Postpartum AF return--did you get a warning?

[kismetbaby]

Did you know when AF was about to return or did it just appear?

Did you notice a return of CM? Other symptoms of your cycle before the actual AF?

I don't know why I'm so anxious about this lately, but I keep wondering when I'll get AF back and if I'll be able to anticipate it or not. My LO is 7 months and basically still EBF and till nursed 2 or more times a night. . .I don't have any real reason to think I'll get my cycle back, but I've never done this before so I just don't know what to expect. And now its been almost a year and a half since I even had a period. . .I've almost forgotten what its like!

Lately whenever I have an off day I think "maybe my hormones are changing, maybe I'm going to cycle again." I'd rather be able to anticipate this a bit and not just be waiting around for that fateful day!

[Alisse]

I got mine at 5months postpartum. It was like a surprise attack -- no warning signs that i noticed. When i got it again next month, i definitely knew it was coming when i felt the old moodiness returning along with the growth of a very painful pimple...stupid jerky dumb period!

[dislocator3972]

My warning was this: painful nursing, change in milk supply and becoming more tired than usual. Naturally, I convinced myself that I was pregnant. After one evap line and a negative test, (and a call to my LC to prepare to try and nurse through a pregnancy) I finally got AF back.

Well, sort of. I don't know if this is normal, but my first PPAF was 1/2 day. The next one (40 days later) was 1.5 days. Thirty days after that, I'm having a pretty regular period.

Honestly I'm not sure I would have noticed my hormones changing if I was pregnant, but since I was I definitely knew something was up.

[slimkins]

I did have a change in CM. I also had a huge change in my sex drive (for the better). I didn't know that it was my period coming back, but I did have my suspicions. More of a feeling than noticing any symptoms.

[MamaPhD]

I got my period back when DD was 12 months old (nursing a lot), with no warning. Seemed like a normal period. Then the next one was 4 months later with slight crampiness that made me suspiscious. The one after that was exactly one month later, with no warning. Now I'm waiting for one, watching out for signs, etc (still nursing, though down to 2x per day). It's actually kinda interesting to me because I had been on birh control for so long and always knew exactly when my periods will be. Now, it's kinda weird not knowing....

[akind1]

I did have warning; I had gobs of EWCM about 2 weeks prior, so when AF showed up at 4 months PP, it was not a huge surprise. I haven't had another one yet, but did finally! have some fertile CM a couple days ago (cd 30-something I think) so watching out for AF in the next week or two.

[GoBecGo]

Mine came back at 6 weeks PP (one of the "lucky" ones for whom BFing makes no difference, mum was the same) and i had no warning. My lochia had tailed off to yellowish CM, then one morning i was bleeding again. I called my HV because i was like "uh-oh, is this PP-related?" but nope, it was just AF, i went right back onto a 28-day cycle from then on.

[kismetbaby]

Originally Posted by dislocator3972

My warning was this: painful nursing, change in milk supply and becoming more tired than usual. Naturally, I convinced myself that I was pregnant. After one evap line and a negative test, (and a call to my LC to prepare to try and nurse through a pregnancy) I finally got AF back.

This is actually one of the reasons I ask this question--I keep thinking wait, I couldn't be pregnant again could I? I mean the possiblity is remote. . .I'm EBF, having time or the desire to DTD isn't happening very often, and we are *trying* to be careful. But still the thought nags me. Although I haven't had any painful nursing. Anyway, I'm sure I'm not pg.

BUT its just so weird not to know what's going on. I'd like to start charting again. . .or just know that I won't have a period for a good while. Its the suspense that kills me. Ha ha. And I too was on bc for so long before TTC, and we got pg on the second cycle after coming off bc. . .I hardly know what my real cycle is like. (And since getting og was so easy the first time, I'm more nervous about an "aacident" now. We'd still be happy to be pg, but would rather wait a *bit* longer!)

[coldandsleepy]

I had fertile looking CM at the normal sort of time... said to myself, that's odd, I'm only 4.5 months pp and breastfeeding round the clock... and then two weeks later, there was my period.

[texaspeach]

I don't have my period back yet, but I did buy tampons the other day because I'm paranoid about being unprepared (I can't use my mooncup with an IUD for fear of dislodging it). I am paying attention to cm, I have occasional ewcm, but so far no period. I'm hoping that buys me a little advanced warning. I may chart, despite having the IUD, just so I can know when it will show up.

