Fertility while BF

[GruffaloPants]

I'm currently breastfeeding DC2, who is 12 months. She still feeds in the night. I don't have periods and haven't had any EWCM at any point in the month (usually have pretty clear ovulation signs). Just wondering how fertile I'm likely to be right now - we aren't actively trying or taking measures to prevent. I've realised that it would be hard to know I'm pregnant! Took a test and it was negative though.

You could definitely get pregnant of you aren't taking precautions. Breastfeeding is only really effective if you are feeding every 3hrs. And even then it's. It guaranteed.

I fell pregnant with ds2 when ds1 was 4 months old and exclusively breastfeeding every 3 hours so be aware it can happen!

It is possible, but tbh if you're not having periods you're probably not ovulating. Bf during the night in particular is known to suppress ovulation.

If you want to Actively try, you'll need to think about weaning or cutting Back bf to make your period come back. That said, if you don't want to be pregnant, don't rely on it!

Thanks all. Think we'll just stick with the current head-in-the-sand approach then.

I got my periods back when my EBF son was 4 months old. They then came every 5 weeks which was always my usual pattern before having my son. He was obviously still feeding through the night at this point and continued to feed during the night until he was 10 months.

When DS was just under 2 years old we decided to TTC for baby number two and I was still breastfeeding my son at this point, probably about three times a day.

I really struggled to conceive and people did suggest it may br because I was still breast feeding but as my breast feeding was so minimal (typically 2-3 times a day but sometimes he would go 48 hours without a single feed) I brushed it off.

After 10 cycles of BFN's though I decided to stop breast feeding my son (he was just over 2.5 years old) to see if that made any difference because I was so wanting to get pregbdbt and then I fell pregnant the next month. It may be a coincidence but I think not.

Some women conceive easily whilst breast feeding and other women can't. There's no way of knowing which group you belong to until you start TTC I guess.

As a previous poster said though, the fact you still aren't having periods indicates you aren't ovulating.

Do you use OPKs at all?

It's different for every woman/baby pair but if you aren't having periods then BF is probably still suppressing ovulation. However you'll ovulate again for the first time before you have a period so you could get pregnant before you have a period.

Once you start having periods while bf you're generally just as fertile as you would be if not doing it. My periods returned at 9 months when my son started to eat more solids and as far as I can tell my fertility has been entirely normal ever since, although I continue to feed.

If you want to induce ovulation you'll need to either cut back on feeds, especially night feeds, or theres a school of thought around eating more to show your body you have sufficient calories available to sustain both bf and a pregnancy.