, No cylcle while breastfeeding??? I Never had that luxury! The month after I gave birth to all my three children I had my period and I breastfed all. First one for 2 years, second for 7 months untill he was hospitalized for 2 weeks in the unsupportive hospital and the third one 3 years. All those years I never went without! It's not fair.

Hi L.

I got mine's back at 8.5 mo some women get there's sooner some later. For the most part it's regular. Also some women do have a slight dip just before the period comes.

If you're interested there is a book called:
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler to help understand your body more.

With my first kid, I didn't get my period until she was about 9 months. I did dry up shortly thereafter, but I'm not sure if it was due to the period or because I got lazy about pumping while I was at work. My boy is now 5 months, and I'm still going strong with milk supply and no sign of period yet. I think the timing of when your period returns is probably as different as each person, so it might be hard to gauge.

It varies. I have four kids and it was different each time. With my last, my period came back 3 months after birth and I breast fed for 30 months. With TONS of milk. :0) Don't worry! It will not effect your nursing at all.

with both my breast fed children my period returned right at around 5-6 weeks post partum. I have noticed a small drop in my milk supply while on my period but it returns to full force when the period is over. Hope that helps.

I breastfed my daughter for 15 months and I was also under the impression my period wouldn't start until I quit. However, it began about 6 months after she was born. I was also solely breastfeeding her without any supplementation (except for the first 4 weeks due to jaundice). Sorry if you do start up again early! It is a nice break for most breastfeeding mothers!

With my first I got my period back around 18mos (breastfed past 2 years) with my second I got it back around 6mos (breastfed past two years). It is different with everyone. Getting your period back does not mean your milk supply will go away. Your milk will stay as long as your child nurses. I've been nursing almost 2.5 years since getting my period back.

Keep on nursing! Just know that nursing is not birth control (I'm sure you knew that, but just in case you didn't) (-:

You may even get what seems like your period and then it doesn't come back the next month or next few months.

Congrats on your new baby!
M.

Some women start their menses while breast feeding and some women don't. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't and I have four sons. I breast fed my youngest for about 18 months and even when I introuduced food around 11 or 12 months I still didn't start my period. It should not affect your milk supply significantly. Be sure you eat a healthy diet and drink lots of water to help with your milk production. Are you taking oral contraceptives? If so that would undoubtedly make you start your period. Many women start taking OCP's after their 6 week post partum checkup.

With both kids, I started my period at 9 months and 13 months, respectively. I didn't notice any drop in milk production on either, as long as I was stimulating my production enough.
Nursing doesn't prevent the body from ovulating, but the break sure was nice!
Just keep nursing, there aren't any problems.

My period didn't come back until my son was 16 months old - I nursed until he was 19 months and weaned himself. But I have had friends who started again in four months, nine months... it's a different time for everyone. Those friends whose cycle started again just months after giving birth still nursed successfully for over a year, so don't worry about that. As long as you are drinking lots of water and nursing all day - don't supplement with formula - your supply should stay up to par :) Good luck, and enjoy this short time with your baby!

Hi L.,

Well, i got my period after my second when he was just 6 weeks..big bummer. But it had no effect on my milk supply. I just seemed to have very extreme pms for a few months.

Hi L.,

Every woman varies. It's not a problem to have your period while you are nursing. It doesn't change your milk supply. It's also not true that you "can't get pregnant while you are nursing".

My son is 6 months and I am just now getting my first real period. I have had spotting here and there but never this full on. And the hormones and PMS that are associated with this one.... WHEW! I had to apologize to my husband earlier today for my recent attitude. I think it's making up for some lost time. :) Poor guy. But honestly, every person is different. So if you have concerns that aren't answered here, don't be afraid to contact your Dr and ask.

I had a period at three months, then four months, then nothing until I stopped breastfeeding. Go figure! I don't think it affected my milk supply.

I breastfed my son until he was 8 months old and he started to self wean. I actually didn't get my period until 2 weeks after he stopped nursing. I wouldn't worry about your milk supply even if your period does come since it's all about demand and supply. As long as your baby is nursing at least 4 times a day, I'd say your supply should remain steady. Don't forget to keep drinking a lot of water and never skip any meals!

