How long until return of menstruation?

[fireHC11]

How long until your period returned? If you have multiple children, mark all that apply.

Thanks, mamas!

If more than 12 months, please vote on this thread here:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1169352

[Marlet]

13 months for both my children. Currently only a few days postpartum with my third but am expecting the same timeline. Return of fertility though is different for me. I'm only truely cycling again (i.e. ovulating and getting real periods) at about 15-16 months with the ability to actually get pregnant (and stay that way) by 18 months.

[MadiMamacita]

8 months. still bf all night and often during the day.

[fruitfulmomma]

With my oldest it was about 6 months. I can't remember exactly with the girls, but it was longer each time. Last time was 13months. LO's 1st b-day is next week and no sign of it yet.

[Yippy!]

14 months, came right before a major roadtrip of course Nursing all day and night.

[Storm Bride]

DS1: I weaned him at about 10.5 months. I got my period back the following month.

DD1: Exclusively breastfed to 6 months, self-weaned at 21 months. I got my period back at 4 months pp.

DS2: Exclusively breastfed to 6 months, weaned him at 27 months (I was pregnant, and it was just too painful). I got my period back at...14 or 15 months pp, can't remember which. This was my vote on the poll.

DD2: She's 5 months old, and exclusively breastfed. No period yet.

I'm hoping this time is like with ds2. I got it back so fast with dd1, and I don't even know why, although she was squirrelliest nurser ever, which might have had something to do with it. After having my lochia continue for 5-6 weeks, getting my period back at 4 months was just too much. I wanted a break!

[Drummer's Wife]

With all four kids, it was right before their first birthday so I voted 11 mos. (I think, gosh, I can't even recall for sure )

It didn't seem to matter with regards breastfeeding. My first two were weaned around a year, My 3rd nursed until he was over age 3 (day and night!) My 4th had to be weaned cold-turkey at 13 mos (also nursing day and night at that point).


I think I just regain fertility around a year post-partum -- though I'm not sure I was ovulating regularly at that point. I recall some wonky 84 day cycles and such.

[curiouscanadian]

Currently 15mo pp and still waiting...

[TXmom2]

nak

i put 1 and 2 months because even though we are EBF'ing, mine returned at 6 wks PP.
DD is nearly 5 months and I've had 3 periods....don't know when I'll be fertile again but it's back already...

[LianneM]

15mo with my first, still nursing strong
13mo with my second, tandem nursing

[cschick]

I had some spotting every eight weeks or so starting at 18 months (when he stopped nursing 3x times at night) through 25 months pp. I was also taking the mini-pill.

At 23 months pp, I stopped the minipill but was still doing the every eight weeks spotting thing. At 25 months pp, I got the copper IUD and had my first full period start a few days afterward.

[Bellabaz]

10 months ,almost 11, with dd1. Currently at 3 months with dd2 and no sign yet.

[flower01]

16 months for me. Dd was still nursing quite often at this point...i got pregnant 3 months later.

[hollytheteacher]

Mine returned when DS was 15 months old on black friday of last year (ugh that means i've had it back for a whole year now huh?) I can't wait to get preggo again (although probably still a few more months away) so that I can get that huge break again!

[TiredX2]

11.5 months with DD. She was still nursing through the night and close to exclusively bfed until 15 months (95-98+% bfed).

25 months with DS. He was still nursing through the night (and continued to do so for another 2.5 years) and was getting close to 75% of calories from bmilk.

From what I read (and this was a while ago), if you are nursing the average is 8 months w/out AF. If you are nursing ecologically (so, through the night/on demand/no pacifiers or bottles) the average is 14 months. Each additional child usually increases the time. If you are underweight that increases the time.

[Teenytoona]

8.5 months. BF at home/pumped from work exclusively until about 6-7ish months, coslept and nursed overnight.

[Mama2Bug]

Pregnancy wonked up my thyroid pretty badly, which gave me PCOS-like symptoms. One of those was a period that just never came back, until it was induced medically. I did nurse DD until she was almost 3, but when she weaned, it still didn't return. My cycle has been spotty ever since. I'm still trying to get my thyroid straightened out so that we can start TTC again.

[simplemama32]

Between 13 to 14 months. I was (and am) breastfeeding...my period returned when I stopped pumping at work during the day, though we continued to BF at home.

[mamazee]

The first was about 12 months. I don't have an explanation really. That's about when she got interested in solids, so maybe that's why?

With the second, it came back after only a month. I was EBF around the clock with both, although #2 did sleep better. She started sleeping 5 hours pretty quickly. I assume that's what was going on there.

[jillmamma]

15.5 months PP for me both times, due to breastfeeding (first kid nursed till close to 5 and was tandem nursing with second still when AF came back). Hoping for at least that long again this time!