Period started and stopped again while tandem nursing

[ashleybess]

Hi there! Apologies if this is a common thing and someone's posted about it before - I couldn't seem to find anything with a search.

My daughter is almost 16 months and my son is close to 3.5 years. I nurse them both and they both still nurse relatively frequently - a few times a day and a few times at night.  I started menstruating again just around the time my daughter turned a year old. I had three cycles of normal length (marked them on the calendar) but a week and a half or so ago when my period should have arrived, nothing happened. I was worried about pregnancy even though my husband had a vasectomy a year ago. I tested- negative (whew!).

My period still hasn't shown, though. Is it normal for your period to start and stop again like this while nursing or should I be worried? My children haven't really markedly increased the frequency with which they nurse. I'm wondering what's going on. Any insights would be much appreciated! Thanks!

[skycheattraffic]

I do think that's a little unusual since you had three cycles of regular length. My period started much earlier but was quite irregular for a while.
I know you probably don't want to hear this but there is a chance you're pregnant. If you used a urine test, it is possible to get a false negative if your hormones are outside its sensitive window. This can happen by testing too early or too late! When my period was about a week late last fall, I took two urine tests. One in the evening that I honestly had a hard time reading. It looked like an extremely faint positive but I wasn't sure if there was anything really there. Next morning I took another one with my wakeup pee and it was definitely negative. I was confused and went to see my dr. He ordered a blood test and sure enough I was pregnant! I didn't really have early symptoms, they started up around 6 to 8 weeks. I'm 18 weeks now, due in July. I urge you to call your dr simply to rule out pregnancy. I did have regular periods for about 8 to 10 months and then they started getting irregular even though DD didn't really change her frequency much. It could just be a glitch but a week and a half late with negative urine tests sounds so familiar to my story. Good luck! Let me know if you find out, I'm curious and nosy

[ashleybess]

Uh oh. You're scaring me a little bit! My husband bought a two-pack of preg tests so I still have one left. I'm off to a yoga class but I'll take it later today and see what that says and report back!

[skycheattraffic]

I'm sorry I scared you, but it just sounded so familiar. Hopefully it's nothing. It wasn't too big a deal for us because we were planning for a second baby, although this one is a bit ahead of schedule. I'd just rule it out with the blood test to be sure.

[ashleybess]

Well, I took the second pregnancy test - negative. Granted I had drank a lot of water... but I think I'm going to wait on the blood test for a few weeks at least and see if my period comes on its own. If by some incredible cosmic joke one little guy did sneak past my husband's vasectomy and forge its way on to conception then it would be hard to deny this babe was truly divinely sent and we couldn't really be upset about it... BUT even if that's true I'd prefer to live in blissful ignorance for a few more weeks :)

[skycheattraffic]

Lol about the sneaky little guy. Keep your eyes open for other symptoms, just in case.

[1babysmom]

Once while I was triandem nursing I had been having cycles since 3 months PP (yeah...boo...but they were anovulatory for a while) and then DD1 stopped nursing at 8 months PP (so just back to nursing two).  I was still "cycling" regularly but then I just flat out skipped a period at 11 months PP!  It was the first time EVER in my life that I just skipped one.  Really threw me off.

[ashleybess]

"Triandem nursing" - love it!!! I got my period back at 5 months pp with DS despite exclusive, ecological (and dang near constant) nursing. I've always wished I were one of those lucky gals who don't start cycling until their children have completely weaned. I try to embrace my 'moon time' but honestly I wouldn't mind having an (even more extended) break from it!

Speaking of, my period still hasn't shown... if it's still AWOL in a few weeks I might make that doctor's appointment, though first I'll have to find a doctor to go to (not sure what that emoticon means, I just liked it)