It sounds like everyone has had a different range of time. I am currently breastfedding my 11 month old son and have still not yet had a period. I did have a couple times where I thought it might be coming (slight cramps and bloated feelings) but that went away quickly and no period ever came. I think it is different for every woman. Enjoy your new baby!!!

My baby is 4 months and i just got it. i spotted when she was 3 months. dont know about he milk supply yet because this just happened.
no worries.

Breastfeeding effects everyone's body different. Whether you are having a noticeable cycle or not, if not having babies close together is a concern, practice a form of birth control(condom) is best because it doesn't add chemicals/hormones into your/baby's system. Becoming pregnant again will have more effect on your milk production than your cycle. Just remember to drink plenty of water to help with milk production. Enjoy this time, it is over too quickly.

Hi L.,
I breastfed my son until he was 15 months and i got my first period when i started weaning him, so 15months. I remember spotting a little bit when he was 12months old but no period. Then i was pregnant the next month so i only had one period. lol
Now i have a 7 month old and i have not gotten my period yet.
I am not sure about the milk supply since i never got one while breastfeeding. But my good friend got her period and was breastfeeding and her milk supply was just fine. Her breasts got tender but still enough milk for her baby.
Hope that helps!

I got mine back at 3 months, it didn't affect my milk supply at all.

i don't know when my period came back but it was for sure while i was nursing and the milk supply was just fine, no slow down, no problem.

Yes, L., I fully breast-fed my babies but had my menstrual cycles all the way thru my nursing of my babies. In fact, I had to stop nursing my first one when he was 11 months old because I was so large and pregnant that I had no lap to hold him on when I nursed him. I had plenty of milk and all else was normal. We are just talented. C. D

My son is 7 1/2 months old and I started my period yesterday! I am still breastfeeding but I was worried about the same thing, I didn't want my milk to dry up. I haven't noticed a difference yet. I have a freid with a 13 month old who is still breastfeeding and she got her period around the same time I did. So hopefully we are both safe from drying up, time will tell.

I guess it's different for everyone. There is no general rule for the return of the period. I got my first period exactly 40 days after I delivered and have been having regular monthly periods since then. I have been breastfeeding my baby since day one (he is 9.5 months now) and am quite sure my having periods has not interefered with my lactation. Hopefully that is the same for you too. Good luck!

Mine came back when my son was about two and a half months old and I continued breastfeeding until he was 15 months old without a problem. It stinks that it comes back so early in some women, but it doesn't have to cause a problem when breastfeeding.

L.,

It is different for everyone. Some people get their period back really early and some not until they wean entirely. I breastfed my first child until he was 2 and my second to 18 months. I got my period back with both of them at 4 months postapartum. I work full time and I've pumped a bunch with both of them (no formula with either of them). I did notice a supply drop for a couple of days around my period but I just kept nursing and pumping and it always rebounded. My Ob told me that you can ovulate at least once before you get your period back so she doesn't recommend depending on nursing as birth control unless you don't care if you get pregnant. She also said that ANY supplements - water, formula, solid foods and any long periods away from baby increase the risk of your fertility (and periods) returning. Having your baby sleep through the night also increases your likelihood of your period coming back. I'm on a yahoo group called PumpMoms and have been since my oldest (now 4.5) was an infant. This topic has come up many times and some women get their period back really quickly no matter what they do and some are 2 years postpartum, still nursing just once a day and still don't get it back until months after they wean entirely. There is an amazingly huge range of "normal."

I would have loved to have had my period stay away longer also.

:-)T.

I got my period when my daughter was 3 months, after going back to work full time but exclusively breastfeeding. When I was pumping, I noticed a slight difference in milk supply at certain times during the month. But I was told not to worry because pumping is a lot different than feeding your baby at the breast. She'll get what she needs. I'm 4 months pregnant now and I'm still able to breastfeed my daughter once a day. If you're really concerned, try drinking Mothers Milk tea, which is what I did when I was exclusively breastfeeding. Good luck!

