To think it’s impossible to get pregnant whilst I’m still breastfeeding?

[Latinorapida]

Still breastfeeding 13mo and haven’t had a period. I’ve read that for breastfeeding women it can take about 6 months for periods to return.

My ds is still breastfeeding a fair amount. A few times in the day and quite a bit at night. I’d love to start thinking about another one so they could ideally have a 2 year age gap. All my siblings were way older than me and that wasn’t much fun.

Do I have to stop breastfeeding?

Am I right to think that if my periods haven’t return I definitely am not fertile?

Any experience with this?

Not quite ready to give up breastfeeding as it’s the only way I get ds to sleep!

THanks x

The first thing my mother said to me when I had my DD was “remember breast feeding does not stop you getting pregnant”. There are ten month between me and my brother lol

My best friend got pregnant while breastfeeding and she hadn’t had a period yet. So yip, Yabu

I got pg whilst ebf and periods hadn't returned and I was on the mini pill!

I got pregnant while breastfeeding but you (generally) need your period to come back. My daughter was 13 months and I'd had a few months of periods before I conceived again. It's not uncommon to conceive before your first period but they're often anovulatory cycles. People say night weaning helps but I'm not sure it does really. Everyone's different and you just have to be patient. Not easy, I know!

It really depends on your body and levels of hormones, which is different, some people can, some can't. I could not get pregnant whilst breastfeeding, so I started to really cut feeds down at 20 months, period returned but still no conceiving. Weaned completely at the not unreasonable 23months (and boy, I was absolutely over bf!), pregnant next month.

My dd’s last breastfeed was at 22 months old. Her brother was born the morning after that feed. She had a go when i got out of hospital four days later and declared it disgusting. I guess toddlers dont appreciate colostrum like babies do.

I also think night weaning would help.

I’m going to start trying to find other ways to settle him at night before I offer the boob because I’ve seen quite a few comments and I’ve read online too that often night weaning triggers your cycles to return due to the prolactin levels.

If I night wean, how could I be certain that he’s getting enough milk? Would he just start bfing more in the day?

He typically has in a day:
Breakfast: Porridge/pouch of yoghurt and some berries

Lunch: some sort of rice veg dish or some fish and veg

Dinner: tomato pasta/creamy mushroom pasta And fruit for dessert

Purée pouch and rice cakes as a little snack at some point too. I change up the food I get him but that’s a typical day I guess! Does that seem like he’s eating an ok amount? Sometimes he does point blank refuse a meal. On average he probably has 10 baby spoon fulls?

I hope it’s not the case for me that I’d have to stop breastfeeding in it’s entirety before my fertility returns as I don’t think me or ds are ready for that. It’s such a big part of our relationship.

As for the comments about me needing a test I haven’t had sex since my son was born but that’s a whole other story lol. I think having a Velcro baby who feeds nonstop sort of killed my libido but now that I’m feeling broody to give him a sibling I think I’m ready to get back on the horse as it were

*sorry to clarify that is 10 baby spoons at each meal not in a whole day

So I didn't read your full question, and I didn't realise you're ttc. So just from my personal experinece: eith my first three babies I stopped bf at 12 months, and fell pregnant 2 weeks later two of those times (despite not having had periods up to that point)

But with #4 where I knew I didn't want any more babies, I let her feed as long as she wanted (2 years!) but my periods came back at about 18 months anyway.

I didn't stop breastfeeding between pregnancies....3 children and 7 years total of breastfeeding 😱 It took roughly 13 months after each birth for my periods to return, so they were well onto solid foods as well by then. Definitely not a failsafe method of contraception!

I once was told that "breastfeeding and crossing your fingers doesn't work" by a friend with a new baby who had just announced that #2 would come along before #1's first birthday... Luckily a big family was in their plans anyway. But is it in yours OP?

My understanding is that exclusive breastfeeding on demand, including at night, without spacing feeds out deliberately and without giving baby a dummy, is a reliable method of contraception with effectiveness similar to condoms used perfectly. As soon as you introduce solids, though, you lose that protection so this only works for the first 6 months or so.

However, in my experience breastfeeding was completely connected to fertility. I didn't have a period the whole time I was breastfeeding and it was only after I stopped for good that they came back. I got my period exactly a week after my last feed with DS, who was 17 months at the time. I had two more regular cycles and then got pregnant again after that, and only had sex once that cycle so must have been pretty fertile and/or very lucky.

However, I know other women who did get pregnant while breastfeeding. Everyone's different.

My daughter was very easy to night wean, we just gave her water and a cuddle to see what happened, then a feed if she didn’t go to sleep. 50% of the time she took the water, then she stopped waking up at all, then she doubled her intake of solids. We had already had to stop cosleeping because of her sleepwalking though.

I had to resort to biscuits to night wean (crumbs in bed) started on good biscuits, down graded to rich teas and then by the time we reached cream crackers they were over bf and biscuits (no more crumbs). I don't think this is a method generally found online, but if you're desperate!

My mum thought that too. There's just over a year between my sibling and me

I can assure you that you can get pregnant while breastfeeding

My periods came back when I went down to two breast feeds a day.

My periods took 13 months to return. I conceived again when little one was 2.6 months and was still feeding at night and in the morning. I carried on breastfeeding until little one was 2.10 months and I was 4 or 5 months pregnant. Totally doable x good luck!

I actually stopped breast feeding my son as my periods hadn't come back and I was thinking about trying for another baby. I think he was about 14 months, down to one feed a day. 2 weeks ish after the last feed I had a period.

After my second, I didn't want any more babies so wasn't bothered about stopping bf. I think I did until about 20 months. 2 weeks ish after the last feed I had a period.

So for me I had to stop completely to start to ovulate again it would seem.

It's related to prolactin levels. Some people have very high prolactin levels despite infrequent feeding. High prolactin means unlikely to conceive. My prolactin levels are very high even now, and I'm feeding DC2 (32months!) once a week or so.