Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Period? Now?

I understand that there are many breastfeeding mommies here. I am a man and has no glue pertaining to the relation between breastfeeding and period. As far as I can understand from my limited knowledge, as long as a woman is breastfeeding, she will remain infertile, no ovulation and hence no period. Right?

After giving birth, my wife has been breastfeeding Ryan ever since. And her period did not come for the last five months. Suddenly, she told me a couple of days ago, she had her period and was rather heavy too. She was puzzled and needless to say, I can offer no explanation except to get her to check with her married friends and call up her doctor.

We have yet to call, but most of her friends affirmed that period will come around 6 months and the volume of breast milk will start to reduce. This information got her worried, as she has intended to breastfeed Ryan for as long as she possibly can.

Any mommies out there care to share your experience? Seriously need some advice.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I suppose different people has different body. My friend had been fully breastfeeding her first daughter. Her period come after 6 months but she still manage to continue fully b/feeding the daughter until she reach more than 1 years old. As for me, when I was b/feeding my daughter, the period come only after I stop b/feeding.

Also after 6 months, ur baby may not need that much of b/milk already as he will start taking the semi solid.

sting said...

hmmm, different people different bodies? some breastfed for more than 1 year and their period did not come during this time. but some have their period during their breastfeeding time and it didn't affect the amount of milk, while some experienced diminishing supply. So I can't really say.

But if your wife would like to continue breastfeeding, do ask her to be patient and persistent

Anonymous said...

Nothing to be alarmed. It's depending on a person's hormone and the frequency of breastfeed. It won't affect the supply of the BM. In order to have sufficient BM, you have to maintain a healthy diet, drink more fluid, some say consume certain supplements will help also.

Like myself, my period came in the 3rd month. That time, I hardly breastfed at night since Jonathan don't wake up for night feed. My BM reduced because of work stress and hardly drink water in the office. I'm still breastfeeding Jonathan but not fully. I'm taking protein powder and it helps for me.

LittleLamb said...

absolutely wrong on the info that if u r breastfeeding, then u r infertile... i hv many friends who had unprotected sex..ended up pregnant with their number 2 .....

2. the period n amount of bm does not equate one. so dont worry. even she got period, she will still hv bm. just take funegeek, papaya soup, etc to enhance lor...

Anonymous said...

Seriously, its hard to say... but for me, it was the so-called perfect case lor... one month AFTER breastfeeding stopped, my period came.
Same for my cousin who breastfed her boy for 1 year. Her period only came after she had stopped breastfeeding for 1 month....

ask doctor, to ease the heart from the pain of uncertainty...

Daddy said...

Hi Ladies. Thanks for sharing. Wife is not so alarmed now. Will still be checking with her doctor nevertheless.

Physiomom said...

I breastfed for almost 2 yrs. During the times I breastfed quite regularly & frquently for 1 yr..my perios didnt come. Later when I started to reduce the feeding frquency due to their solid intakes increasing, my period came back.
As long as your wife has EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding (meaning about 8 times a day..rest for sure she wont get pregnant) but anything less than that or oredi mix with formula..you better wear the CAP or count the days to avoid sex during fertile period.

Serene said...

Yes.. my period cames after about 6months i give birth. By that time I still breastfeeding my ger, but notice the volume of the milk had reduce, so slowly i stop BF already.

Anonymous said...

my period came in the 2.5 mth..i ws shocked (been xclusive BF my son this time)..hence, i went to clinic..doc. said it's ok bcoz my hormone is stable.. those who's late bcoz their hormone not stable yet..

so, dont worry..yr wife still can continue BF..keep on BF or pump EBM.. so that the BM will be stimulated to the max..

fyi, i've been BF my son fr 19 mth++ (w/out any formula milk)..until now..

Kristie said...

my period came around the 2nd mth already even though i was still bf... and NO, bf is not a contraceptive to not getting pregnant!!! be careful :)

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