Period NOT back???

[mamadelbosque]

So... I'm kinda worried/freaked out here. My period came back (or seemed to) 8 wks (to the day) after DS2 was born... and its now overdue. Granted before I got pregnant with DS1 (3+ yrs ago) it was extremely erradic and impossible to predict, but after it came back (9 months pp) it was super regular - every 4 wks like clock work... and now, its 3 days over due. And I feel no signs of it come back. DH & I have dtd a few times, but always with condoms & not when I (should) have been fertile anyways... But, nonethe less I'm somewhat freaked out. We had NO plans for another and certainly not this soon!! So... has anyone had one period (or period-like thing?) and then not had anohter?? Is that possible when your not pregnant but breast feeding???

[Abraisme]

My period totally changed after DS. It went from 45 days to 33 days. It's possible that your cycle has just changed again to be slightly longer. Breastfeeding hormones can change all sorts of things.. If you're still worried, take a test! The dollar store sells them for $1 and they're just as accurate as a more $$ test. Good luck!

[texaspeach]

I'm not there yet, but I've read that it is very common to have anovulatory cycles while bfing. Anovulatory cycles are usually longer because you're waiting for the lining to build up enough to shed off instead of having ovulation/progesterone drop to chemically trigger the lining to shed (hope that makes sense).

[redpajama]

I apprentice with a midwife, and a lot of our clients have this little bleeding episode right around 8 weeks. I've heard her tell more than one of them that she's not entirely sure *why* this happens, only that it's quite common. It's possible that what you experienced was not, in fact, a period. After my first son was born, I thought I might have started my period at about 8 weeks, but then went on not to *actually* start my period until he was nearly 11 months old.

That said, if you *don't* want another pregnancy right away, it would be wise to use some other form of birth control (rather than relying on breastfeeding--although, if you really don't want to be pregnant, I think another form of birth control is *always* a good idea).

My guess is that that wasn't your period--but I suppose you'll only know for sure retrospectively.

[mamadelbosque]

Hmm well redpajama that makes me feel better. I suppose I'll maybe just have to go buy a cheapy pregnancy test to allay my fears, but good to know that this is not unheard of...

[adoremybabe]

Originally Posted by redpajama

I apprentice with a midwife, and a lot of our clients have this little bleeding episode right around 8 weeks. I've heard her tell more than one of them that she's not entirely sure *why* this happens, only that it's quite common. It's possible that what you experienced was not, in fact, a period. After my first son was born, I thought I might have started my period at about 8 weeks, but then went on not to *actually* start my period until he was nearly 11 months old.

That said, if you *don't* want another pregnancy right away, it would be wise to use some other form of birth control (rather than relying on breastfeeding--although, if you really don't want to be pregnant, I think another form of birth control is *always* a good idea).

My guess is that that wasn't your period--but I suppose you'll only know for sure retrospectively.

Would it be within normal range for this to happen at 9 or 10 weeks PP? I have been having something that more closely resembles PP bleeding for the past several days. My previous PP bleeding stopped at 6.5 weeks.

????

[wombatclay]

My cycles are all over the place, but I've found that breastfeeding has a huge impact... a growth spurt with cluster feeds throws my cycle for a loop, even a year or so postpartum. But given my irregular cycles I usually have a box of dollar store pregnancy tests in my underwear drawer. Just for peace of mind, you know?

[adoremybabe]

It can be really frustrating. The only method of "birth control" that DH and I use is NFP/FAM for religious reasons. So when things are this unpredictable it's very difficult in the personal area of marriage. Getting pregnant would not be the end of the world at this point but it would be a difficult thing for me to get used to at this point in time.

I suppose that I'll have to go get a box of dollar store test for that peace of mind that you mentioned Wombat.

[Talula Fairie]

It can totally be irregular, even if it was regular in the past after having your baby.

Mine took months to regulate after it started, both times. I assume this time will be the same.