Exclusively breastfeeding but still ovulating?

[ManCubsMama]

I am exclusively breastfeeding my 8 week old baby but I’ve noticed EWCM when wiping.

I am yet to have a period since giving birth.

He has mostly slept through the night since pretty early on. I am including this detail as I previously read that it’s specifically the night feeds that keep you from getting periods when BF - not sure how accurate that is.

Any ideas?

Currently not using contraception as exclusively breastfeeding and not having tonnes of sex anyway (withdrawal method when we do!)

that was my question @nannypear.

thanks for clarifying, I was getting very confused as other posts were reading like people were regularly ovulating but not having periods.

Just before you ovulate, your body produces estrogen to thicken the wall of the uterus in preparation for a fertilised egg to implant. Then you ovulate. If the egg isn't fertilised, it passes out and the wall shreds and you get a period. If it is fertilised, it will implant into the thickened wall. When you breastfeed, you produce less estrogen usually so the wall will not thicken or not enough meaning no period, light periods or spotting. There's no way to tell when your estrogen levels will go back to normal though and since a period is the end of the cycle, it's taking a big risk to assume breastfeeding will prevent pregnancy. Nothing will tell you that you've produced enough estrogen that month or ovulated really so no periods does not equal no pregnancy. Not producing enough estrogen also doesn't prevent pregnancy as an egg can still implant into a wall that hasn't thickened enough but this can sometimes lead to an early miscarriage and no one wants that

Yes you ovulate when exclusively BF, I fell pregnant before 1st period after my first DD, so must have been 1st ovulation (about 11 weeks after 1st baby was born) x

Also, you won't ovulate regularly. I got pregnant, breastfeeding a 1 year old, using condoms and on week 9 of a cycle.

The conditions for breastfeeding being effective contraception are apparently:

• Day feeds at least every 4 hours
• Night feeds at least every 6 hours
• Nothing else including dummies, presumably as this can reduce the frequency of feeds.

My periods returned when I went back to work, so no feeds for at least 10 hours. I didn't have good enough sleepers before! I don't know when ovulation started though.

I am going to look after my 8 month old niece next weekend, who is the product of my sister in law believing that her being EBF and under 6 months would protect her from pregnancy. I can see that you say it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you got pregnant again so soon after giving birth but the practicalities of having two very young children so close together are not to be ignored, as well as the toll it will take on your still recovering body.

Of course you can ovulate while breastfeeding. And of course it happens before you actually get a period. (You do know what periods are right?) I can’t actually believe there are people that don’t know this.

@FridalovesDiego i don’t always notice when I ovulate, especially if not looking out for it like when TTC. But I obviously do know when I get a period. Also you don’t need to be so snarky, it’s a discussion

3hours feeds are no guarantee. I EBF 2 tiny babies who had to be fed 3 hourly abd period back 6 weeks later both times.

It makes it less likely not impossible. Huge huge difference.

Most people don’t notice when they ovulate. But it always happens before a period. you did go to school didn’t you?

Frida many women don't ovulate before their first pp period! If you're going to be so rude then at least get your facts straight.

@FridalovesDiego My OP said I haven’t had a period yet but I think I might be ovulating. I am aware ovulation occurs before a period but I don’t typically notice when I ovulate. If you didn’t quite grasp it, the overall query of my OP was “are my periods about to return, I didn’t think this was the case when EBF?”

If you have nothing of value to contribute to the conversation, please feel free to go and find another thread to troll. 👋🏼

You can 100% ovulate whilst breastfeed. I have just got pregnant whilst breastfeed. (So I must have been ovulating.)

I have 5 DC and my periods returned within a month of giving birth to them all and I breastfed them all/am still breastfeeding the youngest.

Oh and I'm 42. So it's definitely possible to ovulate and get pregnant whilst breastfeed, even when you're 'old' lol.

... Sorry about the typos, it's late lol.

My periods came back when DC1 was four months & I was ebf. Just dropping a night feed was enough to trigger ovulation. I was pregnant again three months later at the first time of trying, a surprise as it had taken almost a year to conceive DC1.

So what is happening during a period NannyPear? I am not rude, I just fucking despair.

Yes you can ovulate when ebf, I know of several people who have unexpectedly pregnant while breastfeeding. If you're not bothered about getting pregnant again then carry on as you are if you are bothered then use another form of contraception.