When will my periods return while I'm breastfeeding?

After having a baby, your menstrual cycle (periods) will return at your body's own pace.

If you are breastfeeding your baby, your regular periods may not return for months or even years after childbirth.

If you feed your baby with infant formula, you may find your periods return shortly after childbirth.

How long it takes for your periods return while breastfeeding can depend on:

• your baby's breastfeeding pattern (how often and how long your baby is breastfeeding)
• how sensitive your body is to breastfeeding hormones

What affects when my periods will return?

Your periods are likely to return when:

• your baby starts breastfeeding less often or for shorter times
• you start offering your baby bottles or formula top-ups (mixed feeding)
• your baby starts sleeping for longer
• your baby starts sleeping through the night
• you start your baby on solid foods

When my periods return, will they be the same as usual?

Once your periods return, they may be irregular at first if you are still making breast milk (lactating). It's not unusual to skip a period, or even for it to be a few months before your next one.

When you start reducing the amount of time you spend breastfeeding, your periods should start to return to their usual routine.

When should I see my doctor?

You should talk to your doctor about your periods if you are having:

• changes in their usual pattern
• irregular periods
• ongoing spotting or bleeding between periods
• heavier than normal bleeding
• long periods
• painful periods
• bleeding after having sex

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Will having periods affect my breast milk supply?

Hormonal changes with your periods may affect how your baby wants to feed. This may affect your breast milk supply. A few additional breastfeeds per day is usually enough to boost your breast milk supply. Read more about increasing your breast milk supply.

The current recommendation is to only use breast milk to feed your baby until they are around 6 months old. You can start giving your baby foods from 6 months and continue breastfeeding until they are 12 months old or older, for as long as you and your baby want.

Your midwife, maternal health nurse or doctor can give you more advice on how your periods and breastfeeding. Or you could speak with a lactation consultant — an expert in breastfeeding.

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Do I need to use contraception while breastfeeding?

It's possible to become pregnant while you are breastfeeding. If you want to avoid pregnancy while breastfeeding, you should use contraception (birth control).

Ovulation and fertility may return before your periods start again, which means unplanned pregnancy is possible. Contraceptives that can be started immediately after birth include:

• intrauterine device (IUD) — hormonal IUDs slowly release a progestogen hormone, while a copper IUD is made of copper and plastic and does not release any hormones
• contraceptive implant — a thin, flexible rod inserted under the skin on the inside of your arm that releases progestogen hormone
• progestogen-only pill — a type of contraceptive pill you take daily; one example is known as the 'mini pill'

Talk to your doctor or nurse about suitable contraception methods while breastfeeding.

Resources and support

If you are worried about anything related to breastfeeding, you can speak with a lactation consultant (a health professional who specialises in breastfeeding).

The Australian Breastfeeding Association offers support and information on breastfeeding. You can call their Breastfeeding Helpline on 1800 mum 2 mum (1800 686 268).

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Languages other than English

The Australian Breastfeeding Association has booklets on Breastfeeding Confidence available in many community languages. They also have a video on How Breastfeeding Works available in Arabic and Chinese (simplified).

The NSW Government has a fact sheet on Contraception After You Have Had a Baby — available in many community languages.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Sydney Local Health District has a video on Postnatal Contraception for First Nations people.

The Australian Government has a booklet available on breastfeeding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.