In nursing mothers there is a wide variation in regard to resumption of the menstrual period. Many mothers who continue to nurse through their baby's second year of life, do not get their period until their baby is two years of age or even older. Other moms, even when exclusively nursing, get their period several months following the birth. Exclusive breastfeeding in the first four to six months of your baby's life often delays the return of your period. In a survey of women who exclusively nursed their babies, it was found that the menstrual cycle normally resumed at 14.6 months postpartum.
Several factors work together to delay resumption of the menstrual period.
Prolactin, a hormone released during breastfeeding, has a powerful effect on fertility. High levels of Prolactin suppress the return of the menses. The mother's age, and the number of children she has, along with her individual body chemistry also seem to be factors. In general, older mothers, and mothers with more children experience a longer time without resumption of their period. What to do if a child isn t developing normally.