Period / Menstrual Cycle

[TreeRose]

Hello - I hope I'm posting in the right section to discuss the return of the period! I have questions for those who've been there before.

When did your period return? When it returned, was it regular?

My DD is 5 1/2 months. A little after she turned 4 months my period returned. It was heavier than normal but lasted the traditional 5-7 days, reducing in flow gradually. I assume this was the beginning of my new menstrual cycle. If it was, then I'm five days late (from a 28-day perspective). I was always predictably on time in the past and just wondered if anyone else had unexpected periods at first? Can I do anything or just wait? Is there any possibility of pregnancy at this point (with weekly sex using condoms!!!????).

Over a week ago I started cramping and "knew" I was going to start and never did... now I'm just exhausted and moody with still no period.

Thanks for your help!

[JamieCatheryn]

If breastfeeding on demand, the earlier your cycles return the more likely they are to be irregular and/or anovulatory for a while. You might be fertile or you might not during those first few. Condoms are fairly reliable but of course there's always some chance of conception anyway. Average amenorreah before cycles return if you still BF is about 14 months. Mine were 14 and 15 months postpartum after my babies, mostly regular from the first.

[lexapurple]

mine came back at about 14 months but next one was a light spotting couple months after that.

[katroshka]

With my first my period came back about 5 months postpartum. I was breastfeeding on demand, all day and lots of the night. Don't know if it would have been regular after that as I found out I was pregnant at 7 months postpartum!

With my second I had my first period exactly 4 weeks postpartum. I was SOOOO bummed! But DD2 slept through the night from day 1 to about 2 months, so I guess that's what happens. She ate all day, on demand, but apparently that isn't enough. Anyway, it seemed regular after that, I'm pretty sure I was keeping track (this was more than 8 years ago, so I'm a little fuzzy on it).

Both my grandmothers had kids really close together even while breastfeeding (probably not on demand, but I don't really know) so I guess it runs in my family to get fertile again right away!

[sunnygir1]

Mine came back at 13 months with dd and was regular from there forward.  I don't remember if it was different in terms of flow or number of days.

I began menstruating at 13 months again with ds, but the first one was just some spotting.  They have been very regular since, every 28 days.  My cycle before kids was a little shorter than that.  My period used to be light and short, 2-3 days.  Now it is heavier and 5-7 days.

[TreeRose]

My second month came about 35 days later. Thanks for all your input! I'm expecting it will become more and more regular as time goes on! Hopefully a little more predictable as well!

[SynEpona]

I was period free for 2.5 years ... 9mths of pregnancy, and 21 mths after that. :) I realize that's not the 'norm', but I'm hoping it works out that way again. DS nursed till he was 3, exclusively till 7 or 8 mths, then still as a major part of nutrition til about a year, and very frequently still up to about 18mth. When it did return, it was almost like clockwork on a very regular cycle.

[Jayray]

Mine came back at 9 mo PP--babe had started nursing less during the day, although we were still probably nursing 2-3 times at night.  My cycle was about 35 days long (for the four months I had a period before I got preggo again!) and I had worse and longer PMS than I had before.

[nononose]

Mine came back at 19 months pp.  I had 2 cycles before getting pregnant again, and they were 33 days apart - I was about 29-31 days between prior to DD, and it took a while to get a BFP.  BFN up to CD37, so I'm guessing a longer second cycle (wasn't charting).  Still BF DD, so not sure if that's throwing it off, but those 2 periods were not the same pattern as I remember, and lasted longer but weren't necessarily heavier.