How long until AF returned for you?

[Jaimee]

Just wondering how long it took AF to return for a variety of mamas. I'm still AF free at 7 months and hoping for many more!

Edited for explanation and apology

In hindsight, I see that I made a few mistakes when creating this poll

1. Please assume the "Around 2 months" option to mean "2 months and prior"... I had no idea so many mamas got their periods back so soon! This poll has been very educational! I apologize for not representing you.

2. If you have had more than one child, please vote based on your first pregnancy. I am a first time mom and totally didn't even think about multiple postpartum periods. I should have allowed multiple votes. I'm still in that "how could anyone go through this all again" phase, so I apologize for not recognizing mamas of more than one dc.

3. The paranthetical comments are simply statistics I read in literature. They were meant to spur conversation (which they have!), but not to offend or imply that you aren't breastfeeding when you indeed are. I see in the thread that many an on-demand bfing, co-sleeping, babywearing mama has gotten AF back quite early. I truly apologize if you were offended by the "average length for non-bf mama" comment.

That being said, I think it's extrememly interesting that so many of you have gotten AF back early despite bfing, bwing, co-sleeping, etc. I guess some women's fertility will not be supressed! I started this poll to see how much longer I might have AF free and it just goes to show that it's ultimately all in your genes.

Thanks for voting!

[Peacemamalove]

I didn't get a period until my daughter stopped nursing at 2 1/2 then I got pregnant the following month :

[earthmama369]

Didn't vote b/c I have more than one answer. After dd's birth, my cycle came back at 9 months post partum. (And I got pregnant 6 weeks later.) DS is 14 months old and my cycle just came back a couple days ago. I think tandem nursing pushed it back a bit.

[Romana]

Started some solids at 6 mos and PPAF came back right at 7 mos. Only had no AF while exclusively BF.

[Peppamint]

6 months, 13 months and 8 months respectively. I got the longest without AF when I was nursing a boobaholic. Shorter amount of time wiht the better sleepers.

[AlpineMama]

I didn't even vote - I got mine back TWO WEEKS after giving birth. : I know that it was a period and not just leftover discharge because I have a regular as clockwork cycle, 28 days, 5 days of flow. On the day of my six week checkup I was on Day 1 of my second period postpartum.

I wasn't bf BUT I was pumping every two hours around the clock for well over a month after giving birth. Of course no milk ever came out while pumping but I was definitely getting the stimulation and trying to relactate...

[nimblemama]

With my dd, AF returned in 6.5 months and after ds it was about 8 months. I nursed on demand, with a little food from 5 months on.

[dajones]

I feel so cheated as AF returned for me w/both DS & DD at about 6 weeks postpartum. I was exclusively bf, cosleeping, no bottles, no pacifiers, AP, etc. I am evious of my friends who don't have a period for a year or more after their births.

[Jaimee]

Oh, I should've allowed multiple votes! I didn't even think about subsequent kids! Is there a way to edit a poll? Even if you've had more than one dc, please vote- just put down what happened with dc#1. And for those whose AF returned too soon (before 2 months), please vote for 2 months anyway (that's what the "around" was supposed to imply, but I should've said 2 months or prior).

Thanks!

[Rockies5]

Ecologically BF around the clock, delay solids till 10months to 1 year and AF has returned before two months with every baby.

with my fifth I was "lucky" to be irregular for the first 6months at least Though, that time it didn't matter since dh had had his vasectomy durring my pregnancy.

[beansavi]

My ds2 will be 19 months in a couple of days and AF still hasn't stopped by for a "visit".

But he was 10 lbs 6 oz at birth, nurse voraciously immediately after birth and still nurses all. the. time.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

I'm still waiting, but DS is only 6 months. From the responses, looks like I have a decent chance of having another 6 to go.

[Momma Aimee]

Ecologically BF around the clock, delay solids till 10months to 1 year and AF has returned before two months with every baby.

thisis ME

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 7 weeks. : : despite EBF and nurseing more than every 90 minutes aroudn the clock all 7 weeks and despite baby wearing and co-sleeping. literaly the only time i was not in contact with him was shower time when DH held him .............. : : :

---------------------------he nursed like new born, 12+ times a day, at least, till past 19 months, then weaned in 2 months due to my pregancy..he still thinks about it though...and no solids till 11 months, and really 99,5% Momma Milk till month 18 -------------------------------

(oh and i cycled every 2 weeks for 6 months : : )

Aimee

[ledzepplon]

Originally Posted by dajones

I feel so cheated as AF returned for me w/both DS & DD at about 6 weeks postpartum. I was exclusively bf, cosleeping, no bottles, no pacifiers, AP, etc. I am evious of my friends who don't have a period for a year or more after their births.

Me, too. My dd did use pacis, but trust me, she spent a LOT of time comfort nursing. I even got my period back six weeks after my ds was born, in spite of tandeming!

No fair.:

[koru]

all 3 of my children were EBF'd (first 2 wouldn't even take a bottle of BM) and my moon returned at ~7-8 weeks each time. none of them were "sleeping through the night" either so i guess my body just works differently than most. lucky me....

edited to say that it doesn't look like i'm that much of the minority after reading the last few posts!

[prairiemommy]

DD - 4 months

DS1 - 3.5 months

DS2 - 4 months

DS3 - long answer - right at 8 weeks I had a period for 4 days. 2 weeks later I had one for 5 days. 2 weeks after that for 10 days. then no period until 5 weeks after that (normal length). Then nothing since. The reason - he got his tongue-tie clipped at 11 weeks old and when my milk supply got back on track, my periods went away (besides that one normal one at 4 months). So really, now that he's 6.5 months, this is pretty good for me!

[blissful_maia]

After dd1, it was 19 months, and this time, dd2 is 10.5 months and still no AF!

[mwherbs]

so I gave my answer for my youngest first-- more than 2.5 years
my 3 rd baby I think was about 24 months
#2 and #1 both were bout 6 months
-----------------------------
although my fertility may have been a bit different---

[ScarletBegonias]

i voted 13-15 months.

dd is a boobaholic too we ebf until 8 mo or so, eco bf, co-sleep, no pacis, no bottles. i do have pcos and have never had regular cycles. i got pg the 2nd cycle i had after dd. hopefully with tandem nursing i won't have af for 18+ months this time.

i honestly think i wanted another babe just so i wouldn't cycle for 2 1/2 more years

i've never had regular periods and the two predictable ones after dd were just too much. i couldn't work (as usual) because of the heavy bleeding i always experience. although since dd i have very little cramping. i never had a period closer together than 3 mo, so every 32 days was too close for comfort

[LemonPie]

With DC #1 it came back at almost exactly 12 months PP. He nursed until he self-weaned at 18 months.

With DC #2 it came back at 13 months PP. She nursed until a week before her second birthday.

Jen