16 Weeks Post Partum and PERIOD?

[JoggingMom]

Are you !!!! kidding me?!

That's what I said to myself this afternoon when I discovered that apparently my friend AF has made her return after a brief 12 1/2 month vacation.

My daughter is 16 weeks old. We breastfeed exclusively. By that I mean, she has never taken a bottle or a pacy or artificial nipple/sucking supplement of any kind.
I am a stay at home mom. She feeds on demand, anywhere from 8-15 times/day if not more! No schedule.
She DOES go 5-7 hours at night sleeping.

This is not my first time to the party. I have a 9 year old and an 11 year old. With them, I ecologically breastfed and my period was a no show for 18 months and 12 months, resepctively. I was about 50 pounds heavier and in poorer health after I had them. With this kid I ran up until 36 weeks pregnant, and run 15 miles a week now.

My OB says that it is weird but nothing to be scared about.

I say it means somethings funky with my body.

I am worried...will this reduce my milk supply?

Am I the only one who this has happened to?

[staceychev]

This was me. About 10 weeks with DD1, and about 3-1/2 months with DD2. Nursed DD1 until age four, and DD2 is going great. (Although, to be honest, I'm pumping regularly for the first time, and do see a bit of a drop in supply right before.)

[Katie T]

I got my period back at 3 months with my last 2 babies and I do get a drop right before a period but honestly until recently it has never been a problem. I wouldn't stress about it. Stress can be a bad thing on milk production. I don't get why some women do but it really isn't usually a big deal.

[dalia]

Well that same thing happened to me but it turned out to be because I was just doing too much physical activity too soon. I was hiking a lot and carrying ds everywhere. For me I guess it was too much because I started to spot and had what looked like a period. I took it easy for a little while longer and AF didn't turn back up until 6 or 7 months PP.

[CoopersMommy0308]

We EBF and I got my first PP AF at 7weeks. It lasted 6 days. dangit!!!

With my first I exclusively pumped for 14 months and didn't get my first PP AF until 6 months and then another one at 8months. I was really expecting a lot longer since I'm actually breastfeeding this time, not pumping!

ah well, what can ya do... grrrr

[CherryBomb]

There's nothing wrong with your body, and it shouldn't affect your supply.

I've had my fertility return at 12 weeks every single time. Unfortunatley LAM just doesn't work for everyone, even if you follow it to the letter (I'm not even bothering trying to this time because i know I'll get my period back in about 9 weeks anyway, so he's had 2 bottles of ebm and a paci occasionally).

[JenChaffee]

I was EBF twins and got mine back at about 16 wks, too. I was surprised. But it hasn't been regular since. My babies are now 10 months. I was not doing anything strange. Not particularly much exercise. No unhealthy habits. I guess it just happens that way for some of us.