The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Mini Money Mustaches => Topic started by: little_brown_dog on April 15, 2016, 10:34:10 AM
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Sorry if this is TMI.
So I stopped breastfeeding over 3 months ago (BF for 3 months) and have yet to restart my cycle. I spoke with the midwife and she said that while most women get their period by now, some women take 6 months or even longer. We decided to wait until this summer (6 mo post BF, 9 mo post birth) before trying to restart the cycle with medication. I like this plan so far because I try to avoid medicine whenever possible and wanted to wait a little longer. I’m more of a “let nature take its course” kinda gal.
Has anyone ever had this happen to them? Everything I can find about women requiring 6 months or longer to restart their period seems to happen to women who exclusively BF for a long time, not just 3 months. I was on the pill for years, and then had a relatively normal cycle pattern when TTC (I say relatively because I was always miscarrying every few months before I finally got one that stuck). I don’t want to rush my body if it isn’t ready, but at the same time I don’t like being completely in the dark about my fertility especially when I’m pushing the boundaries of what is usually expected.
We want to start TTC #2 in the late summer/fall around the time the baby is 1. There is no big rush on this, but at the same time I don't want to be mysteriously period free going into the fall.
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I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy not having to deal with it while you're waiting for it to come back. Nature will probably take its course. Also, not worrying about it could cause it to happen more spontaneously anyway. It'll probably happen eventually. But you can always jumpstart it if you feel the need to.
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I wouldn't worry about it yet. Your body is just adjusting. First pregnancy they gave me the meds. The day I was supposed to start - I did a pregnancy test just on a whim - bingo. Didn't need a jump start. Second time it happened again. Checked hormones and prolactin was high. Started charting so I knew what was going on. Finally it returned on its own. Best of luck on whatever you decide.
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I would not worry at all, your body is still recovering from the baby, and it could take several months to get back on a normal pattern again. I always BF, but my cycles did tend to come back around 9-12 months, even with still BFing. Our bodies need time to recover from childbirth
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I wouldn't be too worried. My period returned 11 months PP with my first and 18 months PP with my second. I was still BFing.
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It's pretty normal for it not to back yet. My daughter was 15 months before mine came back. Admittedly she was still breast fed but had been in solid food for 9 months by then. Maybe it's because I'm in another country but I've never heard of anyone needing medicine to restart their cycle.
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I BF for 6 months, only part-time (no overnights past 3 months), and didn't get a period until 9 months, and then the next at 12 months (all regular after). There's a pregnancy group I'm part of with ~150 members, and scores have mentioned not getting periods for up to 13 months, regardless of breastfeeding. Not uncommon at all.
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You might try charting wtih an app like fertility friend. That way you have a good heads up because you can ovulate before your first period. That is what happened to me when I found myself pregnant after baby #1.
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Thanks everyone! I just got a little concerned because everything I read made it seem like it was totally weird if a non BF mom goes 6mo or more without a period. I was hardcore trying to BF for the first 3 months despite serious issues so maybe my body is still delayed because of that. I'm going to just wait it out for now and try to enjoy its absence.
Yeah, I say give your body a break. I went several months without a natural period after going off the Pill and my doc would give me progesterone to bring on my period. It was extremely unpleasant (worst PMS ever) and I really believe that it didn't help--that my body just got back with the program when it was ready. Good luck!
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I agree - give your body a break. 9 months PP is really early to start trying again.
I did not exclusively BF my kids (low milk supply), but they were BFed for 6-7 months each. My cycles started again when they were 1 year old. So that's 6 months post-BFing. Totally normal.
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I agree it's totally normal. Breastfeeding or no, your hormones can still be shifting up to a year after birth, which is how PPD can sometimes onset really late in the game. Do you temp at all? That could give you a little window into what your body is doing and some clues as to when things might be turning back on again.
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+1 to some type of charting if you're up for it. "Taking Charge of your Fertility" is recommended by everyone for good reason. It rocks.
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Glad it here it all sorted itself out without an intervention required. Yes, the first period PP is a bitch cramp-wise. My first few were awful, with really heavy flows too, but soon got back to normal.