Q – I had an emergency c-section after 24 hours of laboring and then nursed my baby for 6 months and stopped in February.  My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant since May, but my cycle, which was always 28 days before I got pregnant, with the help of the pill, is now anywhere between 24 – 31 days long and sometimes I have my period for 8 days.  I am wondering if I am still ovulating and if this is a normal question or something I should see my doctor about?

A – I know how frustrating this can be having been in the same situation myself.  Your cycle can be irregular for up to 6 months after weaning the baby as it can take this long to start ovulating regularly again.  If it has now been longer than 6 months you might want to ask your doctor to check your thyroid hormone as well as prolactin.  Abnormalities in either of these can cause irregular cycles and are usually easily corrected.

– Dr. Linda Ducholke, a mother of two, has been a successful Family Practitioner with Obstetrical privileges for the past 20 years. The main focus and passion of her practice is obstetrics and childcare.