When did your menstrual cycle begin after breastfeeding? Milk supply effected?

[jewel1288]

I am still breastfeeding my LO almost exclusively at ten months strong. I've started introducing things like green beans, avocado, sweet potato(once), broccoli, a tiny bit of asparagus, and a homemade soup from scratch with only vegetables. Even still, LO is not eating these foods often enough to replace any nursing time. My milk supply seems to have become lower over the past few days though. I'm not really stressed so I don't know why else it would be changing. My baby is teething and does not drink any liquids other than my breastmilk. Is it possible that my period may be in the onset of returning and that it is effecting my milk supply? 

The only other change is that I've been drinking a little less water than usual, but my milk supply is much lower than usual when I'm not hydrated enough.

Any suggestions, resources, or shared experiences that might shed some light on this would be awesome!

TIA

[LindyGirl]

Yes, it sounds like it's possible your cycles may be resuming. Mine always returned at 8 weeks postpartum, despite round the clock nursing. I always noticed a drop in supply right before and during my period, too.

[jewel1288]

Ugh... gross. I hate the thought of a cycle while caring for a little one. Did you experience a shorter, lighter, less crampy period? I'm worried it's going to be awful and hinder my ability to function for a day or two, like it did before I became pregnant.

It didn't cause you to dry up did it? I plan to breastfeed my LO through toddler years.

[PatioGardener]

What makes you think you have a dip in your supply? I know my little guy had a spell around 9-11 months where he was fussy (teething) and popping on and off the breast a lot.

We're still going at 19 months and my supply is still holding strong.

Hope yours is too! Good luck!

[LindyGirl]

Originally Posted by jewel1288 

Ugh... gross. I hate the thought of a cycle while caring for a little one. Did you experience a shorter, lighter, less crampy period? I'm worried it's going to be awful and hinder my ability to function for a day or two, like it did before I became pregnant.

It didn't cause you to dry up did it? I plan to breastfeed my LO through toddler years.

No, I nursed all of my kids succesfully until they were around two. It won't cause you to dry up, but you will notice your baby nursing more to help increase your supply. And I did have nipple soreness as well.

When my periods came back, they were normal, in that they were pretty much like before I got pg. I hope yours are easier to deal with -- maybe the BFing hormones will make things a bit easier for you.

[dovemama]

Hi, my cycles started back around months pp. However, my periods were much more tolerable then ever before after having my baby.

Hopefully yours will be the same.

[Danielle283]

With DD it didn't start back for 13 months, but with DS it came back at 3 months. I've had 2 so far (30 days apart) and both times he was really fussy while nursing for a couple days before but I don't know that my supply was affected.

[akind1]

Mine returned at 4 months PP. honestly the first couple cycles were rough - lots of cramping. I noticed a very *slight* dip in supply during cycles. (only could tell because I was pumping for work. No other differences. They were highly irregular too; doc said it was due to nursing (rolled eyes from me - possible cause, but there could be other factors)  I only had maybe 6 or 7 more and I was pregnant again - on purpose - I didn't dry up until my first trimester. DS was about 15 months when he weaned.

So it's possible. For me the first indicator that a cycle was coming was a patch of EWCF, and sure enough, about 2 weeks later I had my first AF.

[jewel1288]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

What makes you think you have a dip in your supply? I know my little guy had a spell around 9-11 months where he was fussy (teething) and popping on and off the breast a lot.

We're still going at 19 months and my supply is still holding strong.

Hope yours is too! Good luck!

I normally block nurse six hours on one side, then six hours on the other side. I began doing this to resolve a foremilk and hindmilk imbalance and have kept with it. This means my breast is usually pretty full around 4-6 hours of no nursing on the opposite side.

[jewel1288]

Originally Posted by LindyGirl 

No, I nursed all of my kids succesfully until they were around two. It won't cause you to dry up, but you will notice your baby nursing more to help increase your supply. And I did have nipple soreness as well.

When my periods came back, they were normal, in that they were pretty much like before I got pg. I hope yours are easier to deal with -- maybe the BFing hormones will make things a bit easier for you.

I hadn't been concerned about drying up. My little one has been nursing more, but I just attributed it to the onset of teething. Maybe my LO can sense the change coming? How interesting. Thanks for the info. :)

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by jewel1288 

I normally block nurse six hours on one side, then six hours on the other side. I began doing this to resolve a foremilk and hindmilk imbalance and have kept with it. This means my breast is usually pretty full around 4-6 hours of no nursing on the opposite side.

I used to block nurse too (10 hour blocks). I found that around 6 months I could drop to ~6 hour blocks, at 10 months I was down to only 2 feeds on a side, and by a year I was feeding 2 breasts in one feed.

You may want to consider "unblocking" your nursing schedule and seeing if that helps.

[McGucks]

I got my period back at 14 months PP.  We EBF'd until 6.5 months.  He STILL (at 20 months) does not eat a ton of food and still nurses every 2 hours or so around the clock.  If he is teething or not feeling well, he may go a whole day and only eat some cheese, blueberries, and Oatios.  There are also days he eats considerably more, but never enough to have BFing really slow much.  He has always been in the 99th% for weight, BTW.

My milk supply was not different when my cycle resumed, but it is very irregular (28 days one month, 38 the next).

[jewel1288]

Thanks for your shared stories, mommas. It was, in fact, my period returning. Thankfully, it was not accompanied by any cramping or other discomfort. I had been dreading that aspect of it alone, mostly. I did noticed a significant difference in my irritability, which is normally low to none. I also felt just more easily teary about silly things, too. Oh well, tis the life of a woman. :) 

[girlspn]

I am curious-- for ppaf to return, must there be changes to baby's nursing pattern? i.e. nursing less, night-weaned, eating more on solids, etc? Or does period just return at some point?

[jewel1288]

Originally Posted by azhie 

I am curious-- for ppaf to return, must there be changes to baby's nursing pattern? i.e. nursing less, night-weaned, eating more on solids, etc? Or does period just return at some point?

I think it's a combination of baby's nursing pattern and hormonal changes. Also, if you're away from your little one, but pumping, that will likely cause your period to return faster than it might if you were babywearing and a sahm or wahm.