Can Breastfeeding Delay My Period?
Will breastfeeding delay my period? find out here.
5 min read
If you're breastfeeding and your period hasn’t come back yet, or it suddenly returned with a vengeance, you’re not alone—and you’re definitely not broken! This is one of the most common things new mums ask (and worry about), and I’ve been there too. Let’s talk about it honestly, gently, and in a way that actually makes sense, because Google doesn’t always explain it clearly.
So, can breastfeeding delay your period?
Yes, it absolutely can.
But there's a little more to the story than just a yes or no, so let’s break it down.
How Your Period Works (Real Quick!)
Before we dive into how breastfeeding affects your period, let’s do a super quick recap of how your cycle works. Your period is part of your menstrual cycle, which is controlled by hormones—mainly estrogen, progesterone, LH, and FSH. Every month, these hormones work together to help you ovulate (release an egg) and prepare your body for a possible pregnancy.
If the egg isn’t fertilised, hormone levels drop, and your body sheds the uterine lining... aka, your period.
Now, when you’re pregnant and then breastfeeding, things shift.
What Happens to Your Hormones When You Breastfeed?
When you breastfeed, your body produces a hormone called prolactin. Prolactin is the one responsible for milk production—it tells your body, “Hey, we’re feeding a baby right now!” But here’s the part that matters for your period:
🍼 High prolactin = lower fertility hormones (especially LH and FSH)
And without those hormones doing their usual monthly job, your body doesn’t ovulate, and no ovulation means no period.
This is your body’s natural way of spacing out babies. It’s actually pretty amazing.
Breastfeeding as Birth Control (But Be Careful)
You might’ve heard of the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM), which is the fancy term for using breastfeeding as a form of birth control. And it can work—but only under certain conditions:
✔ You’re exclusively breastfeeding (no bottles or long gaps between feeds)
✔ Your baby is under 6 months old
✔ Your period hasn’t returned yet
If all of that applies, there’s a high chance you won’t ovulate (and can’t get pregnant). But as soon as you stop feeding as often or your baby starts sleeping through the night (lucky you!), ovulation can sneak back in before your period does.
Fun fact: You can actually get pregnant before your first postpartum period—because ovulation comes first!
When Will My Period Come Back?
The truth? There’s no set answer.
Everyone’s body is different, and your period will return when your hormones feel safe and balanced enough to restart the cycle.
Here’s what usually happens, though:
💧 If you’re not breastfeeding at all:
Your period might come back as soon as 6-10 weeks postpartum.
🍼 If you’re exclusively breastfeeding (day and night):
It might take months—sometimes 6 to 12 months or more.
Some people don’t get their period back until after they wean completely.
🍽 If you’re combination feeding or your baby starts solids:
Your period might come back sooner—once baby starts sleeping longer, or you go longer between feeds.
My personal experience?
With my first, my period came back about 3 months after he was born—even though I was breastfeeding.
With my second, it didn’t return until 16 months postpartum. I breastfed him until he was 2.
So yes—it can vary with each baby.
What Does That First Period Feel Like?
Your first postpartum period might feel different than before. Some common changes:
Heavier bleeding or clotting
More painful cramps
Irregular cycles for a few months
Shorter or longer cycles than you're used to
For some women, periods after birth are worse. For others, they're better (especially if you had bad ones due to endo or hormonal imbalances before).
For me personally, the first few periods back were super painful, like labour flashbacks! I had to pull out the heat packs and deep breathing, and I reminded myself that this was all part of the healing.
Does No Period Mean No Fertility?
Here’s the tricky part: just because you’re not bleeding doesn’t mean your body isn’t trying to ovulate. And as I mentioned earlier, ovulation happens before bleeding, so you might not know your cycle is back until you're holding a positive pregnancy test.
That’s exactly what happened to me with my first pregnancy—I literally took a test to prove to everyone I wasn’tpregnant… surprise! I was.
So if you're not ready for another baby just yet, don’t rely on breastfeeding alone. Start tracking your signs or talk to your care provider about options.
Tracking Your Cycle While Breastfeeding
Even though your periods might not be back yet, you can still start watching your body for fertility signs. This helps you reconnect with your body and notice when things start changing.
Here’s how I tracked mine:
Used an app to log symptoms
Watched my cervical mucus (clear and stretchy = ovulation)
Noted my energy levels, bloating, moods, and cravings
Practiced cycle syncing even before bleeding returned
Took time to rest and go gently through each phase
It helped me feel more in control during a time when my body felt anything but.
Can Breastfeeding Affect Future Periods or Fertility?
This is a common worry—and I’ve been there too.
The answer is no, breastfeeding won’t damage your fertility or cycles long-term. It just puts things on pause. Once your hormones shift, your body will return to cycling again. It may take time to regulate, but it’s not permanent.
My personal journey? I was able to conceive naturally four times even with endometriosis and irregular cycles.
If you're curious, you can read my full story in this blog post about how I tracked my fertility, changed my diet, and made it work without pressure.
My Tips for Supporting Your Cycle After Birth
Here’s what helped me support my hormones gently and naturally while still breastfeeding:
🌿 Swapped my morning coffee for dandelion root tea (hello, liver love)
🥬 Started my day with a fertility smoothie (you can grab the recipe here)
🍋 Drank warm lemon water in the mornings
🥗 Ate a well-balanced diet with lots of fiber, healthy fats, and whole foods
🧘♀️ Did gentle workouts like walking or yoga
🛁 Took baths with Epsom salts and used heat packs when needed
💤 Rested when I could and tracked my signs without obsession
And when my period did return? I treated it like a sign of healing, even if it was uncomfortable. I got into the mindset of breathing through period pain like it was practice for labour—and weirdly, that helped a LOT when my second labour came around!
So… Can Breastfeeding Delay My Period?
Yes, it can. And that’s not a bad thing.
It’s your body’s natural way of prioritising your baby and your healing. But just know that every woman’s journey is different. Some get their periods back right away. Others wait over a year. Neither is wrong. Neither means you’re “more” or “less” of a woman or mum.
Whether your period’s been missing, returned already, or is acting totally different—you're doing amazing. And your body is smarter than you think.
Final Thoughts From One Mum to Another
If you’re waiting for your cycle to come back and wondering if everything’s okay—just know that I’ve been there. And it’s okay to feel confused or worried. Our bodies go through so much during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and the healing is not linear.
If you ever feel like something’s off or just want someone to listen, reach out to your healthcare provider—or message another mum who’s been through it (like me!).
And if you're looking for natural ways to support your cycle, fertility, or hormones, you’ll love the posts I’ve shared on:
You're not alone on this journey.
You're doing an incredible job.
And your body? It’s got this.
With love and support,
Emma x