EBF at home & pumping at work: when did you period return?

cecilyandgautam

Hi BFing Mamas,

I know the average lactation-induced infertility for an EBFing mom can be around 6+ months, but I can't find any studies on moms who exclusively feed their babies breastmilk by breastfeeding while home & pumping while away. For those of you who've done this before, how long did it last? I'm going on 5 months but I'm guessing it'll come to end sometime this summer. 

Thanks! 

sjuncfan

I'm at 8.5 months (pumping at work for the past 3 months and he's been having solids since 6 months). No AF yet! Hoping she stays away for a while, though I am 39 and thinking about #2 so not TOOOOO long...

AdaraMarie

5 months, luckily I was working from home that day because I had didn't notice any warning signs.

shouldbworkin

With DD it took 9 mos.  Her switching to table foods at 8 mos is what did it for me.

aglenn

6 months for me (with DD), despite the fact that she was not really eating solids yet and still nursed a ton.  I was disappointed it didn't stay away longer.

KaliChick

I pump more than I nurse, but no formula and I had a period at 6weeks.  We'll see if I get another at 10 (next week).

ILoveRunning

It took 14 months for my period to return.  I pumped 2-3x a day at work (9-4) until DS was 12 months old, and then dropped down to 1x a day up until last week.  That being said, I have always nursed on demand at home, and DS still nurses at night.

mabst196

No AF yet. I've been working since he was 8 weeks and he started solids at 6 months.

NLS0412

Unfortunately and very unexpectantly this week. So 7 weeks. 

Bethbsn06

Period started at 6 weeks pp... Same time I returned to work. Had monthly cycles until next BFP.

rubycitrine

Still no AF. I haven't had a period since February 2011. Sweet! I'm loving it.

blu-eyedwife

He'll be 8 months on Saturday and no AF yet.  I BF at home and he's been getting bottles at daycare since 5 months pp.  (so for the past 3 months)  And he's been on table food since 6 months.

abp51008

We are at 14 mos pp an no AF yet. We weaned a month ago at 13 mos. So...Ive not had a period since June 2010! Awesome for some but not if you are wanting to get pg!

kinslersmom

I'm jealous. hes had nothing but bm from birth. i went back to work when he was 2 months so i bf and pump. af arrived the  day he turned 4 months. ive had 3 now, not every 28 days like before, but montly.

boogerbearoriginal

As you can see by the responses it really varies from woman to woman. Still no period here, haven't had one since Oct 2010, LO is 10m.

I returned to work at 11wks and pump 3-4x a day plus nursing evenings/mornings, all day weekends and overnight. LO still nurses 1-2x at night (typically 12a and 5a) and really didn't drop nursing sessions when starting solids. He likes to nurse every 3-4hrs and before/after sleeping. 

He is really attached to nursing, I think in part because I work he likes to reconnect after we're apart all day.

MsCrispy

4 months - I was disappointed it came back so quickly!

cecilyandgautam

Wow, that's a lot of variation. Thank you for your responses ladies. I guess I could have anywhere from another day or another year of it. Well that uncertainty makes natural family planning just that much more exciting! Many thanks!