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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.

Original poster

Conception whilst breastfeeding.. is it possible?

30 replies

Sneezymcsneezy · 09/02/2022 22:37

Hello! My son is now coming up to 8 months and we are currently weaning/giving a bottle of formula a day and breastfeeding, does anyone have any experience or have become pregnant whilst breastfeeding? My periods are yet to return, I still feed overnight but may consider feeding from bottle to extend duration between feeds at night time too! We would like to get started trying for number 2 as soon as possible!

OP posts:
Notsurehow2handlethis · 09/02/2022 22:42

It's definitely possible, it's how I ended up with only 18 months between my two youngest 🤣 I was one exhausted mum for a while there though...

Diamondbabe · 09/02/2022 22:43

Yes I'm BF abs just found out I'm pregnant. If your periods haven't come back are you still ovulating?

ByMyName · 09/02/2022 22:44

Definitely possible - you should meet DC2! Grin

I was breastfeeding DC1, got pregnant with DC2. Kept on breastfeeding DC1… and once DC2 was born, both were breastfeeding.

Marikali · 09/02/2022 22:48

It certainly is

Fifthtimelucky · 09/02/2022 23:16

I also got pregnant while breastfeeding. In my case my elder daughter was 18 months when I got pregnant so obviously she wasn't taking as much milk as she would have been a year previously.

I think you would be much less likely to get pregnant if you were exclusively breastfeeding.

chickywoo · 09/02/2022 23:23

I think it depends on how they go with food, as to how long it takes for periods to return
My periods were back at 9 months with 1st she was good little eater of solids so less feeds but still fed constantly at night
2nd didn’t like food so periods returned later maybe 11 months
3rd and forth can’t actually remember but earlier I think maybe 7-8 months
With each pregnancy I was still breastfeeding when I conceived.

sweetkitty · 09/02/2022 23:28

I’ve been breastfeeding twice and got pregnant! With DD2, DD1 was only 9 months but my periods returned 6 weeks after she was born despite her being EBF. With DS I deliberately dropped a feed got one period and was pregnant the second month DD3 must have been 13 months.

I think your right you need to stop the night feeding to get your periods back. Good luck having DC close together is hard work but great fun I’ve never regretted it.

DramaAlpaca · 09/02/2022 23:31

Yes, that's how there's only 16 months between DS1 and DS2. My periods came back after four months, pretty much as soon as DS1 dropped a night feed.

Chichimcgee · 09/02/2022 23:35

My ex forced himself on me 3 weeks after my son was born. Was 100% breast fed.
I fell pregnant.

Rrrob · 09/02/2022 23:44

Yep. Currently 13 weeks pregnant…

Asiama · 09/02/2022 23:49

I fell pregnant while breastfeeding but my periods had returned. I imagine it's less likely if you don't have your periods back?

Tempusfudgeit · 10/02/2022 09:04

Yes, I conceived my second whilst breastfeeding my first; my third whilst breastfeeding my second; and currently pregnant with my fourth whilst still breastfeeding my third!

Original poster
Sneezymcsneezy · 10/02/2022 16:21

So my periods haven't returned yet but I was hoping maybe moving to bottle so that I have longer gaps in between feeds, I have loved not having periods though, what a pain in the ass they are! I just feel like I'm so ready to just get a second child over and done with now than draw out the sleepless nights 🤣

@Diamondbabe I haven't been testing to see if I'm ovulating, I doubt it though if I haven't had any periods!

@Chichimcgee I'm so sorry, I hope you've got the support that you need around you 🥺

@chickywoo mine is a good eater too, hardly needs milk during the day so will look to giving him bottle during the day if he needs a top up, it's just the darned nighttime feeds as he needs it to settle

OP posts:
GrendelsGrandma · 10/02/2022 16:30

@Chichimcgee

My ex forced himself on me 3 weeks after my son was born. Was 100% breast fed. I fell pregnant.
@chichimcgee I'm glad he's your ex. That must have been horrible Sad
MsMeNz · 10/02/2022 16:32

Yup I got pregnant 3 months after my first while breast feeding and periods not back.

GrendelsGrandma · 10/02/2022 16:38

Obviously you know your personal circumstances OP but you might not know they advise 12 months at least between pregnancies - your body is drained of micronutrients and needs time to stock up again. www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46017789

With an 8 month old, you will be in prime toddler territory when the baby is born if you get pregnant now, personally that would be my worst nightmare! If the eldest is just about old enough to understand what's going on, it's easier imho

Original poster
Sneezymcsneezy · 10/02/2022 17:53

@GrendelsGrandma yup there was definitely great emphasis for a year in between pregnancies but I honestly don't see myself getting pregnant in the next couple of months at least... I would still rather get everything over and done with sooner rather than later though, hard work for 2/3 years after arrival of second but I don't think I'll have the energy in a few years time to do it all again

OP posts:
MythicalBiologicalFennel · 10/02/2022 17:58

Yes I was conceived while my mum breastfed by Dsis. Just a year between us

RedCandyApple · 10/02/2022 18:11

Yep, I was pregnant within 3 months of having my dd, so I have 2 kids born 12 months apart, however my periods have always returned immediately despite EBF no formula at all, no dummies co slept feeding every 2 hours still came back at 5 weeks each time Angry

Honks · 10/02/2022 18:17

Yes ! Absolutely possible.
You produce an egg before you have a period.

SunnySideUp2020 · 11/02/2022 05:53

It's possible!
I am 5w pregnant with a 9m old who BF constantly all day and night as we cosleep.

My periods did return at 3.5m pp despite EBF though. But my cycles were very long (50 days) and irregular.

But it is possible

babyjellyfish · 11/02/2022 07:26

Hi OP, I'm in a similar situation. My baby is 10 months old and my period is yet to return even though we have cut out night feeds and are down to three feeds a day. I'm doing ovulation tests when I remember in the hope that I'll get some warning about when everything is starting up again but nothing so far. I had enormous trouble having my son and want to get cracking! (Even though I had a C-section and my doctor did tell me to wait a year.)

Buttercupmoon · 11/02/2022 07:32

I don't know how fair it is to plan to occupy yourself with an newborn while your eldest will still be a baby themselves. I have a small gap between me and my younger brother and I remember feeling quite lonely and ignored by my mother when I was young

SunnySideUp2020 · 11/02/2022 08:21

@Buttercupmoon but she didn't ask people's opinion on small age gap though...

Also you don't know her situation. Her age. Her fertility journey? Her reason for wanting another baby. Each family is different, each parent is different.

babyjellyfish · 11/02/2022 08:33

Yeah, I had multiple miscarriages trying to have my son and unfortunately I don't have time on my side. If I were younger and had not had such a long journey I would wait another year. But that's not the case.

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