Mini-pill, sudden restart of menstration, and drop in feedings questions

Hi, I'm mostly a lurker here. I'm on Micronor for birth control and
hadn't had a period since I started the pill last May. My son just
turned one last Friday, so on Monday he started drinking cow's milk at
daycare and continuing to breastfeed in the morning and at night.
Basically, I stopped pumping (I work away from the home). On that same
day (Monday), I got my period. My supply couldn't have dropped that
much because I've missed pumping before and didn't menstrate. Then
again, I didn't pump this weekend, so I guess my supply did drop. Is
this normal? Did my body know that I wanted to drop pumping? Am I okay
birth control wise? This period has me worried that the pill isn't
working anymore. I don't want to start my regular pills because I heard
that it would dry up my milk supply.

Renee

My guess is that even though you were on the mini-pill, you were still
experiencing LAM from bfing. You do not have to wean or even have your
output drop significantly to cause the period to return. You just need
to have a long enough period of not bf in the day, and I suspect that
occured when you switched to cow's milk at daycasre and stopped pumping.
I think your supply probably dropped at the same time. Especially if
you did not get seriously engorged from not pumping. I think all this
is quite normal and timely.

As for the effacicy of your BC pills, why would you think that the
resumption of your period would make them any less effective? One
word of caution, though: You have to be vigilant to take them at
the same time and not miss days. This is something you did not have
to be careful about until your period resumed, but now that is is
here...

good luck,
Larry

Renee writes:
: Hi, I'm mostly a lurker here. I'm on Micronor for birth control and
: hadn't had a period since I started the pill last May. My son just
: turned one last Friday, so on Monday he started drinking cow's milk at
: daycare and continuing to breastfeed in the morning and at night.
: Basically, I stopped pumping (I work away from the home). On that same
: day (Monday), I got my period. My supply couldn't have dropped that
: much because I've missed pumping before and didn't menstrate. Then
: again, I didn't pump this weekend, so I guess my supply did drop. Is
: this normal? Did my body know that I wanted to drop pumping? Am I okay
: birth control wise? This period has me worried that the pill isn't
: working anymore. I don't want to start my regular pills because I heard
: that it would dry up my milk supply.

: Renee

"Renee" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi, I'm mostly a lurker here. I'm on Micronor for birth control and
hadn't had a period since I started the pill last May. My son just
turned one last Friday, so on Monday he started drinking cow's milk at
daycare and continuing to breastfeed in the morning and at night.
Basically, I stopped pumping (I work away from the home). On that same
day (Monday), I got my period. My supply couldn't have dropped that
much because I've missed pumping before and didn't menstrate. Then
again, I didn't pump this weekend, so I guess my supply did drop. Is
this normal? Did my body know that I wanted to drop pumping? Am I okay
birth control wise? This period has me worried that the pill isn't
working anymore. I don't want to start my regular pills because I heard
that it would dry up my milk supply.

Renee


I had basically the same thing happen to me. I got my period back when my
daughter was 14 months old but I continued to use Micronor until she was
weaned at 25 months. Hubby and I are very fertile and have gotten pregnant
straight away both times I was not on birth control so I wouldn't worry
about whether the pill is still effective.

Sarah
Katheryn Elise 01.28.02
EDD 09.16.06

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Show your support for a baby's right to breast milk!
http://www.cafepress.com/bmiab

wrote:
My guess is that even though you were on the mini-pill, you were still
experiencing LAM from bfing. You do not have to wean or even have your
output drop significantly to cause the period to return. You just need
to have a long enough period of not bf in the day, and I suspect that
occured when you switched to cow's milk at daycasre and stopped pumping.
I think your supply probably dropped at the same time. Especially if
you did not get seriously engorged from not pumping. I think all this
is quite normal and timely.

As for the effacicy of your BC pills, why would you think that the
resumption of your period would make them any less effective? One
word of caution, though: You have to be vigilant to take them at
the same time and not miss days. This is something you did not have
to be careful about until your period resumed, but now that is is
here...


