Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Is AF common?

I have been pumping for just over a month now, and I started spotting yesterday. I thought that while I was pumping I wouldn't receive AF. Perhaps because I am still pumping less than 1 oz a day? I don't know if that would have anything to do with it or not. Needless to say, its not my favorite way of welcoming in the New Year. <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" />

Melissa B.

I think some get af and some do not. I had a hystorectomy so I don't know what my body is doing. Our surro was breast feeding her dd when we started insems and she still had af each month. I think each person is different.

I am getting quite a bit of milk and still get my period every 6 weeks or so (when not lactating it happens every 4 wks for me). So there is some suppression going on, but not enough to totally stop my period. I have read that night nursing has a lot to do with stopping menses for some women. Not suggesting you pump at night-- just reporting what I've read...

Thanks to both of you. I guess it is more common than I realized. I will (try) not to worry about it. My schedule has been kind of strange and most times I am pumping in the middle of the night, either I'm still up or I get up to pump. Perhaps with my strange schedule it just hasn't totally supressed my system. Oh well. My milk production is up today; I think I'll get the most ever. Although, it may be why it was down the last two days. So long as I get more I really don't mind af's visit. <img src="http://www.asklenore.com/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> Thanks again!

Melissa B.

Hi Melissa,

I didn't get AF after stopping the bcp part of the protocol. I started pumping a week later. One day, I just couldn't pump at all, and by the end of the day I did start spotting. As soon as I started pumping again the spotting went away. I was told not to worry about AF.

cheers, Jean

I have only gotten AF three times in the year since I stopped the protocol. the first one when I stopped the bcps, and the other two times were because I had a couple of days where I didn't keep up my pumping schedule. This caused me to ovulate, I could tell right away. And sure enough, two weeks later, there was AF there to great me. The last time this happened was sometime in the summer, I think.
My friend Shannon has three "homegrown" children, and with breastfeeding all three, she still saw AF normally. So it really does vary from person to person.