BF going on 16 months and no AF- How long can it take to return to fertility?

[gracemamma]

I want to BF DD for the time she wants and she is still very interested! I am committed to providing all the benefits of EBF to her. However, I am also mindful of the passing of time and thoughts of a 2nd child. I'm turning 40 in a few months, took years to conceive DD and have not had AF return.

Can you mamas share any experiences, knowledge, resources to better understand how to get my fertility back while still providing EBF to my daughter?

A doctor I talked to said that nursing on demand and co-sleeping help with natural family spacing, which is often 2-3 years between children in the developed world and that he was aware of no data.

Thanks!

[Lineymom]

With my first two, I got mine back soon after they nightweaned. 14m  and 22m.

[ps4624]

I am nursing a 21 month old on demand.  She's a pretty active nurser (probably 5-8 times during the day and 3-4 hours at night).  We say she's nightweaned because she will go for a block of time (5-6 hours) without nursing, but we do co-sleep and she does take advantage whenever the opportunity presents itself!  I have yet to see AF, and at 37 years old, I am also starting to feel the pressure!  I've had people recommended progesterone cream to rev things up, but I've decided not to pursue anything until my DD turns 2 in Feb.  I definitely empathize with you - let me know if you come up with the magic solution!

[widemouthedfrog]

Well, your doctor would be correct in my case. I didn't get my fertility back until dd was 21 months, and she was a champion nurser and nursed a lot at night and we coslept. However, I did WOH 2 1/2 days per week.

That said, a friend is doing a similar thing and got AF back at 4 months PP - so who knows. I think it's very much up to your body.

[sraplayas]

My DS is 21mos and nurses 3-5x day and ?x's during the night co-sleeping.  I, too, have been waiting for his 2nd birthday to start any herbs but am going to start a "gentle" herbal mix next weeks that helped bring back AF after DD (2.5yrs PP).   This is with the hope that it will not effect my supply at all b/c I would like to continue nursing him as long as he would like. :)

[nononose]

I think LLL has the average at 15 months.  Mine returned at 17, pregnant by 19 months pp.  I WOH 5 days a week since she was 12 months old.  But she still nursed quite a bit at night until around the 17 month mark.  I don't have much milk left now though - it seemed to disappear as soon as I got pregnant.  I wasn't too happy about that, and she seems to have weaned herself to just once in the morning - she's not consistent though - never was.  Good luck!

[namistenicole]

Mine came back around 16 months. My LLL leader said once that your body has a tipping point, so once your baby starts to nurse less (enough to push you under that threshold, like when they nightwean) then AF will return. But this tipping point is different for everyone. Maybe try cutting out one session per day and see what happens. ?

[gracemamma]

Such helpful information! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! I'm newish to where we  live and none of the mama buddies I've made have nursed past 12 months and the EBF mamas I've spoken too- my cousin and my Mom- both got AF back way early. Well, sounds like I'm having the same fertility experience as many of you mamas. DD does occasionally go 5 hours at night but not as a rule. I've read that its best to wait til 18 months for nightweaning and I kind of thought I'd go with the flow a bit on this.  She nurses a ton at night when teething or trying to get back to sleep 4/5am to 7am.

 Thanks again, mamas!  Hey, if anyone else wants to share- when you do get AF back to you think fertility goes back to normal or is it still suppressedto some degree due to nursing?

ps4624: Accupunture helped us get pregnant with her in the first place so I figure when we decide to move forward, this is where we'll start. We saw an accupuncturist in CA tons and spent alot it was no help but when we planned on doing IVF and did a few sessions with a wonderful accupuncturist here in NM, we got pregnant immediately (first cycle) and without IVF- and this is with a fertility panel that suggested getting donor eggs! Our accupuncturist follows a protocol that is proven to increase IVF outcomes by 30% and clearly it helps without IVF too. Her name is Diana Polaski if you want more info or to get the protocol for a local accupuncturist. Good luck!

[Lineymom]

For me when it came back "early" at 14m it was very irregular, like 6 cycles in the 10m b4 gettiing pregnant again.  With the 22m return, it was completely regular.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by gracemamma 

 Thanks again, mamas!  Hey, if anyone else wants to share- when you do get AF back to you think fertility goes back to normal or is it still suppressedto some degree due to nursing?

[greenmama66]

It took me 3.5 years with each child for fertility to return, I then got pregnant on each ovulation without my menses ever returning until many years later when my 5th was weaned so I went 15 years without a cycle but had pregnancies/births/babies! Odd but I guess that's how my body works. Everyone is so different, mine were huge nursers and nursed all through the night as they became toddlers.

[sraplayas]

Wow!   That is so cool, greenmama!
 

Originally Posted by greenmama66 

It took me 3.5 years with each child for fertility to return, I then got pregnant on each ovulation without my menses ever returning until many years later when my 5th was weaned so I went 15 years without a cycle but had pregnancies/births/babies! Odd but I guess that's how my body works. Everyone is so different, mine were huge nursers and nursed all through the night as they became toddlers.

[Katrinaquerida]

Awsome!

I am so bummed because my AF just came back after 18mos, I was hoping for a few more! With DS is took 22 mos!

[Ava's Mama]

I am nursing my 21 month old DD and I still haven't had mine return yet.  I work 4 days a week.  On days I am with her she nurses 4-6 times during the day and 1-3 times at night.  I definitely have some sort of hormonal cycle going on (bloating once week, cravings the next, sensitive teeth and feeling skinning again the next), but I don't take time to keep track of it!  DH would like me to be pregnant sometime soon, but not sure how to do that without my period!

[greenmama66]

Originally Posted by Ava's Mama 

I am nursing my 21 month old DD and I still haven't had mine return yet.  I work 4 days a week.  On days I am with her she nurses 4-6 times during the day and 1-3 times at night.  I definitely have some sort of hormonal cycle going on (bloating once week, cravings the next, sensitive teeth and feeling skinning again the next), but I don't take time to keep track of it!  DH would like me to be pregnant sometime soon, but not sure how to do that without my period!

You can get pregnant without a cycle. I did 3 times. I just noticed more EWCM return and then checked my OS which was open.

[gracemamma]

Thanks for all the great info! Greenmama- what an amazing experience!

[ps4624]

Originally Posted by greenmama66 

Originally Posted by Ava's Mama 

I am nursing my 21 month old DD and I still haven't had mine return yet.  I work 4 days a week.  On days I am with her she nurses 4-6 times during the day and 1-3 times at night.  I definitely have some sort of hormonal cycle going on (bloating once week, cravings the next, sensitive teeth and feeling skinning again the next), but I don't take time to keep track of it!  DH would like me to be pregnant sometime soon, but not sure how to do that without my period!

You can get pregnant without a cycle. I did 3 times. I just noticed more EWCM return and then checked my OS which was open.

I'm not sure what these acronyms mean   Any help?

[lexapurple]

mine returned at about 18m post partum .

[ariatrance]

Just wanted to add that the longer you go without a postpartum period, the more likely you are to ovulate before that first menses. Thus how I am now expecting number 3 without having a postpartum period from number 2 who is still nursing ~6x per 24 hr. period. I was under the impression that all women were anovulatory before the first p.p. menses....whoops.

So really, just having unprotected sex all the time ups your chances without worrying about the return of the period.... Have fun!

[LisaSedai]

I'm not sure what these acronyms mean   Any help?

AF Aunt Flo (period)

EBF I'm guessing extended breast feeding

DD dear daughter  DH dear husband

EWCM egg white cervical mucus (fertility sign)

OS cervix opening (closed= not fertile)

[AislinCarys]

EBF exclusive breastfeeding