EBF and..was that my PERIOD??

[nilatti]

Ok, help me out here, because I'm deeply confused. My son is almost 8 weeks old. I've been breastfeeding him on cue, day and night (and he eats A LOT). My lochia totally stopped at around 5 weeks postpartum. Then, last week, I had some mild pain/soreness in my vaginal regions and spotting for four days. Now I have some sticky CM going on, and I'm starting to wonder if that spotting was a "warning period." I often get vaginal soreness with my period, just like what I had last week.

It just seems really soon! I thought I wouldn't have to worry about this already! Thoughts?

[Milo]

could be.  Starting with my third baby, I have experienced a quick ( two to three weeks) end to the lochia, and then a single "period" at about 6 weeks postpartum.  As an EBF mama, it is freaky.  The good news is that I then enjoyed a 10 to 12 month holiday with no periods until the return of fertility at about a year postpartum.

I do know several other mamas who had one period like episode at the 6 to 8 weeks postpartum window, and then no more.  Two mama friends of mine did have a return to normal cycles despite true EBF, which seems very unfair to me, but what can you do?

Milo

[nilatti]

I'm relieved to hear this! I'm glad toknow this happens to other people, and I sure hope I'm like you and not like those friends you mentioned...I am SO not ready to be dealing with fertility again....

[Mom2SammyJoe]

I'm another one who has had this. With both kids I stopped bleeding around 5 weeks pp, then had another period-like bleed around 6-7 weeks. I went on to have 12 and 10months of amenorrhea. Don't give up hope!

[trauerweidchen]

Me three--lochia stopped after a few weeks, then I remember some bleeding at 6 weeks postpartum. My cycles returned when my breastfed baby was around 11 months old. I think it's pretty normal! You could be getting your period back, but not necessarily.