Stopped Breastfeeding, Now 1St Period Is on Day 13

That happened to me after my first born, and I had to have a D&C to remove a peice of placenta that was still in my uterus. After that my periods went back to normal.

My first couple lasted quite a while. They were also very bad. I too had to go to the Dr. I woke up one morning and there was blood all over my clothes and sheets. They did blood work and my iron was fine so, they told me if it was that bad for a couple more days to come back again. It was very scary for me because I had hemmoraged after having my son. It should get better it just took a couple months!

Your body will take time to adjust after breastfeeding. If the amount of blood is of concern to you, see your doctor. I had a period that lasted several weeks, and they gave me pills to stop it. (They were basically high-dose BC pills that I had to take for a day or two.)

If you want to go the natural route, try Evening Primrose Oil. In the long run, EPO has pretty much eliminated my cramps and made my periods lighter.

Two other herbal supplements that can help with periods are Vitex (also called Chastetree) and Yarrow. Yarrow can reduce the amount of bleeding, and Vitex can regulate periods, making them more regular and predictable. Vitex should not be taken indefinitely. I've read differing things about how long to take it, but most say no more than a few months.

I have had good luck with these 3 supplements in the past. Please do your own research before taking them, especially if you are on other medication or have a health condition!

My first two periods after I stopped nursing were not normal for me. Give it time

13 days seems like a long time to have your period--I'd give your gynecologist a call to see his/her ideas...hope it ends soon!

I have super light periods, like 2-3 days and thne they are gone. After the birth of my first, my period came back at month 4 (still full time breastfeeding) and it was like normal. With my youngest, I didn't get my period back until hew as 10mos old (still full time breastfeeding) and it was awful. I had cramps worse than contractions in labor. I literally thought I was going to die from cramps, or bleed to death. For 3 mos my periods were very heavy and lots of cramping, and lasted atl east a week. The 4th month it got lighter, and subsequent months got lighter and then finally back to normal. I have an IUD now and haven't had a period in about 17mos.

My point is, its normal, however if you are feeling sick or woozy, call yoru doctor, you CAN become ill from loss of blood. If your period is very heavy, or you are passing large clots the ncall your doctor.

K.,
The joy of not having your period both while pregnant and breastfeeding is indeed wonderous, however, it will come back in full force. I know of women that have had their period last an entire month. Mine was so heavy that after 3 weeks I went to the doctor (for fear I would become ill) and was given an Rx to stop the bleeding.
Wish I had better news for you!
J.

Hi K.,
I haven't even stopped nursing yet, I got my period for the first time last month and I ended up in the ER. The bleeding was out of control. The Dr. there said that it was very normal. I followed up with my doc and she confirmed. She said the same thing happened to her. There is a medication to help stop or slow the bleeding. My doctor recommended Ibuprofen for cramping and she said it can sometimes help slow blood flow.
One concern is anemia. You should check in with your OB.
Stay hydrated and rest!

D

mine were wacky after each baby too. were you on the pill before you got pregnant? that regulates you. any time i'm not on the pill i'm irregular, but especially it has gotten worse after each child. but the pill gives me migraines, so i'd rather have the weird periods.

K., wow dont know, all i know is i was not so lucky, i know they do change after a pregnancy, and breastfeeding did not keep my periods away, after my first one, i bled for a month, and breastfed for about 1 year, however a month after the baby was born and i stopped bleeding a week later i had a period, 2nd child, i bled after delivery for about 2 weeks, then it stopped, then i did some stenuous work and it came right back, for like another two weeks, also breastfeeding for like 6 months, so it messes all of us, and funny thing i dont remember after the 3rd one, i guess i was too busy, but ive had periods for 7-9 days sometimes, if you have concerns go talk to your doctor, so be glad you had the break you had, some of us dont get that , and wait and check and see what happens next month and chart things down, keep a watch on things, any way , have a good day and enjoy your little bundle of joy, D. s

I would check with your gyn to make sure that everything is ok. I can tell you though that it is not unheard of to take some time to get back on a normal cycle. I nursed all three of mine and had unpredictable periods for a few months after each of them. In particular, after weaning my second I had my period for a week, a week break, and then another period for a week. After a few cycles I was back to my regular cycle.

With my first son I got my period about 3 weeks after I stopped nursing and it lasted on and off for a month. I too had a normal period of 3-5 days. My doctor told me it was fine. It would go from heavy to light and I would think it was done then it start up heavier again! It was very annoying. Hang in there it will end!

You didn't say how old you are or how heavy it is.

I put in an IUD at age 38 and my periods shot from 3 days to 15 days. When I called my doctor, she said that it was not the IUD, it's getting older. Welcome to Peri menopause! Mine are not heavy for most days, but annoying consistent.

I think it's relatively "normal" -whatever that means- but if you are in doubt, I would call your doctor. We always say to follow our instincts with our kids because it's better to be safe than sorry. Do the same for yourself, too! I wouldn't stress, but there's no harm in calling and describing your symptoms. Then the doctor or their nurse can give you other things to look out for that might indicate that it's not your normal post-bf period.

When I stopped BF, around the time my son was 11 months old, I had a couple of very long and heavy periods. I actually called the Dr. because I had a couple that were very bad.

However, prior to getting pregnant I always had heavy periods that lasted the full week (shorter on BC).

So, I'd say give it a few cycles and then if you aren't back to normal call the Dr.

Just watch for the signs of anemia though.

Good Luck!

Right after I stopped nursing M. girls, I started to get M. period every 2 weeks, but they were only for 4-5 days. After this happening for a couple months, I quit taking the birth control pill I was on & am totally regular again. (I was never regular on M. own before). I think it just takes your body some time to get used to.

No that is not normal--I would call your dr.