Is it possible to plan a pregnancy whilst breastfeeding?

[barbareebaa]

Hello!
I have a nearly 5 month old who I would like to bf until a year old possibly longer if he wants to. I don't want to leave it too long before trying for number 2 - not immediately but definitely in the next year (dh permitting...)

Just wondered if it is possible to plan a pregnancy while still bf-ing or if it is hit and miss?

Thanks!

B

yes, it is possible to plan one. but all depends on whether or not you're ovulating and stuff liek that.
personally I had no problems falling pg with ds2 was just under a year old and still feeding very frequently, however my periods came back at 7weeks pp! and i was def ovulating.

I also know people who have had to stop breastfeeding in order to fall proegnant again.

another thing to consider is that even if you do fall pregnant whilst still breastfeeding that it often affects your milk supply. ds2 has just weaned because my kmilk supply basically went and I am totally gutted as I wanted him to self-wean, and I do wish I had waited before getting pg again.

now, plenty of people do feel babies throughout pregnancy, and go on to tandem nurse so it certainly isn't inevitable that your older child will wean, but it is a possibility, so you need to think carefully whether you want to risk that

It really varies from person to person.

Personally, I had to give up breastfeeding DS to conceive DD. Tried for 7 months whilst breastfeeding, gave up and got pg quickly.

I also know someone who was exclusively breastfeeding a 12 week old baby and she got pregant right away!

We started ttc when DS was 18 months and still bf, fell pregnant about 2 months later. He weaned just before his 2nd birthday when I was 4 month pg, I could definitely tell that my milk supply had dropped and feeding was more uncomfortable for me (tho not like this for everyone).

However, my periods came back and were pretty regular when DS was 6 months old, and still feeding frequently - so I wouldn't have liked to rely on it as a contraceptive!

I got pregnant while bfing - DS1 was about 19 months at the time. It took 2 cycles of trying.

But as others have said, it can affect your fertility (even if your periods have come back) and it often affects your existing milk supply if you do fall pg.

I think in general it gets easier and easier (for both issues) the older the baby gets. DS1 continued to feed throughout even though my milk had dwindled to almost nothing - but by then nursing was more about comfort and not a great deal about nutrition so he was happy to continue. And of course if he had weaned it would not have been a great problem as he was nearly 2 by the time my milk dropped to nothing.

Good luck!

With DD1 my periods came back 8 weeks after she was born, we ttc#2 when she was 9 months and fell straight away.

DD2 periods didn't come back until 11 months

still feeding DD3 who is 9 months now and no periods

I believe the key is nightfeeds, DD1 slept through very early the other two are milk monsters in the night

I think Sweetkitty may be right about nightfeeds - my periods didn't come back until DS1 had been sleeping through for a few months (he was 14 months when they came back and had been sleeping through for about 3 months, on and off).

My friend whose little girl slept through from 3 months got hers back at 5 months.

So it may be in the lap of your current baby!

it isn't just nightfeeds. ds2 fed every 45mins to 1,5 hrs day and night and I still got my periods back!

from the pov of using bf as a contraceptive you do need to meet quite strict criteria:
no periods
baby under 6 months old
baby not having any other food/drink except breastmilk
baby feeding at least 2 hourly inc night