Periods / breast feeding / scared

[El1en]

Hi girls

I was just wondering when your periods started again after giving birth?

Also, I've heard that it's likely to be a longer wait if you exclusively bf than combine feed or formula feed... I breast feed but there have been a few days lately where I've had to help at home on the farm so Lo has gone to granmas. On these days (4 occasions) baby has had expressed milk but also a little bit of formula as I haven't been able to express a full days worth. When she is away at granmas I continue to express but not as often as baby would possibly feed. Would I be classed as a combined feeder even though it's only been 4 occasions in the last 4 weeks? (Baby 8 weeks old now)

My oh would love another baby straight away so they are close in age but I really don't want one yet. I've got an appointment for the coil to be fitted in 2 weeks, my oh hates condoms so we have been using the pull out method but I'm just terrified We're going to mess up and by Lo having that little bit of formula my periods might want to start again sooner

 

[sorpresa_bea]

Everyone is different and their bodies may react to all the variables in different ways. Mine came back at 6 weeks postpartum! That's the earliest they may come back. We had to supplement with formula on weeks 2 and 3, as my supply wasn't sufficient at the time, plus my baby was sleeping 5-6 hours stretches at night, which also contributes. For your body to get the message that you're exclusively breastfeeding, you have to latch every 3 hours or so, and no bottles. That's what my gyn said.

Anyway, relying on no periods during breastfeeding is not a good option, as you could be ovulating but unaware for a couple weeks until your first period shows up.

 

[littlemonkey]

Well I haven't breast fed my son at all, he'll be 8 weeks tomorrow and I still haven't had my first AF yet. It can all vary so much.

I also wouldn't take having no periods yet as a sign you're not ovulating. When I fell pregnant with my eldest I hadn't had a period for 3 months before hand and was worried I wasn't ovulating.

Personally, we are both dead set against another, to the point I'm considering getting sterilised again! We haven't had full on sex since having the baby I'm that worried about falling pregnant again!

 

[El1en]

No I'm not assuming I'm not ovulating, that's what's got me so nervous u know it could be happening at any time

My dr doesn't put a lot of coils in so wanted to wait until I was 10 weeks pp but I'm really wishing she'd just done it at 6 weeks

 

[CARNAT22]

No periods here yet (baby is 5 months) but now she has finally started to go a bit longer at night without feeding I expect to have one soon.

We've had sex just two or three times - bf'ing and having two young children has zapped my libido - but I have used opk's to see if I'm ovulating.... not an ideal or recommended method of contraception!!!!

I expressed days 3-10 bit since then ive ebf every few hours and never had a positive opk.

X

 

[kumber]

I was ebfing and got my AF at 5 weeks so bfing doesn't necessarily absolutely control your cycle. My two are going to be 13 months apart, give or take, and although I'm absolutely exhausted I'm glad that all the baby stuff is done with at the same time and they will grow up together. This isn't for everyone though, it was a choice that suited us and I had to be 100% prepared to go through it. If you're not keen on it, I would wait. That's just my personal opinion though so feel free to ignore

 

[JD.Deedee]

Don't ever rely on the possibility that breastfeeding can stop you from getting pregnant because that way it will end up getting you pregnant!!!
Aside from that due to work my mum used to bring me to my grans at weekend and I would be formula fed my mums supply would kick back in after I'd return.. So I would say your supply would just adjust to your needs.. Though my own supply wasn't kicking in nicely so for me it made me stop but then again at that age it took me an hour to two to get 2 oz pumped out!

 

[El1en]

I've told my oh no more without condoms until the coil is in. This probably means we won't have sex until it's in or I'll cave and we'll continue using the pullout method. I don't want to say no sex as these last 4 weeks have been much better for us as a couple having that bit intamacy- I feel more normal but at the same time I want a 2.5/3 year gap ideally between my kids.

 

[mrswoody]

Just to add in my experience.
I've bf both my girls dd1 until she was 1 and my af didn't return until she was about 9 months old.
I had the implant put in not so long ago, my dd2 is 8 months old and no sign of af again.

Everyone is different x

 

[Rose83]

My 6 month old is exclusively fed on breast milk but I express it all. My periods came back at 4 months. I'm in a regular cycle but it is longer than it was before, used to ovulate on CD16 and now it's on CD26 x

 

[JD.Deedee]

I've told my oh no more without condoms until the coil is in. This probably means we won't have sex until it's in or I'll cave and we'll continue using the pullout method. I don't want to say no sex as these last 4 weeks have been much better for us as a couple having that bit intamacy- I feel more normal but at the same time I want a 2.5/3 year gap ideally between my kids.

Pre cum also can get you pregnant.. Just saying...