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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.

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Original poster

TTC whilst breast feeding

21 replies

cherrypie556 · 08/08/2006 16:37

Is anyone doing this or has done it in the past. My youngest child is nearly 7 months and still breastfed although is in process of being weined, but still mainly on breastmilk. What are my chances of conceiving relatively quickly whilst BFing. I still havn't had a period so wouldn't know if i did fall as had no symptoms with my others lo's, so when would i test etc. Really just want to know if its quite possible to fall as fell first time with others, although wasnt bfing when they were conceived. Thanks Vicki

OP posts:

spangles · 08/08/2006 16:44

I conceived my 3rd child whilst still BFing... my second child was 11 mths when I got pg with 3rd child... its ironic because I needed a couple of months taking clomid to get pg with my second child so I just assumed it wouldnt happen naturally but it did. My periods started again at 7mths after birth of second child and my 3rd child is almost 8 mths old and my periods have just started again.

Original poster

cherrypie556 · 08/08/2006 16:54

See we are TTC now and i havn't had a period, so hant a clue when to do a test as don't know when af would be due.

OP posts:

bobblehead · 08/08/2006 17:40

Hi Cherrypie, I spent about 7 months ttc while bf with no periods. In the end I had to all but give up (one feed or so every 2nd day) and my periods returned. Cycles were longer than before (35 days) but am now 6 weeks pg after conceiving after 2 af.
It is much easier if you wait for af to return as its easier to time when to bd and then when to test, but otherwise perhaps you could try an ovulation microscope, temping or opks (if you don't mind spending a lot of money!) to try to see when ov occurs.
Good luck!

CarolinaMoose · 08/08/2006 21:54

I was the same as bobblehead - I was down to one v short feed every 24 hours, one side only, before my periods came back. I let the feed go on a bit longer after the first period and that was enough to stop me having another period, so I had to stop bfing altogether.

Otoh, I did get pg on the second cycle, within days of stopping bfing (but miscarried at 9w ).

But a lot of women seem to get their periods back sooner - some time between 6mo and a year, esp if you aren't feeding at night.

PinkTulips · 08/08/2006 22:02

dd was about 9 months when i conceived, still being demand fed and i hadn't had an AF yet doubly surprising as it took 2 years to have her. apparently your cervix is softer the sooner after your pregnancy you try so easier for the little guysto get in.

oddly enough i got pregnant the first time i got 'properly' horny after having dd so my body must have been telling ne somthing.

i didn't have much in the way of symtoms except tiredness (but who with a baby isn't tired?) so i didn't find out til 10 weeks when i got suspicios as my dd wasn't feeding much and my AF still hadn't returned

CarolinaMao · 08/08/2006 22:56

snap re horniness PT .

KristinaM · 08/08/2006 23:03

I fell pregnant while Bf DS1 when he was 9 months old. My periods came back when he was 7 months,i had one cycle then conceived. Like you i conceived first time with the other two pregnancies.

Also i am VERY OLD

Good luck

timeforanother · 10/08/2006 10:48

Nice to read some positive stories, we're ttc no2 just now, af returned when dd was 8months and seems to be regular and same length as before. Still bf twice a day, not in a hurry but hoping it won't take too long.

cazboldy · 10/08/2006 11:05

Hi. I already have 4 children and the youngest was 7 months last week. I am still bf on average 5 good feeds a day and a couple of quick "comfort sucks"
Yesterday my dh bought me a test as I have been feeling really tired and nauseous for about a week. It was positive!
My 3rd child was conceived while I was bf dd when she was about 8 months old.
I haven't had a period so no idea how pg I am, but the same thing happened brfore and they just dated me at the 12 week scan.
Do feel I have been a bit daft this time but happy as well.

timeforanother · 10/08/2006 11:08

Congratulations!

timeforanother · 10/08/2006 11:11

Caz, quick question - did you notice any di in your boobs when pg whislt bf? The reason I ask is that boobs feeling huge/tender is a symptom for me but wandered if you're already bf if there is less of a change.

timeforanother · 10/08/2006 11:12

di should read diff - pants typing sorry!

3catstoo · 10/08/2006 11:26

I fell pg at first attempt whilst bf'ing DS. He was 11 months.
I had chatted to my Hv about trying but she said it was unlikely as DS fed so much still. I did get my periods back when he was 5 months though, despite the constant feeding. (same with all 3 of mine, periods back at 5 months even though bf until 15mths/18mths).
We decided to try anyway. First month tried once at roughly the right time but was too tired (Ds still up every 2 hrs feeding) to try any more that month. Amazingly that was all it took. I carried on bf'ing until 'bump' was 16 weeks and then felt so tired and drained after all day sickness that I thought it was time to stop. Ds was 15mths.
It can happen. Not sure if you have no period how it works but I know lots of people that it has happened to (unintentionally though).

Hope it works for you.

cazboldy · 10/08/2006 11:31

thanks timeforanother.
Yes boobs have gotten tender again, but no change in supply.
Depending on how far along I am will keep feeding ds3 until he is a year.
Have heard that it is possible to not stop at all, but don't know if new baby gets colostrum that way, and as b milk is tailored to suit your baby at the time not sure if this is ok or not, might start a thread about this.

3catstoo · 10/08/2006 14:39

Congrats on being pg with number 5. Sorry I hadn't read that bit when I first posted.

Original poster

cherrypie556 · 10/08/2006 15:16

wow some really good positie stories for me, feel more positive about it now. dd2 will be 7 months on the 14th and she is still fe id say 4/5 times a day and has just started to sleep from 8-6 the last 2 nights, but was feeding before that mainly all night.Still trying anyway and have no periods so i'll just test every four weeks lol

OP posts:

2Happy · 10/08/2006 15:23

I haven't read the whole thread, but I am pg with number 2, conceived while bfing ds at 10m (was only bfing 2 or 3 times a day). I had had only one AF and no hint of any regular cycle, just randomly started feeling sick so did the test. And I have a friend who is pg and conceived while fully bfing a 3 month old. So it's definitely possible!

timeforanother · 17/08/2006 20:49

Have another quick question, does your milk come in in the same way if you're already bf when you give birth? Caz, did you ever start that thread and if you did can you post a link - I've got lots of questions re: tandom feeding and stuff.

funds2008 · 04/02/2009 13:17

baby is almost 7 months and still brestfeding mostly in the night and have not seen period since after birth. but for the past 4 days have been feeling as if period wants to come but still no period. Is it possible to be pregnant again or is it that my body is just trying to ajust.

ScorpiowithabigS · 04/02/2009 13:34

Hi funds

(this is an old thread btw, but i will help)

Period return during BF is an odd thing - i had spotting for the first couple of months, and then proper periods after. My first spotting incident - i felt very periody for about a week.

Good luck ttc! You dont need to wean to get pg.

turbots · 22/03/2009 14:01

Hi, have just looked at this thread and glad I did. Dd is 8 months and we have started trying again. She is breast fed and feeds on demand at fairly reg intervals. Really don't want to start weaning onto formula yet. So hoping to get pg without having to. But no af as yet. So I suppose the best thing to do is to just keep trying when I think it is the right time? Have tried ovulation microscope/ opks without much luck for ds, used temping which was sucessful. So might have to try that again, unless anyone has any other advice?

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