Nursing a toddler and irregular cycles?

[mrs.t]

I'm nursing my 27 month old DS at least 4 times in 24 hours, but sometimes he will step it up to 6 times if he is teething, cranky, etc. It seems like when he does this it messes with my cycle. I have been having regular periods since he was 5 months old, but before being pregnant I had fairly predictable cycle lengths and ovulation. Now it seems like my cycles are anywhere from 25-30+ days, and I ovulate way earlier than I used to, or way later. Do you think this could be due to nursing and some kind of hormonal differences from cycle to cycle, or do things change after having a baby? This is my first and only child so far, and I can't find much info about what extended nursing does to your cycles.

[Cynthia Mosher]

Bumping for attention. Anyone have any advice to share. 

[goldenwillow]

I can relate.  My cycle returned at 16 months and has been anywhere from 26-32 days.  Some heavy, some light, some 5 days and then the last was 3.  My son is 3 and nursing still, at least 4 times a day.  I have to agree that his nursing has made my cycle change. 
 

[tropicana]

yes. but here's my dynamic. i'm 44, and have been nursing nonstop since age 38. i put on some weight with my first baby, and didn't lose much before the second pregnancy. after the 2nd child, i i stayed overweight for awhile. cycling pretty regular all along. THEN i lost more than 45 pounds. cycling fine for the first 40 pounds lost, but when i got under 150 pounds (i'm 5'6"), i missed my first period ever. 

the primary care doctor told me i'm in menopause! which really gave me pause. but then i got my period (one month late) and saw the gynocologist, who laughed and said it's PREmenopause, but you don't just miss one period and suddenly hit menopause.

anyways, i'm interested in this topic and hearing about your experiences as younger women. 

for me, the timing seems too coincidental. i'm attributing it to my weight loss...

[gitanamama]

Similar experience here. I got my period 18 months after my son was born, but since then, my cycle has been all over the place. It's anywhere between 28 and 36 days and varies between light to heavy. I'm not even positive I'm ovulating at this point--or at least not every month. My son (26 months) still nurses between 6-10 times a day. We're TTC #2 and these wacky cycles make it very difficult!

[goldenwillow]

How is this affecting your overall mood?  I feel "crazy" at times.  At least in the past, I could at least know when I would be "crazy" with PMS.  How about your weight?  I was in my skinny jeans in a month after my son was born.  This past year, gained 14 lbs over the winter, which is normal for me, however, I cannot shake it off.  I can attest my exercise isn't as steady but I am one whom can lose 5lbs over night.  I have Celiacs so gaining and losing weight that quickly is easy due to contamination and such. 

Anyhoo... just wondering. 

[gitanamama]

I can definitely feel a link between my mood and how much my son is nursing (although there are other factors involved too.) The night nursings are what make me feel the craziest---2 years without more than 2 hours of sleep at a time is bound to make anyone feel a bit loony!

[mrs.t]

Thanks for the replies! I definitely feel you on the night nursing, gitanamama! My DS has been slowly cutting back, and he usually sleeps through, but those nights that he doesn't are totally horrible.

I really hate not being able to chart effectively, since we don't really have a regular wake up time, but I don't think I'm super fertile due to the nursing. He's almost 28 months now, and we haven't been all that careful. I got pregnant without even trying the first time, now I feel like even if we were trying I would have to wait until he weaned.

It's just frustrating because I used to be able to predict my period, PMS time, etc.. Now I have no clue...when I'm feeling moody or have a migraine I figure AF is on her way, but I have no way of really knowing. Plus, I had to buy a pack of cheap pregnancy tests just so I won't drive myself crazy when my cycle decides it's going to last 30+ days. Ugh.
 

[goldenwillow]

I had a visit with my MW/ND, pap and check up and told her about my cycle being crazy.  She recommended a rotating seeds diet.  Gonna give it a try August 31st.  I will type out the handout below.  She mentioned that following this diet will bring most women cycle back in about 3 months. 

The rotating seeds diet emphasizes essential fatty acid intake and its effects on the metabolism of estrogen and progesterone in the body.  This diet can be effective for correcting menstrual irregularities, acne and polycystic ovarian syndrome. 

Directions:

From the New Moon to Full Moon:

     Eat 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 1 tablespoon of ground pumpkin seed daily.

From the Full Moon to New Moon:

     Eat 1 tablespoon of ground sesame seed with 1 tablespoon of ground sunflower seed and 3-6 grams of Evening Primrose Oil (see below) daily.

For painful menstruation or excessive bleeding:

     Take 3-6 grams of Evening Primrose Oil everyday.

The seed should be ground on a daily basis because they begin to lose nutritional value after grinding.  Store the unground seeds in the refrigerator to avoid rancidity.

The ground seeds can be added to your morning cereal or oatmeal, mixed with the ingredients in a smoothie or spread on rice or other whole grain at dinner time.  It is important not to cook the ground seeds, but they can be used as a topping when cooked, warm foods.