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I wasn't pumping anymore at that point so I can't speak to that, but I was nursing 1-2x a day and my period came back within a month of weaning. I think I ovulated for the first time a week or two after I stopped.

I did have the hormone crash or whatever it is that some people get from weaning- kind of out of sorts and bummed for no reason. But it passed pretty quickly.

Mine came back a few months before I stopped BF, so no advice there. But both times I weaned (I never really pumped), I gradually dropped a session each week, so it was a 4-6 week process. The last session was the night session with each of my LOs and I remember it being very bittersweet both times.

My period came back before I weaned, but here’s what I did for weaning. I stopped pumping when DD was almost one by dropping one pump session every 3 – 4 days. I kept nursing her 2x/day (morning and bedtime) until she was 13 months and when I was fully ready to wean I dropped the nursing sessions one at a time 3-4 days apart. I never experienced engorgement at all during the process so it worked well for me!

With DD1 I dried up by 9 months unwillingly and period came back that same month.

I weaned at 16 months and my period came back 3-4 weeks later. I stopped pumping around 12 months, but DD was still nursing 4+ times a day when we weaned.

I went cold turkey with weaning - I went to a conference for four days, and just didn't offer when I got back. DH took over the usual nursing times (wake up, post daycare, bed time) for a few days. I think there were two moments when she freaked out about being denied, but she was almost always easily pacified by a snack and a snuggle. By day 4, I think she had completely forgotten she had ever nursed. It was far easier than I thought it would be.

The hard part of this strategy is managing your own pain - I had to go back to pumping for about two weeks to slowly kill my milk supply.