You’ve stopped breastfeeding, or you’re close, and you’re waiting for your period to show up. Some people get it within weeks. Others wait months and start to wonder if something’s wrong. Here’s what’s normal and when it’s worth asking a doctor.
How long after stopping breastfeeding does your period come back?
Breastfeeding holds periods back because the hormone that makes milk also keeps ovulation down. As feeds drop off, that hold loosens. The Australian Breastfeeding Association says periods usually return around 9 to 10 months after the birth in Australia, but anywhere from 3 months to 2 years is possible.
If yours hasn’t come back while you were still feeding, weaning usually brings it. The association’s weaning booklet says periods will most likely return after weaning, and that the timing varies a great deal. Healthdirect says periods tend to return when your baby feeds less, sleeps longer or starts solids, so plenty of people get one before the last feed.
Your body has to ovulate before it can have a period, and ovulation comes about two weeks before the bleed. So even once your hormones shift, the first period can’t come straight away. For some people it takes weeks, for others a few months.
No period after stopping breastfeeding?
A few weeks with nothing is normal. There’s no official deadline for a period after weaning. The NHS page on missed or late periods lists breastfeeding as a cause and says to see a GP if you’ve missed three periods in a row. That gives you a sensible line. If it’s been three months since your last feed and you still haven’t had a period, book an appointment.
Before that, rule out pregnancy. You can ovulate and get pregnant before your first period ever arrives, so a missing period after weaning can mean a new pregnancy. A home test answers it.
The NHS lists other causes too, including stress, sudden weight loss, a lot of exercise, thyroid problems and hormonal contraception such as the injection or the hormonal coil. If you started one of those after the birth, it may be why your period hasn’t come.
What is the first period after stopping breastfeeding like?
Different, quite often. The Australian Breastfeeding Association says the first few periods after a baby can be lighter, heavier, shorter, longer or irregular. They may settle after a few months or stay different for longer. Pregnancy Birth and Baby says there’s no way to know in advance whether your periods will come back the same as before.
A heavier first period is common. Too heavy is a different thing. The NHS says to see a doctor if you need to change a pad or tampon every hour or two, pass clots bigger than about 2.5cm, or bleed for more than 7 days. The guide to a heavy period has the full list. A first period that’s barely there is covered in the guide to a light period.
Are periods irregular after weaning?
For the first few cycles, often. Your body is going back to ovulating on its own schedule, and the first cycles can run long, then short, then long again. One cycle of 40 days followed by one of 26 isn’t a sign of a problem in the months after weaning.
What helps is a record. Write down the first day of each period. After three or four cycles you’ll see whether they’ve settled into a range. If you go three months without one, or they stay all over the place once your first few cycles have passed, talk to a doctor. The guide to irregular periods goes through the other causes.
Can you get pregnant before your first period after weaning?
Yes. Ovulation comes before the period, so the first egg arrives before you’ve seen any sign that your cycle is back. The NHS says you can get pregnant as soon as 3 weeks after the birth, even if you haven’t had a period. ACOG says breastfeeding only works as birth control for the first 6 months and until your period returns, and it relies on feeding fully, so weaning ends it. If you don’t want another baby yet, sort out contraception as you start to wean, not after your first period.
Weaning, hormones and mood
Some people feel low, teary or irritable in the weeks after they stop feeding. The Australian Breastfeeding Association says stopping over a very short time causes a sudden change in hormones, and that weaning slowly helps avoid the emotional upset that change can bring. If you can, drop one feed at a time with a few days between each.
If the low mood lasts more than a couple of weeks, or you’re finding it hard to cope, talk to your doctor or health visitor.
How Plum handles the first periods after weaning
We make Plum, a period tracker app for iPhone, so this part is about our own app. Plum has no postpartum or weaning mode. When your first period comes, log that day and Plum counts your cycle from there. The period after giving birth guide covers the months before that.
Plum predicts from the median of your recent cycles. A cycle more than a week longer than your usual one counts as a likely missed log and is left out, so one long cycle while your body settles doesn’t stretch every prediction after it. If your cycles still vary by more than about five days, Plum shows a window instead of a single date. Plum shows no ads and never sells personal data.