[Biscuits & Gravy]

No warning for me. I wasn't really paying attention though, so I may have just missed the signs. I got mine back a couple of weeks ago. DS is 16 months. He recently started sleeping better and only waking 2x a night so our night nursings got cut down quite drastically. I should have known that would bring my cycles back, but I didn't even think about it until it happened.

[cristeen]

I've had 2 AFs since A was born. I don't recall any warnings with the first one, but I was still dealing with all sorts of hormonal changes and PPD related to our BF problems. I think the Dom actually reset my system so I didn't get another one until I went off of it. My AF last month though was very typical. I don't really get a lot of EWCM, but I did get the moodiness. I actually burst into tears over something adorable the baby did that morning, and DH asked if I was cycling. AF showed up that night.

[texmati]

got mine at 3.5 mos, a week after I returned to work. I noticed a dip in supply.

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by kismetbaby

Did you know when AF was about to return or did it just appear?

Did you notice a return of CM? Other symptoms of your cycle before the actual AF?

I don't know why I'm so anxious about this lately, but I keep wondering when I'll get AF back and if I'll be able to anticipate it or not. My LO is 7 months and basically still EBF and till nursed 2 or more times a night. . .I don't have any real reason to think I'll get my cycle back, but I've never done this before so I just don't know what to expect. And now its been almost a year and a half since I even had a period. . .I've almost forgotten what its like!

Lately whenever I have an off day I think "maybe my hormones are changing, maybe I'm going to cycle again." I'd rather be able to anticipate this a bit and not just be waiting around for that fateful day!

Originally Posted by kismetbaby

This is actually one of the reasons I ask this question--I keep thinking wait, I couldn't be pregnant again could I? I mean the possiblity is remote. . .I'm EBF, having time or the desire to DTD isn't happening very often, and we are *trying* to be careful. But still the thought nags me. Although I haven't had any painful nursing. Anyway, I'm sure I'm not pg.

BUT its just so weird not to know what's going on. I'd like to start charting again. . .or just know that I won't have a period for a good while. Its the suspense that kills me. Ha ha. And I too was on bc for so long before TTC, and we got pg on the second cycle after coming off bc. . .I hardly know what my real cycle is like. (And since getting og was so easy the first time, I'm more nervous about an "aacident" now. We'd still be happy to be pg, but would rather wait a *bit* longer!)

this sounds exactly like me. DD2 was born 10.5.09. this was the first time i didnt start the mini pill at 6wk pp. i did have something around 8 wks pp, then nothing. still nothing. i n otice changes in my personality, mood, tiredness, etc and think, hormones. my hormones are changing. am i going to get pregnant again? Am i going to start my period? i keep waiting for my nipples to start hurting and the nausea to surface. thank goodness they dont cuz then i wouldnt be able to not buy a preg test. those are symptoms of either for me. i keep saying i will start taking bc again but i dont. . maybe i am waiting for that first period....

[Norasmomma]

This really varies from woman to woman, mine has come back at 9 wks with DD and 7wks with DS. With DD I had 3 weeks of lochia, with DS a full 6 then my period......I was EBFing both and for me it does not matter. I'm so lucky-not

[octobermoon]

a change in CM was definitely the first clue for me, i was also extremely fatigued and a bit irritable. too i think DS was acting a strangely, i'm not sure if this is connected but i wondered if it could be the shift in my hormones affecting the breast milk? don't know. i've had two pp AFs now! i envy you. on another subject though my cycle has changed for the better. no cramps, lighter flow, i'm happy about this.

[Norasmomma]

Oh I also do notice my milk supply crashes, and DS acts weird with nursing. I take fenugreek to counter this.

[Jayray]

No real warning here. I was kind of hormonal/moody right before, but I'm also really sleep deprived, so blamed it on that. I had lots of CM for months after the babe was born with no AF in sight.

My first one was about 5 days. Got the second about 5 weeks later.

I did notice changes AFTER I got the first one, but not so much before.

[Peony]

I had warning mucus for 2 years before actually getting AF back with DD1, needles to say, I couldn't relay on that! DD2 was a surprise at 18m and DS was a huge surprise at 8 months.

[JenBuckyfan]

No warning here but I was also a early receiver of my period again. My lochia stopped and then I had a week or two of pad freedom and then at 6 weeks pp along came my period. I was so bummed since I am EBF and had looked forward to some months of not having to worry about anything down there. Yep, no such luck!