[Arete]

Sorry for the awful thread title! I'm just writing because I'm starting to want to TTC, and am wondering when my period is coming back. DS is 13 months old; I know it can go longer than that, and I never thought I'd miss it, but I am getting antsy. The little guy is a tremendous nurser, and I would never pressure him to ease off; if that's the reason, so be it, but I was curious if anyone knows any way to encourage the cycles to start again.

 

[RavenStar]

I like your thread title. It made me smile.

With our first daughter, my period came back earlier than with our second. Both were around 12 months, give or take. In both cases, it seemed to come back once they went longer between nursing sessions. So either they started sleeping more at night or, as in the case with DD1, I went back to work and was gone sometimes for 8 hours.

I'm definitely not saying you should wean to get your period back. Just letting you know how my body worked. Wishing you all the best!

 

[Babes in arms]

Statistically, PPAF returns when you are regularly going 8-12 hours between two nursing sessions on a daily basis. For most of us, that happens with night weaning. Mine waited until 18-19 months pp each time.

 

[Jaimee]

Every woman is so different. Some breastfeeding mothers get AF back at 2 months pp and others go 3 years. Have you noticed any signs of returning fertility like fertile cervical fluid? With my first it was 8 months and with my second it was 12 months, both were avid nursers and poor sleepers. But with my first my cycles were not regular or fertile until a year after AF returned. When dd night weaned and started sleeping through the night, that's when my cycle suddenly became fertile again. With my second I was fertile the second cycle I had and got an oops pregnancy to prove it!

At any rate, your body just needs some more time and you may find that your LO will need to reduce nursing sessions before things start to resume and regulate. I'm not suggesting you wean or even night wean at this point, but it's possible that that is what will need to happen for your fertility to return. I know TTC is a very personal decision and everyone has different needs, but I'm a strong believer that our bodies space our children based on what we can handle physically and emotionally. My first is very spirited and high needs and I never could have handled a second until after she reached those milestones that allowed my fertility to return. My second is much easier going and apparently my body deemed me ready to conceive just 14 months later. Just food for thought! Good luck with everything!