My nighttime nursing has decreased for my infant. He was going through a time where he would rather sleep than eat. With this, my period has come back. If his night time nursing increases, is it possible for my menstruation to stop? Or is what's done... done? Thanks!
WHen my daughter started sleeping through the night at 3 months, it came back. When She quit sleeping through the night at 4 months, it stayed. What can I say?
It is slightly possible to keep your period at bay, but it's highly unlikely.
In my experience, with 3 kids, what's done is done. It varied for me with each baby. With one, my period came back after about 3 months, with the next it was 7 months, and I was pregnant after 9 months and my youngest is 9 months now and I still haven't got one yet. You can talk to your OB-GYN about it. An IUD usually keeps you from getting them too.
L., the days of no menstruation cycles are back to stay from my experience. With both my children (a little longer with my first) it took a year for my cycle to start again and that is because I have read that nursing helps to deter your period but your hormones also play a factor.
J.
When my daughter was 10 months old, I had to go away on business for 5 days, during which time I had to share a room with a woman who had her period. Guess I don't need to tell you what happened next. However, when I returned home and resumed nursing, it went away for another two months. It came back when she was a year and started drinking whole milk, but because I still nurse her in the morning and evening, it is still really irregular and light (she's 18 mo. old now). I used to be very regular (to the day) and now I don't know when it's coming. To each her own I guess :)
Nursing doesn't always prevent your period from returning. With my 3 kids, I nursed until they were at least a year old, but my period always returned when they were 6-9 months of age. And even though your period may not have returned, you could still be ovulating and could very easily get pregnant, so if you don't want to have another child right away, use some form of birth control. My Mom told me this when I had my first child, as she was nursing me that 'Mom myth' that nursing mom's don't get pregnant backfired, as my brother was born 13 months after I was born, she got pregnant when I was 3 to 4 months old and nursing full time. As your baby's night time demand as decreased, his daytime consumption should increase until you start feeding solid foods and then it will decrease some as he's getting some caloriers other places. As he grows the demand will increase again. Enjoy each moment!!!
Hi L.,
When my daughter was about 2 months old she started sleeping through the night and I got my period... I thought for sure that the period was back for good! However, I haven't had another one since and my daughter is now 8 months old. I don't know if my body just got used to her not eating at night and adjusted or it was hormones and now they've balanced or what. But, just letting you know that there could be hope for more days of no period!!
Hello, my name is T.. I'm a mom of twin 7 month old girls. By the time the girls were 3 months old they were sleeping through the night and had a bedtime. They would wake up once after I put them to bed to feed. But when they slept through the night more and more they didn't need to feed. Yeah, my breasts would be huge by the next morning but that is normal. I think that your infant is just ready to sleep more and eat less at night. And you definitely would want that. That means more sleep for you and your baby. I don't know about the menstrual cycle during nursing, I'm on birth control and don't get periods because it has high contents of progesterone hormone in it. I take Micronar and its gentle for moms who breast feed. You could look into getting that for yourself if you don't want to have your period.
Yes, it is possible as long as you're nursing in frequent intervals during the daytime as well as avoiding supplementation and over using solid foods. To understand more about this process of BF infertility and return of menses, I highly recommend the book Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley. Another great one for fertility in general is called Taking Charge of your Fertility.
I'm pretty sure that once it comes back that it's done. However, it might not be very regular for a while. Some people get their periods back at 5 months anyway, so it's hard to say what would have happened.
I think it might be impossible to predict this because I got my period back 8 weeks post partum both times even though I was exlusively breastfeeding (a lot...I had almost 10 lb babies and they feed constantly it seemed to especially the first one when my milk system wasn't as well in place). When I asked the doctor why I got it back so early (I had heard that people usually don't), he answered, "everyone is different, and your hormones are just stronger than average". I asked around too to other doctors and got pretty much the same answer.
My experience is the opposite. What's done is NOT done:) I have had a period every time my daughter decreased nursing,when she was nursing full time, which has been about six times in her first two years of life. Now she is two 1/2 and I haven't nursed regularly in over 6 months, and my period has not been around for that time either. I think it is due to that I am still producing milk, even though it's just a little. I also think my brain is sending my body messages too, cause I think about still being able to nurse her in case we go through some kind of great depression again:) I think you will just have to wait and see how your body works through the hormone fluctuation:)
Sad to say in my experience what's done is done. Sorry it was nice while it lasted huh!
This just happened to me too. My LO stopped nursing as much at night, down to two, maybe three nursings, and my period came back too! However, what's done is done. I wondered the same thing. Abra is right, it may not be as regular as it once was, but, barring the use of some kind of hormone, your period is back.
L. W. your menstruation has began once again because your body is on it's way to healing, yes, they will continue to go on each month again as normal,just note that if he wants to go back to nursing again the cycle may slow down to spotting or it may stay as a small amount, some woman I know have it heavier,it is different for all woman. Do not worry you'll do just fine and be okay. Just remember what you eat baby eats while you nurse so be good to him not to eat spicy,pepperish,foods. Have fun they grow up quick,
S. L. Vancouver, Wa.
