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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

how effective is breastfeeding as a form of contraception?

16 replies

kreamkrackers · 04/05/2007 17:00

currently bf dd who is 10 months old. have had a couple of af but they're about 35 days apart at the moment (used to be between 26-28). had unprotected sex at about day 12 of cycle and was told it should be ok as i'm probably not ovulating. could this be true? now starting to worry. i've also left it too late for morning after pill.

OP posts:

popsycal · 04/05/2007 17:03

dont rely on it as contraception

it is quoted as contraception only if you are feeding every 2 hours INCLUDING every 2 hours in the night and even then it shouldnt be relied upon. So in answer to your thread title 'not very'

Mumpbump · 04/05/2007 17:05

Not at all! I got pg whilst bf and so did one of my friends. How long ago did you have unprotected sex? Is it long enough to get a reliable pg test result?

HuwEdwards · 04/05/2007 17:06

crap I would think

lulumama · 04/05/2007 17:09

i know two people at least who got pregnant whilst breastfeeding, and it was when breastfeeding a new born...if you;ve had periods, every chance you are ovulating

you can test around 2 weeks after unprotected sex

Original poster

kreamkrackers · 04/05/2007 17:10

no only 5 days. dp wouldn't be happy.

OP posts:

mum03 · 04/05/2007 23:02

Sorry to say that breastfeeding is useless as a form of contraception. From personal experience and from others, it is very possible to get pg while bf. Also if you have got periods back there is even more of a chance that you could potentially have started or about to start back to ovulating.

The good news is that if your cycle happens to have changed and you are on a 35 day cycle, then unprotected sex on day 12 would probrably be safe (no guarentee), and also there is a chance that you are still having annovulatory bleeds, and also - even if you have had sex just as you are ovulating there is still only a 25% chance of you being pg from it. So overall the odds are in your favour!

I hope this helps a little, to stop you overly worrying?

ceolas · 04/05/2007 23:10

Well I got pregnant twice while breastfeeding. Second time taking the mini pill too.

So, I'd say not very.

sorkycake · 04/05/2007 23:11

Can I add that sperm can survive for up to 5 days in fertile CM, my Dd is proof of that!
Sorry not really helpful. Would it be a bad thing if you are?

berolina · 04/05/2007 23:11

I have got pg 3, yes 3 times (sadly mc twice but am 21 weeks now ) while bf.

berolina · 04/05/2007 23:13

(sorry, should just add that my mc had nothing at all to do with the bf, in ase you were thinking that)

mears · 04/05/2007 23:14

I became pregnant when breastfeeding my 7 month sold DS2. You might have got away with it this time but if you really want to make sure you don't get pregnant, you cannot rely on BF. You can take mini pill, mirena coil, condoms. Don't take the risk.

rowan1971 · 04/05/2007 23:16

If hubby wouldn't be pleased, perhaps hubby should have thought about it beforehand and worn a condom?

hatrick · 04/05/2007 23:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

kreamkrackers · 05/05/2007 09:54

we just got carried away at the time, big oops! dd1 has digeorge syndrome and is in and out of hospital a lot, i then had a mc at 11 weeks, then dd2 arrived 11 weeks early. to be honest for me it would be hard but i could if it came to it cope as i have done with so many other things. the worry this time would be that i had a bad time healthwise myself when i had dd2 and i would constantly be worrying what might go wrong this time. then also the guilt of what impact it would have on us as a family.

OP posts:

mears · 05/05/2007 11:47

kreamkrackers - hopefully you will be OK but please pop down to your family planning clinic and get contraception sorted out. You want to be able to get carried away any time you like

duchesse · 09/05/2007 15:41

Not very. Depends on continuity of feeds keeping prolactin topped up good and proper. One week of sleeping through the night could be enough to restore you to fertility without warning. I should know, I have a 21 month gap between my two oldest. No period between...

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