Period While Breastfeeding: When It Returns and What Changes

One of the side effects of breastfeeding that many parents welcome is a break from periods. But it rarely lasts forever, and when your period comes back, you may have questions: Is it too early? Will it affect my milk? Can I get pregnant now?

Here’s what’s normal, how your period and breastfeeding affect each other, and when it’s worth checking in with a doctor.

Why breastfeeding delays your period

When you breastfeed, your body makes more of the hormone prolactin. Cleveland Clinic explains that prolactin suppresses ovulation, and without ovulation you don’t get a period. This is called lactational amenorrhea.

How long it lasts depends mostly on how often your baby feeds. La Leche League International (LLLI) says your period tends to return later when:

• Your baby breastfeeds often, day and night
• Your baby is younger
• Your baby gets little or no nutrition from other sources, like formula or solid foods

If you’re not breastfeeding, Cleveland Clinic says your first period usually returns about one to three months after birth.

When does your period come back while breastfeeding?

There’s no single answer. According to LLLI, almost everyone who is fully breastfeeding goes without a period for 3 to 6 months or longer. Many breastfeeding parents see their period return somewhere between 9 and 18 months after birth, but some get it back much sooner and others not until their baby weans.

Common triggers for a returning period include:

• Your baby sleeping longer stretches at night
• Starting solid foods, which often means fewer breastfeeds
• Adding formula or bottles
• Going back to work and pumping less often than your baby fed
• Weaning, gradually or suddenly

All of these timelines are normal. An early period doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong, and a late one isn’t a problem either.

Lochia is not a period

The bleeding in the weeks right after birth is called lochia. Cleveland Clinic describes it as your body shedding the blood and tissue that supported the pregnancy. It gradually gets lighter over several weeks. It isn’t a period, and your first true period comes later.

How your period affects milk supply

Many people notice a temporary drop in supply once their cycle returns. LLLI says this usually happens from around the middle of your cycle until about the time your period starts, and it’s caused by hormone changes. LLLI adds that nursing may feel less comfortable during this time.

You might notice:

• Your baby wanting to feed more often or seeming fussier at the breast
• Smaller amounts when you pump
• Breasts that feel less full

The dip is short-lived, and supply usually picks back up as your period ends. To get through it:

• Feed or pump more often for a few days. More milk removal tells your body to make more.
• Keep night feeds if they’re still part of your routine.
• Eat and drink regularly. Our breastfeeding snacks guide has easy ideas.

LLLI’s book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding says a calcium and magnesium supplement taken from the middle of your cycle may help minimize the dip. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about whether it suits you, and about the dose, before starting any supplement. If your supply stays low after your period, see our guide on how to increase milk supply.

Is my milk still good?

Yes. Your milk stays safe and nutritious during your period, and there’s no need to stop breastfeeding or pump and dump.

Your period, fertility and pregnancy

This is the part that surprises many people: you can get pregnant before your first period. You ovulate before you bleed, so your fertility can return without any warning. The NHS says you can get pregnant as early as 3 weeks after giving birth, even if you’re breastfeeding and your periods haven’t returned.

The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM)

Breastfeeding can be used as temporary birth control, but only under strict conditions. The CDC lists three criteria that must all be met:

1. No periods have returned since birth.
2. You’re fully or nearly fully breastfeeding, with gaps between feeds no longer than 4 hours during the day or 6 hours at night.
3. Your baby is under 6 months old.

The NHS advises switching to another method of contraception if:

• Your baby is over 6 months old
• Your baby has anything other than breast milk, such as formula, solid foods or a pacifier
• Your periods return, even light spotting
• You stop night feeds, feed less often or have longer gaps between feeds

The NHS says the effect of expressing milk on LAM isn’t known, but it may make it less effective. If you pump a lot, talk to your provider about other options. LAM doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Many types of contraception are suitable while breastfeeding. Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you choose one. For more on this, read our guide to getting pregnant while breastfeeding.

Will my periods be different after having a baby?

They might be. Cleveland Clinic says periods after pregnancy can be the same as before, lighter or less painful, or heavier, longer and more painful. Early cycles can be irregular, and they usually settle into a more predictable pattern over several months. Spotting or a period that seems to come and go while you’re still breastfeeding often is common.

When to see a doctor

Contact your doctor or midwife if:

• You have very heavy bleeding. The NHS describes heavy periods as needing to change a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, needing two products at once, bleeding for more than 7 days or passing clots larger than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).
• You have severe pain during your period.
• You bleed between periods or after sex.
• You feel very tired, short of breath or dizzy, which can be signs of anemia.
• You might be pregnant, or you’ve had a positive pregnancy test.
• Your periods haven’t returned several months after you’ve fully weaned.
• Your period returns and your milk supply doesn’t recover afterward, or your baby isn’t gaining weight well.

Get urgent medical help if, in the weeks after birth, your bleeding suddenly becomes very heavy and isn’t slowing down, you pass large clots, or you feel faint, dizzy or have a racing heart. This can be a sign of a postpartum bleeding problem, not a period.

A lactation consultant can help with supply questions, too. Find more topics in our nutrition and health section.