Frequent bleeding while nursing toddler
18 July, 2014
Question:I am nursing my 17 month old and she nurses on demand day and night. I am not on birth control.
From the time my daughter was three months until she was six months old, I was in a constant cycle of having a period, resuming relations, and the very next morning beginning another light period. I felt in an almost constant state of niddah. Then, I had no menses or spotting for eleven months.
Two weeks ago, I had a light period. I went to mikveh three days ago, and we had relations. This morning I woke up to bright red spotting the size of a quarter. I’m a lttle crampy and achy. What do I do? I fear going into another loop of almost constant niddah status with relations twice a month and the rest of the month full niddah.
Answer:Your current niddah status depends on the surface on which the staining was found. For example, if it was found on a colored surface, then the stain you describe here did not make you niddah. For a full discussion of the various possible scenarios, please see our article on Ketamim.
As a precaution, we would advise against having relations for at least twenty-four hours from the staining, to avoid a situation where relations coincide with the beginning of a flow. (Please note however that this is a precaution and not a strict halachic requirement.)
Moving forward, we strongly suggest that you review the laws of stains, as staining does not always make a woman niddah. Please see our site’s articles, “Toilet Paper” and “Ketamim“.
Some irregular bleeding is fairly common as a woman’s body shifts hormonally with changes in breastfeeding or moving beyond the post-partum period. If you do find that you are having very frequent blood flows (and not just staining), we recommend that you see your physician and then get back to us with details. If he or she is not familiar with the significance of such bleeding for observant couples, the section of our website designed for medical professionals, Jewish Women’s Health, may be a helpful resource.
Please be in touch with any further questions.
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