Breastfeeding: No period at 14 months postpartum
My son is 14 months old and still breastfeeding. I still haven't had a period, and while this is fine with me, I wonder if there is some other problem. I am 37 years old and healthy. My mother says that she doesn't think she had a period until she stopped breastfeeding. Is this normal?
Question:Debbi Donovan
Debbi Donovan is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, as well as a retired La Leche League Leader. For more than a decade, Debbi... Read more
In nursing mothers there is a wide variation in regard to resumption of the menstrual period.
It is well within the normal range for you not to have your period yet (at 14 months postpartum). Many mothers who continue to nurse through their baby's second year of life, do not get their period until their baby is two years of age or even older. Other moms, even when exclusively nursing, get their period several months following the birth.
Exclusive breastfeeding in the first four to six months of your baby's life often delays the return of your period. (Exclusive breastfeeding means that all of your baby's nutritional and sucking needs are satisfied at your breast.) In a survey of women who exclusively nursed their babies, it was found that the menstrual cycle normally resumed at 14.6 months postpartum. (Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing, Sheila Kippley)
Several factors work together to delay resumption of the menstrual period. Prolactin, a hormone released during breastfeeding, has a powerful effect on fertility. High levels of Prolactin suppress the return of the menses. Simply put, the frequency (number of times put to breast) and duration (time spent nursing) play the most important role in suppression of menstruation. The mother's age, and the number of children she has, along with her individual body chemistry also seem to be factors. In general, older mothers, and mothers with more children experience a longer time without resumption of their period. Enjoy your break from the monthly cycles!
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