Hi everyone. It seems my first postpartum period has arrived. Just wondering if this is normal as I didn't expect it to come this early since I have been breastfeeding for 9 months, and although baby has been on solids since 6 months he still breastfeeds 6-8 times a day. Thanks.
postpartum menstruation
- Thread starter bbc mom
- Start date
The average time for your periods to start again if you are still breastfeeding is between 13 and 15 months. But some mothers find that their periods return as early as three months and others as late as three years.
Often the return is associated with when your baby manages to go six hours without a feed, especially if these six hours are at night. I?ve known mothers get their periods again because the baby had jet lag and slept for over six hours even though he was only seven weeks old! And even though he didn?t again sleep through the night for months.
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) of contraception is only reliable for the first six months and then only if your periods haven?t started during this time.
Best wishes,
SARAH
Often the return is associated with when your baby manages to go six hours without a feed, especially if these six hours are at night. I?ve known mothers get their periods again because the baby had jet lag and slept for over six hours even though he was only seven weeks old! And even though he didn?t again sleep through the night for months.
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) of contraception is only reliable for the first six months and then only if your periods haven?t started during this time.
Best wishes,
SARAH
Thanks everyone for the info. I rather enjoyed being period-free for the last 18 months! I guess it take a few months for them to become regular again. On a good note, at least I can plan for baby no.2....perhaps next year if baby no.1 doesn't become too much of a handful!
Sandra & Evan
Registered User
FYI, I breastfed both of my children exclusively for six months, but both times, I got my period just 6 weeks after giving birth. And they came regularly every 4 weeks after that. I wish I could have been period-free for longer!
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method is a well documented form of contraception.
http://www.waba.org.my/specialpages/lam/lam.htm
There are some simple guidelines to using it:
1 Do not use if your baby is over six months.
2. Do not use if your periods have returned.
3. Do not use if you are not exclusively breastfeeding.
4. Do not use if the feeds are not at the breast.
The method is 98.8% safe – similar to the pill.
If your periods return before six months it is likely that your first period is an unfertile period and you should use it as a sign that you could get pregnant with the next one which is usually four weeks later.
If your first period is after six months there is a much higher likelihood that this first period will be fertile and it is possible to get pregnant without having a period. (I know lots of mothers who this has happened to and most have a 21 to 27 month gap between babies.)
If you are not directly breastfeeding for each feed but pumping and supplying expressed breast milk for some of the feeds then the method reduces its protection to about 75%.
Direct breastfeeding stimulates that breasts better than pumping and the hormone levels are much higher when you breastfeed than when you pump. The different hormone levels is usually the reason why mothers find long term pumping hard.
Best wishes,
SARAH
http://www.waba.org.my/specialpages/lam/lam.htm
There are some simple guidelines to using it:
1 Do not use if your baby is over six months.
2. Do not use if your periods have returned.
3. Do not use if you are not exclusively breastfeeding.
4. Do not use if the feeds are not at the breast.
The method is 98.8% safe – similar to the pill.
If your periods return before six months it is likely that your first period is an unfertile period and you should use it as a sign that you could get pregnant with the next one which is usually four weeks later.
If your first period is after six months there is a much higher likelihood that this first period will be fertile and it is possible to get pregnant without having a period. (I know lots of mothers who this has happened to and most have a 21 to 27 month gap between babies.)
If you are not directly breastfeeding for each feed but pumping and supplying expressed breast milk for some of the feeds then the method reduces its protection to about 75%.
Direct breastfeeding stimulates that breasts better than pumping and the hormone levels are much higher when you breastfeed than when you pump. The different hormone levels is usually the reason why mothers find long term pumping hard.
Best wishes,
SARAH
wandasmart
New member
my baby had been sleeping through the night for a long time probably when she was around 4 months and i ended up getting my period when she was just before 9months. i guess i'm lucky it lasted that long considering i didn't feed from 5pm (would feed bottle of expressed milk at 7-8pm and then b/pump at 10pm and at 6am)
well -- i guess i can start planning for #2 then.
well -- i guess i can start planning for #2 then.