Why, hello, AF! « Back to Group Discussions

[Tbutton]

So I'm really perplexed. I seem to have started my period today, and it really surprised me! I'm 6 weeks postpartum as of yesterday, and my lochia finally ended about a week ago. I know this is AF, because it looks, feels, and (TMI!) smells different than my lochia. With my daughter, I had one short period when she was around three months old, then it didn't come back until she was 14 or 15 months old. My cycles took a whole to regulate, and it took us over a year to conceive again, despite our best efforts . I'm just not sure what to make of this development. Cormac doesn't take a paci, and he nurses very often. He usually sleeps pretty well at night, only waking up a couple times to eat- maybe that's the problem? I just really thought that doing things completely naturally, as in exclusively breastfeeding on demand, co sleeping, etc would keep my cycle at bay... If I got pregnant really soon, what would I do when my milk inevitably dried up when Cormac was only a few months old? I just really thought the whole ecological breastfeeding thing kept this from being a problem! Anyway, anyone have any thoughts?? Maybe I should post in the breastfeeding forum?

[organicviolin]

wow that really stinks! Are you opposed to using condoms for a while? We're going to use lamb condoms (we both HATE latex) until I get an IUD. We aren't comfortable with permanent, and my DH says that our 3rd is our last. But, I say, we just see what it's supposed to be...

[tiqa]

I got mine too =/  last week.  DD2 was all of 2.5 weeks old on day 1.

And yes, I'm sure mine was AF as well.  I have a history of it... DD1 was born 10 months after DS was, so I ovulated really quick.  After DD1 it took 10 months to get my cycle back, but I guess this time I got mine back at 2 ish weeks again, just like after DS.  (And yes.. I'm exclusively nursing her, lots of skin to skin, wearing her most of the day, etc.) Bah.

I dunno what to do about birth control either!  We're "done" I think, but don't want to do anything irreversible just yet.  BUT I can't do anything hormonal, can't do condoms, and the copper IUD I had implanted in me before.  I think we'll just have to go back to the trusty withdrawal method (which always worked for us, ironically), but considering another pregnancy could be super bad for my health, I'm not sure I'm all that comfortable with the risk.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with making these choices so soon, it would have been nice to have a bit of a break from fertility first!!

[Tbutton]

I'm so sorry Tiqa. I was also really looking forward to having a break from fertility.

We're not comfortable with any artificial birth control which leaves natural family planning and lactational amenorrhea- which is what we did after DD, and we were very successful. Of all the principals of ecological breastfeeding, we seem to be missing comfort nursing the most. He just hasn't been able to nurse to sleep with my oversupply going on, and I can't calm him with nursing. I'm just going to keep trying to get there and hope to stave off ovulation.

As it turned out, I only bled for one day, and then it was gone. I'm guessing it was a mini period, so I guess I'll just be watching my cervical fluid like a hawk from now on!