How do you get pregnant whilst breastfeeding?

[sunshineoutdoors]

dd is 23 weeks, I know we must be mad but always wanted a small gap between dcs 1 and 2 if we can. She is exclusively breastfed although i have started her touching/tasting small amounts of food ready to start weaning at 26 weeks.

Basically I feel ready to start ttc, but I know the breastfeeding could prevent this. I don't want to stop feeding dd yet but wondered if there were any tips that could help ovulation? Or is it just a case of waiting because my body isn't ready to be pregnant while I'm still feeding? If it's a case of having to stop feeding dd to conceive then I'd rather focus on current dd and wait to conceive her brother or sister iyswim.

Oh God I'm not saying if you don't breastfeed then you're not focused on your child - it's just a personal decision for me, feeding has luckily been straightforward and dd is reluctant to take a bottle.

I think it varies hugely from person to person. I had a friend who was EBF her 4 week old son when she got pregnant with her

Have your periods come back? (it took a year each time for mine to return). I got pregnant at the first try with DD2,at 42 and while bf. So it can happen very easily.For me ,dd1 dropping one feed was enough to bring my periods back and I tried for dd2 when dd1 was 18m old. I would think if you are getting regular periods now then there shouldn't be a problem.I fed all through the pregnancy too with no bother.

Reducing night feeds is a common way of getting your periods back, so a gap 4hrs + at night is ideal. However, They may not come back whatever you do, until your body decides! If your having periods then start trying no problem.

Well, dd has about a 10 hour gap between feeds at night, but my periods haven't returned. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens....

Good to know that you can continue feeding throughout a pregnancy as well.

it's best to get pregnant whilst not actually breastfeeding, as the baby tends to get in the way a bit :o

anyway, you can just have a go at it, and if nothing happens, maybe wait a month or two - if she is only 23 weeks, then she won't be on solids really yet, I'd guess, and once weaning starts, you will maybe notice a decline in her feeding demands and thus your periods returning. (mine came back at 8 months, when DS was still feeding every 2-3 hours at night, but I was back at work so no feeds 8am-3pm every day).

Also, feeding during pregnancy is not much of an issue, except that your milk supply may decline a bit, so a younger child may need supplementation. And it may be painful sometimes (I am currently battling with very very sore nipples when DS feeds, and although I don't want to wean him totally, am getting heartily sick of bfing. he's 2.3 years, and I am 20 weeks pg with DC2)

It's worth reading the La Leche League book Adventures in Tandem Nursing if you do get pg whilst bfing :)

Periods do not have to have come back for you to get pregnant!-voice of experience!My DC1 was 6 months and bf

I think it depends on the individual - in my case, my periods were up the creek while I bfed my dd and it was abundantly clear that I wouldn;t fall pregnant while bf - tried for nearly a year. As a result, I stopped bf dd at 18 mo. It took 3 mo for regular periods to return and I fell pg straight away. Sorry for one negative but it pays to be aware! Although not failsafe, there is a story that 3-4 years is a 'natural' birth spacing, and extended bf is one reason for that gap.

Definitely possible to get pg without periods as you may catch the first ovulation. Do you demand feed in the day or have a routine? Sometimes more of a routine can help with period return, however, your body may just not play ball! Do test if you feel like you could be pg at any time on the off chance you caught on the first ovulation. :)

I demand feed in the day, which can be quite often, but I don't mind as I don't get disturbed much in the night. Not just for conception purposes, but also to make things a bit easier/more structured for us, how do you get into more of a routine in the day? Is it a case of distracting to try and get longer between feeds?

It really depends on what your comfortable with, especially as she is still young. It is easier once she is eating solids, I imagine you would have a routine of breakfast, lunch and dinner and then can fit feeds around this. The idea is that it is more structured so your body thinks she isn't so dependant on you any more. It still may not work though!

It just happened. ds was 15m and still bfing too much, esp. at night while teething, for me to get my period. apparently one little egg managed to sneak out, though, and on the same night as we had sex for that quarter month!

he self-weaned when I hit 2nd trimester. Went from 5-6 feeds a day to nil in the space of 3 days. I've since been told that your milk can change at that point.

good luck!

In the usual way...

Yeah, it feels right for us at the moment. Maybe when she does start eating it might naturally fall into a bit of a pattern. It's not broken now so I suppose I don't need to try to fix it. I'll keep going as I am, and if I happen to get pregnant then it will be a nice surprise!