One side effect of lactation on a new mother's body is that it affects aspects of her reproductive or fertility cycles. For example, a woman's menstrual period is acutally suppressed in order to facilitate the production of milk. This temporary phenomenon is called lactational amenorhea. Women who choose not to breastfeed their children usually begin having their periods again one to two months following after delivery. With intermittent breastfeeding, the resumption of the menstrual cycle generally takes longer.
Differences Among Women
Just as every women experiences different symptoms during pregnancy, the interrelationship between breastfeeding and the menstrual cycle is fraught with variation. While researchers and health practitioners may offer general rules as to the behavior of these aspects of a woman's body after giving birth, they simply cannot offer any guarantees as to when the period will resume with regularity. While there are some commonalities among women, the effect of intermittent breastfeeding on the menstrual cycle is a very individual one.
Timeframe
Many people believe that a new mom won't have a period until she is done breastfeeding. However, women who breastfeed exclusively may see their period return as early as two months after birth and as late as six months after. Nonetheless, even women who do not breastfeed can experience a suspension of menstruation following childbirth.
Other Factors
If you are breastfeeding intermittently, there may be other factors that are affecting the regularity of your menstrual cycle. First, according to Women's Health Zone, nearly half all normal, healthy women have irregular periods. Changing hormone levels in your body -- particularly that of progesterone -- can also affect your menstruation. Women who have given their babies supplemental formula, solid food or pacifiers have reported a quicker return of their periods. Your baby's sleep patterns can also affect your menstruation. Mothers of babies who sleep around four consecutive hours in the afternoon and at least six during nighttime hours have also experienced their periods returning sooner.
The Return of Your Period
Some signs may indicate that your period will start again soon. One of these is a noticeable reduction in the amount of milk you are producing, a change that is caused by hormonal changes in the body. A second sign is having premenstrual symptoms without actually having any bleeding. Because it is impossible to predict when your period will return, it is especially important that you assume you are fertile and take necessary precautions to prevent becoming pregnant if that is important to you.