From what I've read, most women don't have a menstrual cycle that early on while breastfeeding, but that it is normal and can happen at any time. Mine came back at 10 months and we were still breastfeeding. My supply was already decreasing due to dd eating more solids by that time, so I don't know if that will be a problem for you.

-M.

My menstrual cycle returned while I was breastfeeding. I believe my son was about 3 1/2 months old. I had returned to work full-time. Even though I was pumping 3 times a day at work, my body must have responded to the change. For me, my milk supply would decline for a day before my period and then during the first couple days of my period. However, I may not be typical as it was always difficult for me to produce more than necessary. I mean, my son was always well fed, but it was a struggle for us from day 1.

It was 2 or 3 months after my delivery that my menstrual cycle (MC) returns. I was not one of those lucky ones where you don't have your MC while breastfeeding. Don't worry about the milk supply though. It does not end your supply. My son is 7 months now and I am still breastfeeding.

Hi! I exclusively breast-fed both my daughters. With my first daughter, I didn't get my period back until she was 13-14 months old. I still continued to feed her 1-2 times a day until she was 18 months. With my second daughter, I had one "random" period when she was 8 months old, and haven't had it again since. She's now 10 1/2 months and still breastfeeding 4 times a day. Yes, I'm enjoying the break from the monthly cycle, too!!

Hi! I have a 15 month old, who I am trying to wean because I did start my period a month ago, and my milk supply seemed to slow as well. This is my 4th child and the only one that I breast fed for this long. With all my other kids, I nursed them and as soon as they stopped on their own, I had a period...now this time, the period came, milk slowed and I cant get her off..... Also... I ALWAYS got pregnant as soon as I stopped nursing, like the following month, maybe thats why I keep letting her.....:)

My experience was ...
I nursed for 13 months, got my period back after only 5 months. I was bummed too. My milk supply didn't dwindle, but my daughter was eating some cereal at that point.
PS You can still get pregnant while nursing too!!

Hi L., I am still breast feeding my seven month boy. My period just came back for the first time two weeks ago (a week before he turned seven months). My doctor said that that is the common time period for it to come back but can vary from woman to woman if you are breast feeding. I haven't noticed any difference in my milk supply - still abundant as ever. Hope that helps.

HI!
I have a 9 week old baby and at exactly 8 weeks post partum I got my period.
It was no change in my milk!

I started having my period again when my daughter was 3 months old (exactly a year after I stopped having it.) I was a little disappointed because I too had enjoyed the break from it and had been breast feeding and thought it wouldn't start again until I was finished breast feeding. My daughter is now 8 months old and I have continued to breast feed. I didn't notice a change in my milk flow, everything seemed to stay the same. I have friends that didn't get their periods until they were done breast feeding, lucky them.

Dear L. B, I had my third child, my beautiful daughter when I was 41. I breastfed her until she was 11 months. I stopped just because my cycle started at the 11 month mark. I enjoyed the break too, but it was very uncomfortable and something I did NOT want to continue. However, the milk supply was still there and flowing! I am now 53 and my daughter is 12 years old, and my period is trying to stop because I am going through menopause and hers is trying to start!! This is quite an experience. I am just repeating history..my Mom had me when she was 39 and I remember her going through the same thing, because I started my period when I was 10 years old and she was 50. Trust your instincts. If you are not comfortable with it, you be the judge of how YOUR body feels!!! Good luck, and take care. C. W

It's a misconception that you will not get your period while breastfeeding. My period came at about 6 weeks postpartum and I breastfed until my son was 14.5 months old. If you feel like your supply is decreasing when you get your period just pump to increase your supply. And as your daughter gets older she will demand more milk so she will continue to increase your supply as well. I hope this helps.

mine came back around 7 weeks and totally freaked me out, because i also thought i wouldn't get it during breast feeding. the good news is, it didn't affect my milk production at all. in fact, the "period" was more like spotting, but a little heavier. it lasted only 24 hours, and i just wore maxi pads; there wasn't even enough to put in a tampon.

