Spotting at 7 months postpartum. What is this? AF? Normal?

[Jaspersmommy]

Hello Ladies!

I'm about 7 months postpartum and I began spotting this morning.  It started as a pinkish discharge and progressed to reddish spotting.  I haven't had a period yet since before this pregnancy and I went a full 18 months without my AF after my first child was born.  Needless to say, I was surprised by the spotting since I breastfeed exclusively (no paci's, co-sleep, no solids yet). Since this isn't typical of my usual cycles (super heavy from day 1 to the end), I'm wondering what's going on.

Does this sound normal?  Has anyone else had spotting but not an actual cycle?  Perhaps this is just the beginning.. :(

Thanks for any advice/insight 

[awinkler]

Yeah - kind of sounds like AF. With my first it came at around 9 months, and this time around 7 months. It doesn't have anything to do (at least with me) with how much BF-ing is happening, or anything... I think it's just hormonal. And for me the first one is kind of like a trial, then the next time it's more normal, but the timing is still sorting itself out. So maybe watch and see what happens...?

[Jaspersmommy]

Thanks for your thoughts.  It's so strange because it seems to have tapered off.

I guess I was hoping someone would say they had some spotting and yet AF stayed far, far away ;)

[awinkler]

:) AF seems to arrive at the most annoying times ;)

[ShyingViolet]

You're not pregnant, are you?
 

Originally Posted by Jaspersmommy 

Thanks for your thoughts.  It's so strange because it seems to have tapered off.

I guess I was hoping someone would say they had some spotting and yet AF stayed far, far away ;)

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Jaspersmommy 

Thanks for your thoughts.  It's so strange because it seems to have tapered off.

I guess I was hoping someone would say they had some spotting and yet AF stayed far, far away

This is kind of old but I just came across it so I'll answer.

When I was BFing my 2nd, I didn't have any PP bleeding until about 11 or 12 months, I think. And, although I had pretty regular PP bleeds after that, I didn't ovulate until about 15 months PP (I know from charting) so all the bleeding before that was not AF.

With my 3rd, I had a full on PP bleed that looked like AF at about 6 months PP. I started charting again but didn't have another bleed until around 12 months PP, I believe. No ovulation in between. So, again, not technically AF. I started having ovulation cycles after that but they weren't regular.

So, your spotting may just be caused by hormonal fluctuations and not AF. You do need to start being careful now about getting pg if it matters to you. No more relying on LAM or ecological BFing (I believe) once you have any spotting or bleeding because you could ovulate at any time after that.

[Jaspersmommy]

Thanks for all the information.  I ended up having a period but I don't believe it was ovulatory.  It was so different than my usual cycle both before pregnancy and after.  Here's to hoping I can have a nice stretch before I get another :)  

It's nice knowing that I'm not the only one.  I found it strange because it is such a different experience than I had after my first pregnancy.  I am 7 years older so perhaps my body knows that the clock is ticking