Was your cycle irregular when you got your first pp AF?

[mags]

I have a six month old and got my first pp AF last month. My cycle is usually very predictable (with my older two kids, AF came back by 4 mo pp and was completely regular both times). My first AF last month was a very strange one. I have always had heavy/painful AFs and after having my first two kids, nothing ever changed, my AFs were pretty much the same as pre-kiddo. This time it only lasted for 3 days and was not that heavy compared to usual. My cycle has always been pretty much 28-30 days. I was pretty sure I ovulated, BUT now AF is overdue and I feel like I am ovulating again if that makes any sense. I'm not charting right now, but I'm pretty in tune with my fertility signs. Is it typical for something like this to happen? Will I continue to have irregular cycles or is it just the first cycle or two that are weird and then things go back to, "normal" again. It sounds dumb that I am asking this, since I am a mom to 3 kids, but stupid AF came back w/o missing a beat at 4 mo pp with DS1 and DS2 even though I was still EBF, and this time I haven't done anything differently from my other babies and it seems like my cycle is all screwed up. BTW, I'm almost 37, and it has crossed my mind that maybe I am experiencing the beginning of perimenopause.

[crunchy_mommy]

Pre-pregnancy I always had very heavy, painful AFs

I got my first pp AF when DS was 9mos old... I had only ovulated ~6 days earlier! (not charting either ATM but pretty in-tune)... it was sooo light & not even painful!

Second one, I ovulated I think 8 days before AF...

Then they started getting back on track (ovulating around 2 weeks before) for the last 1-2 cycles. They've gotten *slightly* heavier & more painful but barely!! (not that I'm complaining!)

They've all been around 30-35 day cycles I think, which is normal for me, but the latest I used to ovulated was 9-10 days before AF (and more often longer). So my conclusions is pp hormones & BF'ing affect my ovulation somehow?? Delay it?? Or maybe it's not "true" ovulation yet (no egg released?)

If I'm having a similar experience & I'm only 27, I would give it a few more months before you conclude perimenopause

[secondimpression]

My cycles have never been "regular" to start with...pre-pregnancy they ranged from 26 to 29 days but every 3rd or 4th month could go from 24-35 days. And AF was HEAVY and LONG.

AF came back 4.5 months PP while EBF...then a 42 day annovulatory cycle with on and off spotting...followed by an 37 day cycle with ovulation on CD 34...then I got pregnant on the next cycle after ovulating on CD 25. AF was lighter than pre-pregnancy each time and I had lots of mid-cycle spotting.

Had I not gotten pregnant, I'm sure my cycles would have returned to my range of normal within another 6 months. But that's just my best guess

[thefreckledmama]

I've always had irregular cycles. Whenever I get my period back PP, I'm very regular for the first 5-6 months, then I start getting all wonky again.

[mags]

Thanks ladies. I'm getting really painful ovulation pain right now. I swear I ovulated 2x this cycle. It's just strange. I guess I will have to wait it out to see if this is just something temporary or it will continue on like this.

[columbusmomma]

DD was 16 months when AF returned. It took several cycles to "get back to normal".

[lunita1]

Yes, all three times it has been quite irregular. It doesn't come back until 14/15 months, and then instead of regular 35 day cycles I'll have cycles as long as 50-55 days long, sometimes ovulatory, sometimes not.