I breastfed and my period returned soon after. Just be careful about certain forms of birth control, I got the shot and bled for the three plus months it was in my system. Your body's hormones are really crazy right now.
As far as milk supply it was unaffected by my crazy hormones. The only thing that ever effected my milk supply was my son and his changing demands because of growth spurts (that eight week growth spurt did hurt).

I am breastfeeding my 5th child, now 10 months old. I have been getting my periods since she was about 6 months old. My milk was really in good supply when I started having my periods again. Slow down has never been an issue. I started getting my periods at different points with each child. I breast feed my 3rd child and got pregnant with my fourth. WE fixed that issue as well this time. You can talk to a lactation consultant at the local hospital (or your doctor) if you start to experience any issues.
Good Luck

My experience has been that when nursing decreased (due to my child being sick or something) I got my period but it went away for a while when nursing returned to normal. It also returned at some point in the weaning process and was irregular until I finished nursing.

DO NOT count on nursing as your birth control!!! You won't know until after you've been furtile.

I started one month after my son was born and I am breastfeeding. My milk is plentiful.

I did get my menstral cycle while breast feeding. This happened to me when my son was about 6 months old. The good news is that for me it did not change my milk supply at all. I think that my period started when I stopped feading him every two to three hours and went to every three to four hours. I still have plenty of milk, and he still eats like crazy. I hope that this will be the same for you.
H. B

Every body is different, but my periods didn't come back for 1 year after my 1st baby & a 1.5 years after my 2nd & 3rd ones. But I was with my babies all the time & tandem nursed them, so that I was nursing ALOT. Also, I didn't use ANY formula, I work from home, so I was able to re-arrange my schedule so that I was almost always with them & if I was going to be away, I pumped & my husband gave them expressed milk. I didn't give them cereal or other foods until they were each at least 6 months old, either. You have to be nursing EXCLUSIVELY (no cereal, no formula--EVER) to surpress your period, and since you will ovulate BEFORE you see any blood, you might want to use some form of birth control, unless you want another baby fast.

It seems that the age of the mother has something to do with how fast the periods come back, too. I've noticed from random playground conversations that the younger moms get their periods back a couple of months sooner, even when exclusively breastfeeding.

Milk production seems to be about eating healty & resting when possible, & nursing on demand, good luck!

I have two sons and have breastfed them both. I started my period right at six weeks with the first son and I still have not had a period at six months with the second son! I am knocking on wood right now because I really enjoy not having to deal with it yet! If you have concerns (I did) talk to your doctor. My doctor told me to enjoy it, nothing was wrong. Good luck!

I've been bf for almost 5 months and have not gotten my period yet so I'm not sure about how milk supply is affected. Here's an interesting resource I found on ecological breastfeeding (if you haven't already heard of it) and how it affects amenorrhea (absence of periods): http://www.naturalfamilyplanningandmore.org/Chapter4_V2.pdf. Good luck :)

With my first child my period came back after a couple months. It didn't seem to bother my milk supply. What did seem to slow it down is if I drank to much soda and not enough water. Though they say that if you breastfeed your period wont be as bad as that used to be. I never really noticed a difference. I talked to my doctor about it and they said that if your breastfeeding on an every two hour or less schedule that your period may not come back till after it becomes a longer period of time. I hope this helps..

Some women have normal menstrual cycles while breastfeeding and some don't. I was one of the "lucky" ones who finally got my period 1 month before I stopped breastfeeding and I nursed for 19 months! You've got to be careful, though. Women use this "lapse" as birth control and they end up pregnant with a newborn. Good luck.

L.,

My son was 10 months old when my period returned while breastfeeding and my daughter was 9 months old when mine returned. My period is still not regular and I am still nursing my 14 month old. It will fix itself once you're done nursing. It depends on your body and how much your nursing and whether you supplement formula also. I wouldn't be concerned about it. I know it is very nice now to get your period and to get a break.

L.

I had my cycle while breastfeeding. I know many women who became pregnant while breastfeeding and didn't know it because they never got their period from one child to the next. One found out when she was 5 months pregnant...that was quite the shock. She just throught she was tired because of the new baby. I think the little one was around 6 months when she became pregnant with the second one. So yes, it can and does happen.