First PP period - questions

[MittensKittens]

I gave birth 21 months ago and am still nursing. I got my first post-partum period yesterday, or so I thought. It was some dark brown spotting (normal, right?) and then it stopped. It lasted a few hours. Is that normal? Does this mean that I will likely start ovulating again?

[Just1More]

Could be. Any chance you are already pg?

My first couple pp cycles are really weird and totally unpredictable.

[hildare]

you can ovulate before your first pp period, you know that's where some surprise close-together babies come from.
you can 'gear up' for a cycle with cramps and spotting at the same time. it could be the o, but more likely is the return of your cycle, i'd say.
for me, i had really far apart periods (35 days or more) which my ob said were not ovulatory. track them well, and if they end up being 28 days or whatever you were before, those are likely to be ovulatory.

[kltroy]

At 21 months PP you probably will ovulate before your first PP period -- this could be ovulation spotting, or just something random, or you could be pregnant. It's mostly if you get your period back early (say, before 9 months) that you may not ovulate at first.

I did get pregnant on my first PP ovulation, which occurred about 16 months PP and before I had ever gotten a period (bonus: went 4.5 years with no period between my two kids!) So yes, it can and does happen. My period returned around 17 months PP with baby #2 and was very irregular for about 10 months. Unfortunately, it appears to be a perfect 28 day cycle now, for the first time in my life

[klemomma]

I think this is likely your body gearing up for your cycles to return. Weirdness with cycles when they are just returning, especially when you are still nursing, is quite normal :-)

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by hildare

you can ovulate before your first pp period, you know that's where some surprise close-together babies come from.
you can 'gear up' for a cycle with cramps and spotting at the same time. it could be the o, but more likely is the return of your cycle, i'd say.
for me, i had really far apart periods (35 days or more) which my ob said were not ovulatory. track them well, and if they end up being 28 days or whatever you were before, those are likely to be ovulatory.

I know , but I think intensively TTC before you know you are ovulating is probably going to be fruitless. With my first, my period returned after 14 months (I think) and it was pretty normal. Now, there was cramping, abdominal stinging (like ovulation pains) and then spotting. Does that even qualify as a period at all? I guess I will start charting now.

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by kltroy

At 21 months PP you probably will ovulate before your first PP period -- this could be ovulation spotting, or just something random, or you could be pregnant. It's mostly if you get your period back early (say, before 9 months) that you may not ovulate at first.

I did get pregnant on my first PP ovulation, which occurred about 16 months PP and before I had ever gotten a period (bonus: went 4.5 years with no period between my two kids!) So yes, it can and does happen.

That sounds like a dream! Who doesn't hate periods?

There's a thought – it might have been ovulation spotting (which I never had before) rather than menstruation. I didn't think of that.