should i be having a period while breastfeeding??

[mrsbrickelltobe]

hi all!

i was under i8mpression that if you exclusively breastfed you wouldnt have periods and thats why some women used it as contraception.

well a period arrived three days ago and im still feeding so wondering why.

thought id mention that we had an accident with a condom last week so midwife arranged levonelle for me (morning after pill) as we dint want a nine month old and a newborn!! would this be the reason im bleeding a week on or is ot a proper period?

thanks for any replies you leave...

 

[Squiglet]

the MAP could quite possibly be the reason why you've had bleeding... but breastfeeding doesn't mean you won't have periods, it just reduces your fertility. I know many people who've had periods while feeding.

 

[mrsbrickelltobe]

ah right my midwife said to me that she didnt think id need morning after pill as i wasnt ovulating/having periods due to feeding but shed give it to me for peace of mind.

 

[soverign]

When I took the morning after pill I started spotting. It lasted nearly two months!

 

[lisa282]

I breastfed my first baby but my periods returned just 3 weeks after his birth, and fell straight back into a normal cycle so I dont believe for a minute this thing about breastfeeding being a contraceptive! Just like most things we go through, every woman is different, so what works for one will be totally different for another. Probably wise to get the morning after pill, and if you wanna get back into a normal sex life then think about a long term contraceptive, cos you just cant predict what your cycle will be like in these first months. Better to be safe than sorry!