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Oh my...can this really be? (postpartum question for women only)


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Um...my ds is 6 weeks old today. Is it possible that the renewed bleeding I'm experiencing is "Aunt Flo" already coming to visit!?

 

I nursed exclusively for 2 weeks, had major supply issues, supplemented at 2 weeks (because ds lost a pound and was in the 5th percentile) and was completely dried up by 3 weeks. I didn't fully stop postpartum bleeding until 4 weeks. So I've only *not* been bleeding for 2 weeks. Yesterday I noticed spotting in my underwear but there wasn't anything when I wiped. Today everything was normal until just now there was blood in my underwear, but nothing when I wiped (sorry for TMI!! :blushing:). Because it's red, I'm thinking it's the resurgence of my "aunt". I don't know which is better to hear - "yes it is very possible it's your period already" or "no, you need to have it checked out". My 6-week check up is in 6 days.

 

I had nursing troubles with my other two dc but I never got my period this early postpartum! The earliest was 4 months. Holy cow...can this be?

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My midwife always reminded me that everyone is different and it is hard to predict when Flo will make her return. I nursed exclusively all 4 of my children until they began solids at 6 or 7 months old and got my period at 7 weeks postpartum. Every. Single. Time. It was annoying. So, yes, I think there is a great posibility that your Auntie has come for a visit.

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Oh my word! That must have thrown you off the first time it happened, huh? Well, maybe even the 2nd time too. Heck, perhaps everytime. It would have shocked me every time. I would have kept telling myself it was a fluke, LOL. Wow.

 

So...huh. I just don't even know what to say. I can't believe this is already back. Bummer. ;)

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Hopefully this will be mini and not again for awhile either. But I have a feeling since I'm no longer nursing, if this *is* it, it will be regular from here on out.

 

And yes, 6-weeks already! I can't believe it either. It just doesn't seem possible. Time is so interesting, isn't it? Some things can just fly by so quickly while others seem to move so slowly - even within the same time period.

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I nursed exclusively all 4 of mine....and never got my period until after 1 year with each one (what a relief, lol). My babies didn't eat much food though....until 1 year of age.

 

Maybe you should have a Mike's.....LOL!

 

Tammy

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Oh my word! That must have thrown you off the first time it happened, huh? Well, maybe even the 2nd time too. Heck, perhaps everytime. It would have shocked me every time. I would have kept telling myself it was a fluke, LOL. Wow.

 

So...huh. I just don't even know what to say. I can't believe this is already back. Bummer. ;)

Yeah, the first time it happened I WAS shocked! WHAT? This isn't s'posed to happen! I'm nursing my baby, remember? You're not s'posed to come visit me yet!

 

With the next one, I was SURE it wouldn't happen....but there she came again! I was so frustrated! People told me that if they were good nursers it for SURE wouldn't happen! But, he was and it did. :(

 

Third time I expected it, but was still sad when it happened! Not ONCE did I get the blessed relief of it not starting for some months!:glare:

 

My sister, however, didn't even nurse, and hers didn't start for 4 or 5 months! What's with THAT?!!! She did have some breakthrough bleeding at around 6-8 weeks, can't remember exactly. But then it stopped.

 

We'll pray that's what's happening here with you! Just breakthrough and it will soon be gone, not to return for a LONG time!!!:001_smile:

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I wouldn't worry about it. Every pregnancy is different, even for the same woman. I've bf exclusively and still had a return at 3 mos. I've not bf at all and didn't get a return until 7 months. Every pregnancy is different.

 

It's also very possible it's just typical 6 week bleeding and your body is tryign to tell you to ease up on the physical activities a bit.

 

If it gets very heavy or your cycle never evens out, then I'd mention it to your gyn.

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Yup. Exclusively nursed, & *she* returned sooner each time. W/ #3, I can't remember if it was 4 weeks or 6, but soon enough that I wondered the same thing. Called mw, & she laughed. She LAUGHED.

 

Even more contradictory, pg at 6mos postpartum. While I was still hoping that perhaps fertility had not returned. Not counting on that, iykwim, but *hoping.* LOL

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For me, I had a "return" of what I wasn't sure was a period or not. It turned out I wasn't resting enough. I nursed exclusively for 10 months, then added foods in but I was one to get my cycle back before 6 months. It turned out that what I saw was not my period.

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I nursed both exclusively, and AF came visiting bang on 6 weeks each time. :thumbdown:

 

Reading about those who got a year's respite provokes envy, even though mine are far from babies....

