I am 29 and nursing my nine-month baby. I started my period two months after delivery. Starting February, my period became irregular. First, it lasted 16 days, and the stopped for 10 days. Then it was on for 13 days and off for three days. I spotted one day, and was then off for seven more. I had sex with my husband and then spotted for a day again. A doctor visit, ultrasound and Pap Smear indicated everything was okay. My doctor wants to put me on the pill but I don't want to do that. Are there any herbal remedies that won't affect my baby through breast milk? What about progesterone cream?

-- Delores

Irregular bleeding while nursing is not at all uncommon. Often when you nurse, your hormones are a bit out of balance, so you may ovulate inconsistently, if at all. (Lack of ovulation, however, is not universal, so breastfeeding cannot be used as contraception.) This in turn can produce irregular cycles.

Progesterone supplementation is a good way to regulate your cycles. The most common way of doing this is to take Provera, a synthetic progestin, for 12 days, beginning on the 16th day of every cycle. This does not provide contraception, nor does progesterone cream. Progesterone cream may help regulate your bleeding, but that has not been extensively studied; it won't hurt to try, but again remember this is not birth control. If you wish to continue nursing but also have some protection from pregnancy, you may want to consider Micronor or Depo-Provera -- both are contraceptives safe to use while nursing, but both have a potential side effect of irregular bleeding! Consult your physician before starting any new medication, especially while nursing.