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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.

Flip

Original poster

Can you/ Did you get pregnant whilst breastfeeding?

13 replies

StinkyLinkyLane · 20/02/2012 15:50

Hi,

My DS is 8 months old and I am breastfeeding. He has 3 feeds during the day and then on and off during the night. My periods havent returned as yet, but we would like to ttc, is this even possible at the moment?

I plan on feeding DS until he is over one, but I didnt think I was feeding him enough to stop me having periods and ovulating?

Has anyone been lucky enough to get pregnant under these circumstances? And should I be worried that my periods havent returned?

Thank you.

OP posts:

Ruthchan · 20/02/2012 18:19

Breastfeeding is not a form of contraception and it is certainly possible to get pregnant while doing it.
However, it does delay the return of periods after birth, as it has with you.
Many women get their periods back at around 6 months, even while breastfeeding. Personally, mine didn't come back at all until I stopped feeding at 13 and 14 months. I am in the minority though.

You will not be able to get pregnant again until your ovulation happens again, but it will be possible to get pregnant before having a period if you conceive at your first ovulation.
It's impossible to know when you will begin to ovulate. Everyone is different.

blackteaplease · 20/02/2012 18:26

I breastfed dd until she was 2 and got pregnant twice, I did miscarry the first time but it wasn't linked to the feeding.

I got my periods back at 8 months - your fertility is linked to the night feeds somehow. I did find though that my cycle was really long compared to pre dd. Also, months were she fed a lot due to teething/ illness my ovulation was delayed.

It is definitely possible to get pregnant whilst breastfeeding and also to get pregnant before your periods return as you ovulate two weeks before your period (on average). If your periods do return it might be useful to chart on fertility friend so you can see when you are most fertile. Also there are a lot of threads on here which are good to read.

Sorry for the essay, hope it was useful

FlipFantasia · 20/02/2012 18:39

My periods came back at around 6-7 months (just when we started solids via BLW - even though it felt like he wasn't dropping feeds he must have been) and were regular by 8-9 months.

I got pregnant when DS was 11 months - miscarried at 7 weeks though it was unrelated to the BFing. I got pregnant again when he was 15 months. I fed until he self-weaned at 19 months - it was only once he weaned that I realised my milk had dried up because of this pregnancy.

Just to add that we needed IVF (ICSI) to get pregnant with DS, as my husband has a low sperm count and we tried naturally for years. He had his count checked when DS was bout 10 months, and it was still low and we were planning on doing another round of IVF once I was ready to stop BFing. So the last thing we expected was to get pregnant naturally twice in a short space of time while I was still BFing!

Iggly · 20/02/2012 18:44

Periods came back around 11 months after DS regularly dropped night feeds. Got pregnant in first cycle but MC (unrelated to feeding - was a blighted ovum). Kept BF including increased night feeds and fell pregnant three months later. DS bf through my pregnancy and I weaned him gently by the time I got to 8 months pregnant.

lels99 · 20/02/2012 18:50

My periods came back after 3 months, I was told by the doctors etc that it would likely take months of trying, much to my husbands disgust and my delight it happened first time :) I now have a gap of 13 months!

I did find bf much harder whilst pregnant as boobs and nipples became very sore.

RatherBeOnThePiste · 20/02/2012 18:52

Yes I did! My periods had settled down though.

Original poster

StinkyLinkyLane · 22/02/2012 10:08

Thanks all.

He does feed all night alot during the night and I have no idea how to get him to stop, he sleeps in the bed with me and thinks my boob is his dummy. I was worried that something was wrong as my periods hadnt returned so very glad to know I am 'normal'

OP posts:

Hope88 · 22/02/2012 10:16

Yes

Hope88 · 22/02/2012 10:19

My SIL did get pregnant whilst breastfeeding and she didn't have her periods back yet. Her son was 7 months old at that time.

LilBlondePessimist · 22/02/2012 10:56

I fell pregnant with ds2 while bf (still 3-4 times daily and 3-4 times through the night, as we co-slept) who was 11.5mths old. My period hadn't returned and I was on the mini pill. It was a shock to say the least. I bf ds1 for another 6 weeks or so until HG made it impossible to continue. Hth.

Thinkingof4 · 22/02/2012 16:23

I got pregnant with ds3 when still feeding ds2 but didn't co- sleep at that time and he was sleeping through night.
This time round I'm co- sleeping and still doing a variable no. of night feeds and so far no AF. Ds3 now 9 months and we'd like a fourth asap as im not getting any younger and would prefer smallish gap.

I had a funny pain on 1 side yesterday and I think it might have been ovulation pain so maybe not too much longer to wait for my body to wake up again! Who knows I might even catch the first egg

StealthNinja · 22/02/2012 23:54

I got pg with DS whilst still bf DD. She was 11 months old when I got pg, my period has returned when she was 9 months old.

goodasgold · 23/02/2012 00:11

I had my first post dd2 period at 14mths. I really wanted another baby as soon as she was born, she was so sweet. I even considered stopping feeding her so that I would get pregnant again more quickly. I didn't I was pregnant when she was 16 mths and still breastfed, I think until she was 21 mths and I was completely physically fucked. Aneamia? But yes it is possible to get pregnant whilst you are bf.

My periods were 9 months post dd1
14mths post dd2
12 mths post ds.

Good luck with it, enjoy your baby.

Flip