Do I have to give up breastfeeding?

[FeelLikeTweedleDee]

...in order to conceive?

No - have conceived whilst bfing a 11m/o and whilst tandem bfing a 14m/o & a 32m/o.

Kellymom.com has some good info here

Oh and the pgs ended in live births too!

My AF was due today and I've just had a negative test. I've been having periods since 6 weeks postnatal. I feel like a stupid cow as I was having lots of symptoms (including areola changing colour to a muddy brown).

I've read the Kellymom page over and over but it doesn't really tell you straight if breastfeeding hurts your chances of conceiving and what can be done about it.

There is only 1 GP in my area that remotely knows anything about breastfeeding and she's on holiday for 3 weeks.

I don't know whether I am going to have to give up BFing or not?

some women seem to say that they had more difficulty conceiving when they are pg. (ie got pg as soon as they stopped bfing but were trying when still bfing)

I got pg straight away when still bfing. It may vary from woman to woman. Your own fertility status, your hormonal status, the number of feeds per 24 hrs probably all play a role in how it affects conception.

So what should I do??

give it a few days and test again? keep bonking at will? The doctor, I can almost be certain, won't be able to give you any better information than you already have from Kellymom.

You could also call a breastfeeding helpline and talk through the nuances of your own situation.

How old is your first? How do you feel about tandem feeding? Have you read personal experiences on here of what bfing through pg is like? Weighing the benefits of continuing to breastfeed versus, cessation of feeding, your biological clock ...

Depends on what your plans are. And how you respond to those questions and others will help you make the decision for yourself.

I also conceived while BF, it took a couple of months longer than the first time but that could easily be down to this being the second time, not as many opportunities (or as much energy!) to SWI etc.

Some women find that cutting down is enough, I don't know if it was a coincidence but as soon as DD was night-weaned I became pregnant. 38 weeks pregnant now and still BF!

How old is your DC? Is there a LLL group near you? They tend to attract tandem mums so you should be able to get lots of advice there www.laleche.org.uk/pages/groups/groups.htm

DD is 6.5 months.

I'm happy to tandem feed.

I'd really like her to have siblings close to her age so am quite desperate to conceive. DH wants this too.

Can Clear Blue Digitals give false negatives on the day your period is due? I thought this was uinlikely.

Why have my areola changed colour?

Snap on so many things!

Also BF DS, though he is starting to be (food) weaned, and want DC close in age. Periods returned 6 weeks postnatal and AF due tomorrow in my case...

Spongebob have you tested yet? Have you used ovulation tests or charting?

not yet, i only have one test in the house (left over from a twin pack before i concieved DS - i've checked the exp date on it, lol) and dont want to waste it so waiting until my period is at least one day late (otherwise i'd go through a couple a month!)

nope, no ov tests or charting, just going with the flow at the mo (no terrible pun intended!) i like to have something to fall back on if it doesnt happen straight away. concieved DS within 2 months of trying, so allowing about 6 months this time before i go in all guns blazing!

get ov sticks on ebay, they are cheap
Are you night feeding?

Everyone is different.

I would recommend having a read of Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler and doing some charting.

I was ttc for 2.5yrs whilst bf ds1. My cycle was regular-ish but the luteal phase was too short for implantation.

I got pg 3 weeks after stopping night feeding.

DS was EBF (absolutely no other fluids/foods - BM ONLY) for 4.5 months and then I worked out that DD was concieved when DS was 3.5m/o with NO PERIODS either.

I was always told by my 2 cousins (2 very experienced Gynae/Obs consultants) that just because an EBF woman is not having periods, doesn't mean they're not producing eggs.

I've gone by the idea that a period is the body's way of flushing out a useless egg.

So no, I don't believe (from personal experience) that you need to stop BF to get pregnant.

other things to consider is the age of your baby.

Breastfeeding as contraception is said to be very good for the first 6 months as long as a woman is exclusively breastfeeding, and feeding at night. So if it has been effective for you then its effectiveness will gradually reduce as your baby drops feeds when solids become established.

If a mother gets pregnant before a baby is eating a good amount of solids, she may have to supplement his milk with formula as your supply will diminish and then return to colostrum in preparation for the arrival of the new baby.

or so I have been told.

Your supply will not necessarily dip if you become pregnant, I've never had a problem with mine. Colostrum is fine for older babies and toddlers, providing you can handle the poo!

This is a really good book about BF during pregnancy and tandem feeding.