Trying to speed up return of periods. Skipping a day of breastfeeding?

[squirrel.]

Hi ladies,

I'm after some advice. My daughter is seven months old and I have been EBF her. She is now having two solid meals a day and our breastfeeds are a little less frequent than they were, but she still nurses about five times a day and usually once in the night. I breastfed my son till he was 13 months and have been really hoping to breastfeed my daughter until she's at least 12 months or until she self-weans.

The thing is, we would really like to get pregnant with our third and last child and breastfeeding is preventing it from happening. For various reasons, both personal choice and work reasons (as well as financial reasons) it would be much much better for us as a family if we could have our last baby as soon as possible so we haven't been using any contraception. Unfortunately, when I was breastfeeding my son, I didn't get my first postpartum period until I'd completely stopped feeding him. It was a few weeks after I stopped that they finally came back. I was hoping that they'd come back sooner this time (my daughter feeds a lot less in the night than my son and less during the day too I would say), but that doesn't seem to be happening.

I thought weaning onto solids might help, but it hasn't yet. I started wondering about what might happen if I had a 24 hour period break from breastfeeding and expressing (feeding my daughter expressed milk). I know I would be uncomfortably engorged, which can lead to blocked ducts and mastitis. I also have no way of knowing whether this abrupt change would trigger the return of ovulation or not. Most of all though, I'm aware this could damage my supply, which I would always feel guilty about. I don't know whether to attempt it and am seeking some advice on the matter? Firstly, is it likely to trigger ovulation and secondly, do you think it would irreparably damage my supply? (I was imagining that for the next few days I would feed a lot more frequently to bring it back up again - I've always been lucky in that I have great supply and have never struggled with feeding in terms of supply or expressing).

Thanks for listening to me ramble!! Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

 

[luna_19]

I personally wouldn't risk it, your supply may drop amd your lo may go on a strike plus the risk of mastits is pretty real even at 7 months. No cycle is your body's way of saying it isn't ready to nourish another baby right now, when it is ready your cycle will return. Mine came back at 14.5 months which is apparently the average.

 

[J22]

I agree with the above lady, I wouldn´t risk it wither at this stage, she´s only 7 months and milks number one right now. Can´t you wait a few more months to start ttc? Mine period came back at 13 months and I got pregnant again in my following cycle. I didn´t reduce feeds, in fact at that stage I was still feeding around 4 times a day and between 3 and 6 times a night.

 

[Larkspur]

My period came back after seven months with my son even though he fed many times a day and through the night.

My daughter's now nine months and feeds a lot less, but still no sign of AF. I even had 14 hours away from her recently on a business trip, but it didn't make any difference to my period returning. On the other hand, it did smash my milk supply, and I am really struggling to rebuild it, so do be very careful about trying anything similar.

I have to do the same trip every month now, so I'm just hoping I can hold onto enough supply to last till she's old enough to wean onto cow or goat milk.