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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Breastfeeding and conception

29 replies

Boogily · 20/05/2023 20:29

Hello all,

TTC for the second time. We were lucky the first and got preg straight away with my DD is 14 months old. I'm just wondering if continuing to breast feed might have an effect on getting pregnant again...
I know it can have a contraceptive effect when you're exclusively breastfeeding but I got my periods back at 6 weeks post partum and sort of assumed Id be fertile from then..but maybe the system doesn't quite snap back in the same way if you're still feeding ? We've only tried twice so I'm probably just overthinking but I'm not exactly a spring chicken so would love to think we could pregnant soonish..

Does anyone know or have experience of getting pregnant (or struggling to) while BF?

Many thanks ! Xx

OP posts:
Moriquendi · 20/05/2023 21:12

I’m still breastfeeding my 15 month old and 10 weeks pregnant. My son is a bit of a milk monster, feeds every 3 hours at night (only 5/10 mins each time), when he wakes up in the morning, before his midday nap and before he goes to sleep! (He has solid food too, promise 😂) I convinced first cycle.

I think it’s a bit of a lottery really whether you are someone for whom breastfeeding really affects fertility or not 🤷‍♀️

Mummy08m · 20/05/2023 20:59

I breastfed for 2y7m and conceived about a month after stopping (we hadn't used contraception in ages). My periods had come back 1y2m postpartum if I recall, so I'd had periods well over a year but still didn't conceive till I stopped bf. If this is relevant, we were still feeding quite a lot on my days off, and pretty much every bedtime until the last few weeks before weaning.

Every body is different obvs - but my story backs up the idea that you don't conceive till you wean. I'm sure there are heaps of exceptions though where women have conceived while bf.

AllAboutBread · 20/05/2023 20:53

My girls are 21 months apart. I breastfed DD1 till 13 months. I was pregnant on her first birthday, but didn't know it x

Fipfop · 20/05/2023 20:51

I got pregnant quickly while breastfeeding my daughter. I was only feeding once a day by that point though.