# Is night nursing keeping my period away? Baby just turned a year old and still no AF!



## JFTB1177 (Sep 9, 2008)

My baby turned a year old a couple of weeks ago and I still haven't gotten my first PPAF. He is eating real food and drinking whole milk but he's a booby boy and still nursing all. night. long. He also nurses between 1-2 times during the day. So yeah, I haven't gotten a full nights sleep in over a year.

Do you think the night nursing is keeping AF away?


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

It is so variable for people! I think I read years ago that the average for return is about 10 months for scheduled nursing and around 14 for ecological nursers. The range is sooooo huge, though even for the same person (mine returned before DD was a year and after DS was 2!). Some people get it back if they have even one 2-3 time span, others not until the child is fully weaned. You're definately not alone to have no period at 12 months post-partum, though!


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## JFTB1177 (Sep 9, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TiredX2*
> 
> It is so variable for people! I think I read years ago that the average for return is about 10 months for scheduled nursing and around 14 for ecological nursers. The range is sooooo huge, though even for the same person (mine returned before DD was a year and after DS was 2!). Some people get it back if they have even one 2-3 time span, others not until the child is fully weaned. You're definately not alone to have no period at 12 months post-partum, though!


Thank you so much for this!!! It made me feel better because I was starting to get concerned!


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JFTB1177*
> 
> Thank you so much for this!!! It made me feel better because I was starting to get concerned!


Oh, you definately don't need to get concerned. Thinner women tend to *on average* have a delayed onset of nursing, subsequent nurslings tend to delay it longer (along with increased age)... For some people it is an issue because they have a time line on conception of future children, but there is really no reason to be concerned after a year. Enjoy your body getting a chance to increase it's iron stores. And congrats and good job for making it a whole year


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## JFTB1177 (Sep 9, 2008)

Thanks so much, Tiredx2! That rings true for me because I am 34, so maybe that's why it's taking longer this time?


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## KristyDi (Jun 5, 2007)

Just wanted to second what's already been said. It varies so much person to person. With my DD, I was closer to ecological nursing and got my first period around the time she was 15 months old. I wouldn't worry at all if I were you.


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JFTB1177*
> 
> Thanks so much, Tiredx2! That rings true for me because I am 34, so maybe that's why it's taking longer this time?


That makes sense. I know there were many factors for me between my first and second (I weighed less and was tandem nursing) but it was entire year extra for me! I was actually a little bummed when I got it back before DS was 2 years, 2 months because I thought a three year break would be nice and round, lol.


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## e&tsmom (Aug 6, 2008)

I was coming to post about this same thing. Baby is 13 months old and I have not gotten AF yet. I got it once between the birth and conception of my older 2 (who are 18 months apart) and then I got it around 10 months post with baby #2. Now, with this one, nothing. BUT, the reason for the post: I am So superdy-duper bloated I can hardly stand it. Slightly crampy and STARVING! Do you think this is it? Think things are moving along now?


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## e&tsmom (Aug 6, 2008)

Mine, too. Seriously. All.Night.Long. Funny, though, the longer we go like this the easier it is to handle the lack of sleep. My worry is that when i do get AF back that my supply will go down. He is seriously attached to nursing and i woud hate for that to go away for him.


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## JFTB1177 (Sep 9, 2008)

Hi e&tsmom! Glad to know I'm not the only one!! I've been feeling slightly crampy and bloated for a few days every month since baby turned 5 or 6 months!! And NOTHING! grrr I am probably one of the few that want it back...I just want to feel "normal" again, kwim? Your little one nurses all night too?? I really want to move him to his crib (which is in our room) so dh can sleep in the bed again- he's been sleeping on the couch since LO was born b/c there wasn't enough room for the 3 of us. Baby's crib is in our room but he won't sleep in it when I'm in the room. Our other 2 bedrooms are taken up by our other kids and there is no moving them in together (my two older ones) because my 3 year old has autism and major sleep issues. We need a 4 bedroom! lol


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## indignantgirl (Jul 24, 2005)

It varies not only from person to person but from nursling to nursling. I've always been the very definition of ecological nursing, including delayed solids and non-breastmilk liquids, cosleeping (and thus nursed throughout the night) and napping with baby, never used pacifiers or other comfort objects, etc, and with the first 3 babies I got AF back at 5-6 weeks postpartum. I envied all those mamas who kept AF away with nursing!

I'm now 9 months postpartum with my 4th baby, who nurses LESS at night than any of my others (and who is still EBF), and all I've had by way of AF is one half-hearted attempt at around 6m. I'm the same weight as I was the other times, but I am older than with my others (I'm 34 now, I was 29 when I had my last baby), though, so maybe that makes a difference.

I don't necessarily WANT to get AF back, because my milk supply always goes down for the few days before I start. But I feel like my body is trying to ovulate every 2 weeks and can't quite make it, except I don't know it didn't make it until 2 weeks later when I don't start AF, and instead start trying to ovulate again. It's just strange not knowing!


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## Skippy918 (Jul 15, 2008)

With DS, AF returned at 9 months PP. DD is now 10 months and while I've had some spotting here and there, AF has still not come back yet. I work full time, so I have to pump and she's now eating a good amount of solids. Although like the PP said, i think my body wants to ovulate but hasn't had success yet.


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## JFTB1177 (Sep 9, 2008)

Just got AF today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So a little over 13 months for me this time!


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