fertility return and breastfeeding (beyond one year)

[babymonkey18]

My son loves breastfeeding...he'll be 18 months in a week and he still nurses every 1-2 hours at night and most days nurses at least 3-4 during the day (more than once during his nap). That being said, I have yet to have a post-partum period. While this makes me happy, I also want to possibly start to ttc sometime nearer to his second birthday but at this rate, I'm not sure that will be possible. I do acknowledge that his love of nursing and closeness to me (he has lot of trouble sleeping on his own, has never sttn, etc) might just be the natural way of saying he's not ready for a sibling so if my fertility stays away, so be it.

Anyway, I was having no noticeable cm for about 13 months. It returned around month 14. And just last week I had a huge GUSH of ewcm. And around that time, I also felt pain while nursing, and I read ovulation can cause nipple soreness. My nipples did feel sore even while showering, but I thought it might just be a lingering feeling from the somewhat painful nursing. I know I don't have thrush or anything. There are no sores or anything. I thought maybe his latch is just off because he is getting his canines in. But upon thinking about it further, I don't think it's latch anymore.

Anyone else experience these symptoms and find their period return soon after? I know I'll find out soon enough if my period is coming, but just thought I'd poke-around.

 

[noon_child]

You can 'not-have-periods' and still get pregnant while breastfeeding. It is less likely than if you have seen periods return but it is certainly not out of the question. I have met 2 Mums who have got pregnant around a year postpartum with no periods, and considering I don't know that many Mums that is not a bad result!

Breastfeeding is only reliable contraception for the first six months of baby's life (if done exclusively and on demand -no pacifiers etc.). After month six, anything goes!

 

[babymonkey18]

I know just wondering if anyone else has the crazy amounts of cm and then their first period

 

[Kelskiii]

R is 17months, I have had the odd period here & there, it generally happens when she sleeps through the night ............. which has happened maybes 4 times & each time I've got my period!! Generally I get sore nipples when i'm due to start my period but haven't noticed any other changes.

R only feeds once to sleep & has recently started mornings again but I think that's to do with teething.

 

[noon_child]

Oh and I have lots more CM now that I've become a mother (sometimes it gushes) but I'm on a contraceptive coil.

 

[Ganton]

My LO is 14 months and I had my first AF a couple of weeks a go. However, I'd been watching carefully for its return for about 4 months previously as I seemed to get the phases of EWCM and cramping that you might expect with a normal cycle but just without the AF. Even the AF that I had wasn't quite normal and it was very short and light, so I still don't think everything is quite working fully yet. It'll be interesting to see whether I have a normal length cycle with ovulation this time, or whether it'll be delayed again given that LO seems to have increased his feeding again this week.

 

[babymonkey18]

Thanx for your responses, ladies! It's helpful to hear.

 

[Rainstorm]

I did have a lot of CM for a few months and then a pseudo period that lasted two half days (it came, went came went), then next month nothing (but I didn't get pg cos I tested) and then some 20 days later BFP. I was TTC so it was great news