The Return Of Your Period After Giving Birth. Of women who choose not to breastfeed, approximately 80% find their period has returned within 10 weeks. Breastfeeding can delay menstruation and ovulation for 20 weeks or more, but it is not uncommon to find your period returning sooner, or much later, than 20 weeks. There are differences among individual women and their hormone levels, so it’s difficult to say when a period will recommence after childbirth.