Anyone gotten pregnant while breastfeeding?

[Coffeebeforechaos]

I am 7m postpartum, I am exclusively breastfeeding, my period has not returned yet. Has anyone here gotten pregnant while BF? Not actively TTC at the moment but I would like to maybe in a few months time but unsure if me BF will affect my ability to conceive. It took us 18m to conceive my DD and I am hoping it doesn't take as long (or longer!) the next time round. I know alot of people say you can't pregnant while BF but the NHS site suggests that's not true

I did when dd was 15 months old. My milk did dry up during the first trimester though. I didn’t have a period between the two pregnancies but I hear if you have a good sleeper or don’t feed for extended periods it is possible your periods will return sooner.

I got pregnant with DC2 when DC1 was 10m and still breastfeeding quite a lot. I had one period and that was all. It’d taken 15m or so to fall the first time so we hadn’t bothered with contraception.

I got pregnant with my second when my first was 5 months, I had 1 period before that. I was EBF and still feeding at night, didn't use a dummy either so idk why it came back so quickly.

I did. You have to be EBF completely on demand for it to have a semi-reliable contraceptive effect (still inadvisable to rely on it if you wanted to avoid pregnancy) - if you're EBF on a schedule, or baby is sleeping through the night or beginning to eat solids, and/or when your periods return, it's unreliable. We conceived 2nd when 1st was 7 months - however, my period had come back at 6 months when 1st started eating solids.

Thank you for the replies! 😊 my DD is not a great sleeper, usually wakes me up every 2-3 hours for a feed at night but does occasionally treat me to a 5 or 6 hour stretch so it's not completely consistent I suppose. Her feeds in the day can vary from hourly to every 2-3 hours if we are out and shes distracted. We are weaning to solids but she isn't taking to it amazingly. She doesn't like purees but recently likes to chomp and chew on solid food but doesn't really swallow very much at all so it's not really filling her tummy so she's still regularly BF. I would like to keep breastfeeding for at least a year but I don't think she will give it up very easily so it will likely go on longer than that. Hopefully I'll still manage to conceive a second ok when the time comes.

When your period returned was it like it used to be pre-pregnancy? I did have a little bit of spotting when she was about 8 weeks but it wasn't very much and barely even pad worthy.

Yes I did. My periods came back at 10 months PP. as soon as your periods return you can get pregnant.

I’m pregnant and I still breastfeed my 2 year old around 2-4 times a day, and I did when I got pregnant. My son sleeps through the night and I only breastfeed him morning and evening, and sometimes for naps. My periods came back when he was around 10 months old and was sleeping through and eating mostly solid food, they have been regular since then. I think it’s pretty unlikely (but not impossible) to get pregnant before your period has come back though. I personally wouldn’t try until that happens.

My DD is 18 months. I’ve been TTC since her birth. Got my periods back when she was about 1 trying all sorts to space feeds and then they were very long cycles. My cycles are normalising now and I’m still trying.

I really wanted an 18 month gap and it’s been so complicated emotionally continuing to feed whilst wanting to get pregnant. I don’t want to wean my baby too soon and regret it but I really wanted another baby sooner.

Yes, at nine months. It took me another four months to notice as my periods hadn't returned and there weren't any other symptoms. I wanted another baby so I was happy about it, it was a surprise though.

Also, currently 20 weeks pregnant and still BF my two year old

Yes, a friend was pregnant again at six weeks post partum, despite EBF round the clock, on demand. She didn’t have a period between the two pregnancies, must have ovulated once and got pregnant then.

It was a bit of a shock! The kids are in the same school year.

Can't speak for myself, but my two of my aunts were only 10 months apart - my grandmother definitely breastfed her children.

@Mismatc I really hope it happens for you soon 🤞 that must be tough for you. I understand not wanting to give up BF before you and baby are ready.

@RidingMyBike wow same school year!! I bet that was a shock, and a handful 😂

Thanks all for the replies, I guess it could happen then! I'm definitely not ready to get pregnant just yet my first pregnancy was really rough with HG so I think I'll play it safe until we are definitely ready to start trying. I soon move closer to my family so at least if I get pregnant again I'll have a bit more help and support with DD if I do end up with HG next time around

Your plan to wait until you have support close by is a good one!! Pregnancy with a toddler is not for the faint hearted 😂 I got pregnant when my ds was 18 months, I was still BFing but my period had been back 3 months. I stopped BFing him at 21 months.

Sometimes I think I'd like another one soon, but when I am up multiple times in the night with her I tell myself "nope, absolutely not!" 😂 . Maybe when (if?) she starts sleeping through the night I might start considering it more seriously! For 7mo she's so hyperactive so I think you are right, a toddler her and a newborn would be so hard 😂🤦‍♀️

I got pregnant 3 times while BF (which resulted in 2 more children and 1 MC (I have 3 children under 4 atm) and each baby was under 12 months when conceived.
Each time I got pregnant I had tried to cut down on over night feeds to get my cycle back (which worked) and I only gave morning and bedtime feeds (they were eating solids and drinking other milks or water). I got pregnant really quickly and only had 1 period before falling pregnant again. So in about 5 years I have only had about 3-4 periods as I feel pregnant or have been BF.

I think for me, cutting down on night time feeds was the trick for my cycle to come back and fall pregnant. I kind of increased the feeds
back again on demand once I was pregnant and feed to about 30-34 weeks
pregnent. I stopped feeding them then as the bump was in the way and to start developing colostrum for newborn which was fine.

Hey, I’m currently 4 months pregnant and still breastfeeding my 14 month old- although I would love to stop and have cut down to just one fed before bed. I really don’t want to be tandem feeding when baby arrives !