Extended breastfeeding, lack of period, and wanting to get pregnant

[crouching]

Hello everyone. I'm a 36 year old mom of a 1 year old girl. She eats solids (three little meals a day) and nurses about 4 times a day. She also usually wakes up twice at night to nurse (that's for another thread ha). My period has still not returned and I am hoping to start to try to get pregnant again soon. I'm assuming it's not going to happen as long as my period does not return. Does anyone have any advice, experience, words of wisdom to share?

Thank you so much! I love this community. :)

[columbusmomma]

I just voted! My period resumed after having DD at 16 months postpartum. I would just chart and wait and see. Eventually you will O and your period will resume. The fact that you aren't exclusively breastfeeding does mean you can't rely on strictly breastfeeding to avoid pregnancy.  Your time will come!

[IngaAnne]

My period returned when my son was about 14 months old.

[zoe77]

There wasn't an option for me.  Mine returned the week of my son's 2nd birthday.  I've read avg is 14 months.

[bdoody11]

With DD#1 it returned at 17 months. I was nursing DD morning and overnight, sometimes at nap time on weekends (I was a WOHM). It will happen Mama! I agree with PP suggestion of charting.

[crouching]

Thank you to all of you. It makes me feel a little better. I just feel like the clock is ticking since I'll be 37 in January... I need to get things going! Ha ha. As for charting, I'm confused. What am I charting? I have no period to chart so I'm not sure what you mean. Thanks again!

[Katielady]

I have PCOS and didn't get a period til a few months after we night-weaned. She was over two years old.

[milomama]

I got mine back at 21 months.  Start taking your temperature each morning before getting up.  Also watch cervical fluid for changes.  I had started to see stretchier and higher quantities of CM for a couple months, so I wanted to know when my period was coming. I took temperatures from about the time my son was 19 months.  It was boring for a couple months, as there was no change, but then I saw a temp. rise and had a period about 8 days later!  Still struggling though as my luteal phase (after ovulation) is not long enough to sustain pg.  Check out Taking Charge Of Your Fertility, it has all the info you need on charting.

[Katielady]

Originally Posted by milomama 

I got mine back at 21 months.  Start taking your temperature each morning before getting up.  Also watch cervical fluid for changes.  I had started to see stretchier and higher quantities of CM for a couple months, so I wanted to know when my period was coming. I took temperatures from about the time my son was 19 months.  It was boring for a couple months, as there was no change, but then I saw a temp. rise and had a period about 8 days later!  Still struggling though as my luteal phase (after ovulation) is not long enough to sustain pg.  Check out Taking Charge Of Your Fertility, it has all the info you need on charting.

I do lazy charting now- all I watch is the CM. It's been pretty accurate...exactly two weeks after the last day of eggwhite, I get my period.