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pigeonberry
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 11:07am | IP Logged
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I'm nursing my 14 month old son and I have not had a period yet. I know that this sometimes happens when you're an ecological breastfeeder. My concern is that I actually nurse him less than I did my daughter. With my daughter, my cycles returned at 10 months postpartum. Has anybody had this experience? Maybe I should also note that I'm a little underweight nursing my son whereas with my daughter I hung on to the last 5 pounds. My diet is completely different with my son than it was with my daughter. I'm now gluten-free with high saturated fats and lots of protein comprising the bulk of my calories. I also don't eat refined sugar.
Does anyone have any thoughts on why this would be happening?
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 11:15am | IP Logged
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I know some women naturally go for two years or so without a period even while only infrequently bf'ing. Other things that could cause you to not have a period:
1) low thyroid
2) menopause
3) new pregnancy
and I'm sure there are others! 
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pigeonberry
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 11:27am | IP Logged
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Maybe I should get my thyroid checked? Gosh, I hope it's not that though it very well could be. Part of the reason I went gluten-free had to do with hypo-thyroid type symptoms. Being gluten-free did help with those symptoms though.
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 11:39am | IP Logged
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It is a simple blood test to check thyroid levels. Before I was diagnosed with celiac, I was very low thyroid and went on Synthroid. The damage to the vilii meant I wasn't absorbing nutrients from the foods I was eating, so I was anemic and vitamin D deficient as well. My understanding is that hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) can be caused by an inability to absorb enough iodine. You might also check your diet to see if you are getting enough salt with iodine, whether celtic sea salt or iodized table salt.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 11:47am | IP Logged
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Kelp is a good source of iodine as well.
But it's entirely possible that your body is just reacting differently this time. As LeeAnn said, I know of women who will remain without cycles as long as the baby is nursing at all, no matter how infrequently.
Being underweight can also effect your cycles. Or high (and I mean high) levels of purposeful exercise, partly the exercise and I think it's also a factor in the percentage of body fat. A women usually doesn't cycle if her body fat is below 10% I think it is.
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 11:48am | IP Logged
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No, it's totally normal. I have nursed nine children. I don't get my cycle back 'til those babies are weaned. That has meant sometimes up to 2 years. For many of my babies, I would wean, get my cycle back, and then conceive the very next month (or without getting a period). The hormones just kicked back in (when I was younger). How old are you?----that might be affecting it.
It is possible that our bodies are a little more sensitive to prolactin than perhaps the average woman, but it does not necessarily mean there is something pathological going on (although check that out if you have any instincts there, of course). And it is a natural form of allowing God to space in the earlier years....He knows what is best for you and for your family. 
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RyaneM
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 12:08pm | IP Logged
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I did not conceive again until I completely weaned my oldest. He nursed for a long time (mainly just at night before bed) so it seemed like I would never conceive again. I did get my period back when he was about 14-15 months but had irregular cycles until he weaned. Once he weaned, I conceived right away.
Like Nina said, I think it is that some women's bodies are just extra sensitive to the prolactin.
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Marcia
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 3:44pm | IP Logged
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you are probably within normal limits due to your low weight. If you want to conceive again, you might have to stop breastfeeding...or gain some weight. That sounds like both are not your first choices?
I don't usually get my return of cycles until I have weaned or my child is sleeping through the night (for me this is at around 18months postpartum). I am a little underweight by then too. This has happened for me with my last four babies.
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pigeonberry
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 5:46pm | IP Logged
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Thanks ladies. I think my concern is how different my cycles have been affected by 2 different babies. I was expecting my period at around the 10 month mark because that's what happened with my first (especially since I nursed her more). Now, he's 14 months and still no period. I hate being underweight (just a few pounds, but still). I figure that issue will go away once I completely wean him. I do have to say I feel so much better emotionally with my second than I did with my first and I do believe my hormones were WAY out of wack with my first. I was always crying uncontrollably and I had major anxiety issues. Perhaps, after changing my diet, my body is actually doing what it's supposed to be doing by stopping ovulation. (I'm referring to my own body and not that that's what should happen to every woman's body).
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melanie
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| Posted: March 16 2010 at 6:11pm | IP Logged
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My period has come back later with each one...6 months with my first, 10 months with my second, almost a year with my third. Not sure why, but I've been glad. And Ironically, my first was my champion barracuda-baby, nursed all the time. My third has nursed least...she's a finger sucker.
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SaraP
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| Posted: March 17 2010 at 12:45pm | IP Logged
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pigeonberry wrote:
| Thanks ladies. I think my concern is how different my cycles have been affected by 2 different babies. |
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This is also perfectly normal. There can be a BIG difference in the length of breastfeeding infertility from baby to baby and it doesn't necessarily correlate with the amount baby nurses.
After my first baby my fertility returned at 10 *weeks* and my first two children are only 16 months apart. After babies 2 and 3 it was more than a year before my cycles resumed. All were ecologically breastfed and the first definitely nursed more than the others.
I have seen the same thing with my breastfeeding NFP clients (I am an NFP teacher), too. The return of fertility can be unpredictable and there isn't always an obvious reason for the variation. So as long as you are feeling well, I don't think you have anything to be concerned about at this point.
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hopalenik
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| Posted: March 18 2010 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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Hi,
I have had 6 kids (one was as set of twins). My variation in return to fertility is 9 months, 10 months, 12 months, 10 months, 13 months.
This last one is first baby I had that ever slept through the night at 12 months. So I wouldn't worry. Ever post partum is different for some women and for others everything is the same...
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sewcrazy
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| Posted: March 18 2010 at 6:53pm | IP Logged
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My cycles returned later and later with each child. 9 months with the first 12 months with the next, then 15 months, 20 months, 24 months.
I view it as another way God, and my body, have helped me space my children at a manageable distant
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LeeAnn
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RamFam
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| Posted: March 18 2010 at 7:47pm | IP Logged
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So what am I doing wrong? My cycles have returned at 4 months and 7 months. I'd like a little more spacing this time...
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 18 2010 at 8:06pm | IP Logged
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You may not be doing anything "wrong", Leah.. my cycles return at 8 weeks.. anovulatory until about 4 months.. then sporatic for a bit. And that's even with tandem nursing.
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Erin
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| Posted: March 19 2010 at 2:01am | IP Logged
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Chatting with friends the consensus is oftenthe more children you have the longer it gets before fertility returns. But not always.
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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: March 19 2010 at 9:34am | IP Logged
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I think it can vary from baby to baby. With my first my cycle came back at 8 weeks (with nursing all the time, cosleeping, no pacifier), after my 2nd it came back at 10 months, 3rd at 12 months and 4th at 10 months. (and some of those kids took pacifiers and none coslept!)
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Topic: Breastfeeding Infertility Question