It could have been LAM, except I did have a period right before I
started the pills. The reason I was worried about the effectiveness,
was that on the mini-pill, you don't get a
"break" like on the regular pill. The break is what usually allows your
periods. So, if I had a period on the mini-pill, I thought that maybe
my body thought I was on a "break". I won't worry about it, because it
looks like I was wrong and having periods while on this pill is normal.

Renee

Sarah Barnett wrote:
"Renee" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi, I'm mostly a lurker here. I'm on Micronor for birth control and
hadn't had a period since I started the pill last May. My son just
turned one last Friday, so on Monday he started drinking cow's milk at
daycare and continuing to breastfeed in the morning and at night.
Basically, I stopped pumping (I work away from the home). On that same
day (Monday), I got my period. My supply couldn't have dropped that
much because I've missed pumping before and didn't menstrate. Then
again, I didn't pump this weekend, so I guess my supply did drop. Is
this normal? Did my body know that I wanted to drop pumping? Am I okay
birth control wise? This period has me worried that the pill isn't
working anymore. I don't want to start my regular pills because I heard
that it would dry up my milk supply.

Renee


I had basically the same thing happen to me. I got my period back when my
daughter was 14 months old but I continued to use Micronor until she was
weaned at 25 months. Hubby and I are very fertile and have gotten pregnant
straight away both times I was not on birth control so I wouldn't worry
about whether the pill is still effective.

That's good to hear. I want to wait until the oldest is in school
before having another kid. I don't want to pay for three in full time
daycare.

Renee

It took me until Alli was 14 months to get my periods back on the mini-pill,
even though she started on solids at 7 months and some cows milk at 12
months. I went on it 6 weeks post-partum because due to my history, I
absolutely can't risk pregnancies closer than a year apart. Even without the
break, I still have pretty heavy periods for a few days-it's almost enough
to make another pregnancy (and 14 months of LAM) attractive by itself.

--
Donna DeVore Metler
Orff Music Specialist/Kindermusik
Mother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLP
And Allison Joy, 11/25/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)

Hello,

It could have been LAM, except I did have a period right before I
started the pills.

Then it wasn't LAM. You may have been missing periods for other
reasons, but your first
period after childbirth signifies the end of LAM (if you're BF of
course!).

The reason I was worried about the effectiveness,
was that on the mini-pill, you don't get a
"break" like on the regular pill. The break is what usually allows your
periods.

The "period" you get in the break on the combined pill is not a period
as such. The combined pill
supresses ovulation.

So, if I had a period on the mini-pill, I thought that maybe
my body thought I was on a "break". I won't worry about it, because it
looks like I was wrong and having periods while on this pill is normal.

Yes. The minipill does not supress ovulation, it works on the lining of
the uterus to make it hostile to fertilization (and other things which
I can't remember..it's been a long time since I took it).
Women can have very different experiences while on the minipill. Some
do notice a change in their periods, others don't get on with it
because of breakthrough bleeding while others don't notice any change
at all.

If having a child right now is a problem for you, you need to be very
vigilant about taking it at the same time every day, and not missing
one (I know quite a few mini pill babies!). If you are not worried
about your supply you could try the combined pill. It doesn't always
have a detrimental effect on supply and will relax you if you are
anxious about your cycles.

Mary Ann

I am also on the micronor pills and a week after I started taking them
I had major bleeding. I now bleed excessively every few weeks and I am
strictly breastfeeding my 4 month old. I feel like quitting the pills,
but don't want another baby as of yet. If I stop taking them...the
bleeding stops. My normal periods were never as heavy as they are now
with the pills. I also worry if they are working.....but then they
have killed my sex drive anyways so I doubt I am! My milk has not
slowed at all, in fact, they still get engorged and the baby weighs 20
pounds. So he is eating well! Should this bleeding have started so
soon?