Irregular bleeding with reduced breastfeeding

Home / Q&A / Breastfeeding / Irregular bleeding with reduced breastfeeding

April 27, 2005

Question

I gave birth 10 months ago to my first child and have been taking femulen (a progesterone only pill). I got my period for the first time 2 weeks ago and the bleeding lasted a week. Now, on the 6th day of shiva neki'im, I have started to bleed again. It is sort of like the light days of the period and has continued all day today.

I stopped taking femulen this morning (I was planning to stop around now anyway) but I don't think the bleeding has to do with that because it started before.

About a week and a half ago I stopped nursing my son in the middle of the night so now I nurse him only 3 times a day.

I wanted to know why I started bleeding; this never happened to me before. Is it ok medically or do I have to get checked? And about how many days is this going to last? A few days? A week? more?

Thank you!

Answer

It is likely that the current bleeding resulted from the change in your hormonal situation from reducing the amount of nursing. Stopping the femulen is an additional change, which could cause the bleeding to continue.

It is impossible to predict how long the bleeding will last. If it lasts longer than 1-2 weeks after stopping the femulen, or if you continue to experience irregular bleeding, you should consult with your physician.