Did you get pregnant while breastfeeding?

[Saranza]

I didn't (phew) - though I think lots of that was down to my DD knowing the rules about how to make it work better than me. I knew she has to be EBF and less than 6 months old. And that my periods had to have stopped. I did try to give her a bottle (of painfully expressed milk) but she turned it down. Wouldn't take a dummy either. Since then I've heard that expressing and dummies can stop bfding working as contraception - she's a clever girl.

The thing is some people are treating me like a crazy person for ever using lactational amenorrhea method (LAM). So I'm getting nervous of telling people about it, even though there's load of evidence.

If you did get pregnant, how old was your baby and were you following - or aware of - the rules for making it work as contraception?

Thank you!

I EBF round the clock, max gap between feeds 1.5 hours, no periods, no expressing, no dummy. Got pregnant with dc3 when dc2 was 14 weeks old, the FIRST time we DTD, though I didn't find out til I was 14 weeks pregnant. It does happen.

I got pregnant while breastfeeding my first child and so did my sisiter, my periods had come back, so I knew there was a risk for me, my sisters had not returned before she got pregnant. 15 months between births. My periods returned at 6 weeks, following my second pregnancy despite exclusive breastfeeding, I am in the 2% that ovulation returns despite everything. So it is not a method of contraception that I recommend.

Also the PP is correct in saying that you can ovulate 2 weeks before your periods return (some women while breastfeeding have annovulatory periods but not all).

Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
The most common myth surrounding the use of contraception in lactating women is that lactation alone cannot be depended on to prevent pregnancy. The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) has been found to be better than 98 percent effective.(1) It has been used in a wide variety of settings, cultures, socioeconomic groups, and healthcare venues. This method is a good choice for the patient who prefers a natural method or does not want to take hormonal medication in the early months postpartum while she is exclusively nursing her baby.

Three main criteria must be met in order for LAM to be effective: 1) the baby should not be receiving any supplemental foods or artificial infant formula, 2) the baby must be less than 6 months old, and 3) the mother must not have resumed her menstrual cycle.

Ovulation in the non-lactating woman may occur as early as three weeks postpartum. The risk of ovulation in the high-frequency breastfeeding, amenorrheic woman is less than one to two percent.(2) Frequent nursing and/or pumping stimulates prolactin levels, which in turn suppress the surge of the follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones so that effective ovulation does not occur. Once the baby is six months old, it is more likely his diet will include foods other than human milk; he will breastfeed less and ovulation is more likely to occur.

LAM is not effective for the patient who plans to give supplemental feedings. Once the baby is over six months of age, the mother should plan on using an additional method of contraception if she wants to avoid pregnancy.

(from www.llli.org/ba/nov01.html)

Another thing to check for is magic knickers - as someone called them . Anything like raw egg white, or even (white) shampoo (not head and shoulders), is a sign that you could be fertile and need to shift to another method of contraception.

Thanks very much. Interesting stories and info. Sounds like it was OK for tattychicken, baby 12 months old means not using LAM anyway. Not so good for that sister..

Can't blame LAM if your periods have returned though...

Two examples of immaculate (nearly) conception. That's something.. Makes me thing of Caitlin Moran - one lousy, condomless f*, that's all it took. (probably not a precise quote). That's when she had her abortion and had "the contraceptive equivalent of Trident" installed.

I got pregnant breast feeding twins. iDid nt get a period And IHad IVF for the twins

Good grief sandiy. How old were the twins and were they having any solids or bottles?

Yes, three times, though they were all well over a year before I became pregnant.

Thanks GrrrArghZzz (another great handle) - I'm relieved to hear they were over a year old. I presume you weren't relying on breastfeeding as contraception?

Still have a couple here who've got pregnant while using the LAM rules though.

I don't think it's fair to just say well that's contraception for you - never utterly reliable. Think another ovulation study would be helpful. That's what they always say isn't it - further research would be helpful...

No, I used a cervical cap (Lea's Shield) once my periods returned (and all my children were planned, though a couple were a bit more speedy that I had expected).

I was following LAM rules with eldest and felt happy with 98% effectiveness, but didn't do rules with youngest from around 4 months - as was back at work expressing and she was/is on a clinical trial about early weaning, so got an implant.
So basically a boring answer! It worked as contraception!

Twice. One when DS1 was 12 months old. We had started ttc but expected it to take a while. Second time when DS3 was 9 months old, not ttc and on the mini pill.

My periods came back at 6 weeks every time despite EBF so I have never used LAM as contraception.

My grandmother did, twice, so every female in the family since has made damn sure they haven't

DD fed round the clock. No supplementing, no dummies, nothing. Her longest gap between feeds was 2hrs. At 10 weeks old, I told dh I was ovulating (I know when I'm ovulating). 2 weeks later my period started. I was clearly fertile despite following the criteria and then some. Cycle back at 28 days bang on from the beginning. DD didn't go longer than 2 hours until she was 8 months old.

DS on the other hand slept through from being tiny and had spaced out feeds during the day and my periods came back at 12 months.

I certainly wouldn't trust it for me.

I never trusted this method even with no periods and a regular BFIng baby, longest gap between feeds 3 hours max, we used condoms until ttc. I dropped a feed a night and my period would come back, next month pregnant again, well apart from last time, DS had his last feed one day I was on the pill the next practically

With DD1 she slept 6 hours at night from the off practically so that's why my periods came back so soon even with EBF, the next 3 were night feeders and it took 11-12 months and that deliberate feed dropping to get them back.

I miss BFing

Thanks for the extra stories - no such thing as a boring answer - keep 'em coming! I want to hear about when the LAM rules worked as well as when they didn't!

Showof(what??) - I'm impressed that you know exactly when you're ovulating. And completely with you for not trusting it for you.

Interesting that there's a couple where things seem to have gone better in terms of BFing (and LAM) second & third & 4th time round. Is that how things go? I'd have thought bfing would be trickier with extra dc around..

OK, I'm off to cook some pork (not a euphemism).

Please keep sharing your stories of LAM working, or not. I'll keep an eye out. Good evenings to you all.

Can I get pregnant after having a baby when my period not back?