It is always annoying when your period turns up when you don’t want it to. It can be inconvenient and can put you in the worst mood. When you’re breastfeeding as well, it has another set of issues, and it is all down to hormones. Here, I give you my advice on how to make the most of breastfeeding during your period, obstacles you might encounter, and how to handle them.
When does my period come back after birth?
This answer is not the same for all women. It depends on your body. But I will say that if you breastfeed on demand without using dummies or bottles and you feed your baby for comfort as well as hunger, your period might not return for a good while.
Once you start to introduce foods and your baby is having long stretches of sleep at night, your period might start its way back.
In my own experience, my period didn’t come back for 9/10 months for my girls and 13 months with my boy. The reason it came back slower with my boy is that when I weaned him onto solids, it was a lot more gradual and slower than I did with my girls. My son is my youngest, he is almost 2. If you want to know about weaning onto solids, please check out my blog here: The Essential Guide to Introducing Your Breastfed Baby to Soilds
But I did find that my period did come back with my son and daughter at around 2 months and then strangely didn’t come back till they were older, so I still to this day don’t know what that meant.
Sometimes your period can come sooner than you expect, but don’t be disappointed; just try to prepare yourself for when it does come.
Does the breast milk taste change?
So a common question is, does the taste change? The answer is yes, slightly. The milk composition starts to change before your period. Sodium chloride concentration levels go up, and lactose goes down. So this will make the milk taste more salty rather than sweet.
Your baby might be fussy a little bit more than usual, but do continue to feed them. Some babies carry on, and they don’t fuss at all; they carry on as normal.
My baby is on a ‘milk strike’ What should I do?
Some babies might go on a ‘milk strike’ as the milk changes. This means that they start to refuse the breast. This can become very stressful for mums, but it is best to stay as calm as you can.
Your baby might refuse the breast by turning away, shaking her head or putting their hand on it to push it away. This can be so disheartening. Rest assured, this doesn’t last long, your milk will return to normal
What can I do if my baby refuses my milk?
1. Stay calm – When you are calm, your baby remains calm. If you are stressed, your baby can sense you and will refuse the breast more. Also, stress can decrease your milk supply, so try to stay as calm as possible.
2. Take a break – Have some time out, play with your baby, go for a walk, get some friendly support and try again later.
3. Change feeding positions: Check on my blog on The Top 5 Breastfeeding Positions
4. Keep your baby hydrated – If you have an older baby over 6 months, give them water to keep them hydrated and try again later.
5. Pump – While you are not feeding, pump milk to maintain your supply.
6. Offer your milk not from your breast – You can offer your milk in a cup, bottle or syringe. I used MAM bottles for my little one, the teats replicate a nipple. So they are great for breastfed babies. I used them, and my baby took to it really well!
7. Ask for help – If you are still having trouble, try to get help from your lactation consultant.
In my experience, both my daughters had a feeding strike, but it was for different reasons. One reason was because I screamed when she bit my nipple (she was teething), then after that, she got scared and didn’t want to feed. My other daughter had a feeding strike because she was overstimulated by people that we were around all day. My son was totally different; he has never had a strike, and he loved feeding all the time, during periods, teething, etc..
But my first daughter did get fussy when my period came, she just wanted to feed on one side only. I thought it was strange, ha ha. Maybe one breast was salty and the other side was sweet!!.
But the time when she had a strike for the WHOLE day, it was so difficult. She did, thankfully, drink my milk from the sippy cup, and she was eating her food. But didn’t want anything to do with the breast, though. Throughout the day, I would give her hugs, skin to skin, play with her, and sing to her. Then I tried different positions nothing was working till the evening. I was rocking her in my arms while I was standing up. I slowly made my breast accessible, and then I offered the breast, and she took it. That was such a sigh of relief for me.
So don’t give up, and don’t think it is a sign that your baby needs to be weaned. It is just a phase. The next period that comes, they might get used to it.
Does my milk decrease during my period?
Yes, breastmilk does decrease slightly during a period cycle. This is due to the hormonal changes of having more estrogen than progesterone at the start of the period. The drop in supply is not enough for you to worry about.
How do I increase my supply during my period?
1. Stay Hydrated: water, barley/malt drinks, juices, smoothies, fruits with lots of water like watermelon and watery soups.
2. Have nutrients and vitamins: Have foods or supplements with calcium and magnesium
3. Feed more oven or pump
If you do these, this will help to build your supply during your period. If you are having period cramps, I would recommend having red raspberry leaf tea. This strengthens the womb and in turn is helps to reduce period cramp pain.
Will my supply come back?
Yes, if you keep feeding or pumping, your milk supply will return. It is always important to remain calm because stress can cause your supply to decrease, so keep that oxytocin going!
Eat iron-rich foods
As women, we lose blood every month, and it is important to keep our iron levels up! We lose iron during breastfeeding and our period. If you notice symptoms like low energy, more tired than usual, dizziness, headaches, and cold hands and feet, go and see your doctor, and they can check your iron levels. I did. I was very low; this was due to me not eating right, and I wasn’t taking any supplements regularly. When my Iron levels started to increase, I started to notice a big difference in the way that I was. I had more energy, my supply was better, and my periods weren’t as heavy.
Some great iron-rich foods to eat are: Lentils, beans, spinach, raisins and dried fruits, lean beef, lamb, and barley (There are many more you can look up). For supplements, I like to use Wild Nutrition. They use whole foods to make their supplements, which have been shown to digest well.
In Conclusion:
Remember to stay calm as this phase doesn’t last, and you will overcome it. Guide and help your little one if they are fussy and always offer the breast. Take breaks if you need to, and enjoy your time with your baby. Always stay hydrated to keep up your milk supply.
If you would like to have something pretty to drink when you are trying to stay hydrated throughout the day, please check out my shop for tasteful mugs, cups and teapots for the breastfeeding mum.
So keep it going, Mama; feel free to leave a comment below or contact me with any questions you may have.
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