 

I know!!! Do we go steal their chocolate? Or ask for secrets & try to make friends? :lol:

 

W/ 2 back to back, I really feel entitled to a reprieve, although given my record...<sigh>...maybe I'll have to settle for not being pg.

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With my first, my period returned at 6 weeks ppd. But he nursed in about 3 hour intervals from the very first and then slept 8 hours at night starting at 4 weeks. His natural rhythm, no scheduling from me. I was also pregnant at 4 months ppd.

 

#2 and #3 I co-slept, nursed more frequently and at least once at night for the first several months and I got a longer reprieve. Almost a year with #2 and then 8 or so months with #3. For me it seemed to pretty much correlate with frequency of nursing day and night. We'll see what happens this time. I'd love to get a full year again! That rocked.

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Yes, it is entirely possible... I had about 8 straight weeks of pp bleeding with Becca because it just rolled right into AF. I was bf exclusively with no supplementing at that point, and I still got sacked with her! Do let your OB know, though. Just to be on the safe side.

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I nursed both exclusively, and AF came visiting bang on 6 weeks each time. :thumbdown:

 

Reading about those who got a year's respite provokes envy, even though mine are far from babies....

I know! I never figured out why I was the only one (I had friends having babies around the same time) that got her back so soon! Wow, how neat to have a YEAR off!
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Another early "flo-er" here. I've had 4, and aunt flo made an early appearance with each one, despite exclusive, on-demand nursing.

 

The first time it happened, I chalked it up to having to supplement because I had gall bladder surgery when ds was 3 weeks post partum.

 

So, with #2, I nursed her *any time* and *every time* she wanted to suckle. I was more than a food source, I was the pacifier. Six weeks, What??? Shock.

 

#3 and #4 were virtually the same. Although with #4, I hadn't completely stopped post-partum bleeding -- just doing some light spotting when WHAM-O! I wasn't even 6 weeks yet.

 

It is sooo NOT fair. Believe it or not, I still have some people tell me that either I'm doing something wrong (not nursing enough), or that even though I'm having my period I can't get pregnant. :001_huh: Yeah, like I *really* want to take that chance.

 

The only thing I truly like about being pregnant is NOT getting those monthly visits... it's one thing I can count on.

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It is sooo NOT fair. Believe it or not, I still have some people tell me that either I'm doing something wrong (not nursing enough), or that even though I'm having my period I can't get pregnant. :001_huh: Yeah, like I *really* want to take that chance.

 

Ok, well we're *definitely* going to steal *their* chocolate!!

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Um...my ds is 6 weeks old today. Is it possible that the renewed bleeding I'm experiencing is "Aunt Flo" already coming to visit!?

 

My mom's two oldest sisters are only 10 1/2 months apart...you do the math.

 

I laughed at my midwife when she wanted to talk about birth control at my 2 week postpartum check-up. I said, "Couldn't this wait until my six week check?" She replied, "You'd be surprised how many times we see women already pregnant at their six week check-up."

 

So, I guess the answer is yes, this could be your cycle returning already.

 

:grouphug: My cycle, my mom's cycle, and apparently my grandmother's cycle all returned very early.

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I would mention it to your midwife since your cycle hasn't returned nearly this early after the birth of your other children. This may be TMI, but the reason I am suggesting that you be on the cautious side is because I had retained placenta after the birth of my second (now 18 mo. old) dd. My bleeding had almost stopped (but not quite) at 4 wks pp, and then all of a sudden it was bright red and flowing. However, it was nothing super heavy. I called the nurses, and they said, "Oh, you just got your period back early." However, I was pumping/nursing (I had supply issues also) and it seemed odd to me. I went in for my pp check at five weeks instead of six, and the Dr. said, "That is way too much bleeding for six weeks postpartum." They did an ultrasound, and sure enough, there was a baseball-sized chunk of the placenta stuck in me. So I had surgery to remove it at 6 wks pp.

 

You also said that you had supply issues and dried up at 3 wks. A lot of women do not even get a milk supply with retained placenta, and some women have a low milk supply because of it. The delivery of the placenta kicks off lactation, so your body can still think you are pregnant, in a sense, if you have retained a portion. I tested slightly positive for a pregnancy test at 5 wks pp.

 

So it's probably your cycle returning, but I would just make sure given your history of cycles post-partum with your other children and your milk supply issues.

 

Nicole

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