Question about breastfeeding and fertility

[croquet]

Hello,

I am still breastfeeding DD (15 months). I have had my periods back monthly since 4 weeks after giving birth. They are normal, if anything heavier than before. We want to TTC no. 2 very soon.

I have heard that breastfeeding affects fertility and want to know what situation I'm in.

Is the fact that I get my periods enough sign that I am fertile, and therefore can just carry on BF until I want, assuming it has no effect? Or might it still (despite the fact I get my period every month) be affecting my fertility, and therefore I should stop before ttc?

Thanks in advance.

Only anecdata for you, I am afraid.

I am currently 26 weeks pg with DC3 and still bfing DD2 (nearly 10 mo). My periods came back 2 months after DD2 was born. I honestly didn't believe I would get pg again so fast if ebf so I was a bit surprised. So bfing didn't affect my fertility.

Oh good - it was anecdata I was after!
I have always thought that if you get your periods then you are fertile, but just not sure of the effect of bf (could it make you bleed but not release an egg or something?!) Your story is heartening. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

There's some hormone that's released when breast feeding overnight and suckling or very frequently through the day that prevents ovulation. Something like that. I can't remember the name of it but I'm sure someone on here will know. you can have normal periods but not ovulate. I think it's generally a given that once night weaning has occurred - or at least several hours through the night between feeds - ovulation returns.

My periods came back two months after DS was born and I'm still bfing but DS recently weaned himself a few weeks ago. I definitely wasn't ovulating two months ago but the last two cycles have been positive on OPKs for ovulation. So I think it's entirely possible to continue breast feeding, ovulate and get pregnant. It's all about this hormone that gets released and night feeding, specifically suckling. You need to find out if you're ovulating in your cycle, really.

To clarify - DS is 15 months and a couple of weeks ago he night weaned himself. We still bf in the morning and bedtime and maybe one or two in the day. Ovulation only returned when he night weaned himself.

VERY interesting. So I could be bleeding but not ovulating. DD often does still nightfeed and most importantly still feeds to sleep.

I was wondering if something funny had happened as we have dtd without protection a few chance times and nothing, whereas before I got pregnant very very easily.

How to I test if I'm ovulating?

WHO has issued guidelines from the contraceptive POV based on research.

There is no adequate contraceptive effect if any of the following apply a) your periods have returned, b) your baby is over 6 months old, c) your baby is not exclusively BF round the clock in demand.

And even when all those apply, it's got a 'fail' rate of about 15%

I do not think there is any reason to think it will have any effect on your chances now. But if you do not conceive after TTC then it is something to consider alongside other possible causes of secondary infertility.

EWCM is usually a good indicator of ovulation.

what's EWCM? Thanks

Egg white cervical mucus. Google it!

It saves faffing around with OPKs and the expense of using them. Though if you're not sure what you're finding, then OPKs would be a next step.

Or try this EWCM link

Ah yes! I had read about that and was perplexed not to find it during my cycle. But I've had such heavy periods! It seems so unfair if I'm not even ovulating. I'll do my research and perhaps visit docs, and also try and nightwean again

You can get cheap ovulation strip tests on Amazon, or use Clearblue Fertility Monitor. Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a really good book to just understand the gist of it all. I was really shocked to find out you could have periods - or what appears to be a regular period - and not ovulate.

I think your best bet would be to start tracking your cycle - I just tend to mark it down in my calendar: first day of period is cycle day one, and so on until the next period. Somewhere usually in the middle of your cycle, ovulation occurs - so my cycle is between 27 and 29 days, and I've ovulated on CD 14 and 15 respectively. But of course, we're not all the same so it could be say CD10 or even CD20m for example. See if you're ovulating by identifying EWCM or testing. It's very possible you are but you need to just see when, really.

Of course there have been lots of people who got pregnant while breastfeeding, and shouldn't be relied on as a contraceptive. But equally, frequent bfing might be preventing ovulation from occurring so you just sorta need to do your own investigations in to what's happen in your own cycle.

Hi OP. Also anecdotal but I got pg when DD was 7mo, EBF 4 times per day. I had stopped 10pm dream feed a month before conceiving so had a 12 hour stretch at night without feeding. Had 2 periods. Didn't expect it to happen so easily as first baby took a year of trying. 2nd was 1st time. Did clear blue ovulation predictors to conceive both time. Exciting times, good luck!!

breastfed first and got pregnant when first was 11 months and i was still breastfeeding until 13 months (when i decided to stop bc i was too knackered to continue).

How old are you? I had DD at 36 and bf until she was 3. For nearly 2 years of that time we were ttc with no joy. The bf was obviously less frequent the older she became but the reasons to continue outweighed that being a reason to stop. In hindsight however I do wonder how much, if any the bf had.
We have since had lots of investigations, apart from my age I'm ok but dh has a bit of a low sperm count but we conceived dd (4) very easily so none of it makes sense!
Not sure how helpful this is to you but that's my experience! Good luck..

Thanks mouldy. I'm 5 years younger than you, but still worried about time ticking by. Good luck with getting pregnant -- I'm sure it will happen for you, the body is a strange thing.