EBF on demand and AF returns at 6 weeks pp?

[YayJennie]

Is it even possible that I'm getting my period at 6 weeks post partum when I exclusively breast feed on demand? 

I remember with my first I had some bleeding well after the lochia stopped, and that was around 5 weeks pp.  It lasted a day or two and was no big deal, and then my actual periods returned at 5 months pp (and were like clockwork...very regular and I am pretty sure I was ovulating right away).

This is different though.  A few days ago, I was in a horrible mood and feeling "off" and I blamed it on hormones.  I even said to my husband "if I didn't know better, I'd say I have PMS!"  And then, yesterday I started bleeding.  And this is very much period-type bleeding, and is still heavy today.

My 6 week old daughter goes long stretches without nursing (4-6 hours), both at night and sometimes in the afternoon when she takes a long nap.  She's never been a cluster nurser, and never nurses more than every 2 hours or so.  I've heard that the frequency baby nurses can be related to how soon you get your period back.  Is that true?

Has anyone actually had real periods return at just 6 weeks pp?

[KoalaMommy]

yes it can happen, mine came back around 10 weeks pp.  If you're concerned, it's worth a call to your health care provider.

[averlee]

My sister's periods came at 6 weeks post-partum both times. 

It could be possible that you're having some return of the postpartum bleeding, especially if you've increased your activity level a lot. But it sounds like you know it's your cycle.

[CoBabyMaker]

I got mine back at 5 1/2 weeks with DD1 and 6 1/2 weeks with DD2.  Some women's bodies just do that.  I was so annoyed.

[katelove]

I had some bleeding at 6 weeks which may have been a period or may have been a PP "relapse", I;m not sure. But my period definitely returned at 12 weeks and has been monthly since then.

When you read about family planning and BF it always says that you can't rely on lactational amenorrhea if you babe is STTN but J was feeding hourly o/night when my period returned so clearly it's not the same for everyone.

[crystal_buffaloe]

I had very period-like bleeding at 7 weeks (and I was all "No way! No fair!"), convinced it was my period, but then I've been period-free since then and my LO is one week shy of 8 months, so I'm not sure. You could have this one "period" and then not have another for a long while.

[elisheva]

Apparently something like 2% of women who are EBF can't rely on LAM. You'll get all sorts of blaming ("you can't go 4 hrs or no LAM", "if your LO *ever* had a pacifier no LAM"). While these may be accurate, the fact is that LAM doesn't work for everyone. I got my period back at 4 weeks postpartum with ds1. With ds2 and dd, I at least got until 8 weeks postpartum before I got AF - yay for tandem nursing buying me an extra 4 weeks. Whatevs. And I'm fertile then, too. Yippee. 

I'm on the fluffy side and I wonder if that has something to do with it? My thyroid function is normal so no worries there. Any other fluffy mamas who get their cycles back really early?