Should I stop breastfeeding if I want to try for another baby?

[cornflakes5]

I have a 11-month old who still drinks a lot of breast milk, though this will go down a bit when I go back to work part-time.

We are looking to start trying for a second baby soon, but worryingly my period still has not returned.

Can I ask mothers of other EBF babies, when did you get your period back? Was it to do with stopping breastfeeding? I'd really like to continue but will have to rethink if it interferes with trying

I found my period came back when I went back to work. I was expressing for my dc as they were a bit younger than yours. I got pregnant while still bfing a toddler twice. :)

You don't need to stop breastfeeding, u could just reduce
Mine periods returned at 10/11 months but by then dd was only on a morning feed

Average time for periods to return is around 15 months postpartum for a breastfeeding mother.

There are ways you can encourage a transition to full fertility; night weaning is the first thing that many mums try.

I have fallen pregnant 3 times while breastfeeding; DD1 was 18 months, DD2 was 15 months and DD3 was 2y3m (and very rarely breastfeeding at the point I fell pregnant).

kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/fertility/#achieve

Thank you everyone, very helpful. The kellymom link is great, thanks @SweetheartNeckline

Mine came back within a week of night weaning, he still fed twice daily at this point

@Pleasehelpimfreakingout please may I ask how you night weaned? I'm trying but she's resistant and I lack the strength to say no.

You might not necessarily have to night wean, just have a massive intake of calories one day. My periods returned 5 weeks pp, exactly 2 weeks after DS was hospitalised and I comfort ate my body weight in mini eggs.

www.thealphaparent.com/how-to-get-pregnant-whilst-breastfeeding/ This link explains it. Give it a go, surely one day where you eat all the pies will be easier than night weaning?

I'm pregnant and breastfeeding. We night weaned using a version of the Dr Jay Gordon method, it relies heavily on there being a second parent to support the nights.

I tried ttc for 7 months once my period returned (DS was 12mo) - this included night weaning and return to work so we were down to 1-2 feeds after a couple of months. No luck at all. First full cycle with no breastfeeding at all and I fell pregnant. Don't know if it's coincidence though and plenty of women do conceive while continuing to bf.

I fell pregnant when BF my 11 mths old son, he then stopped wanting to feed, before I even knew I was pregnant.

Good luck OP

I'm recently pregnant after unprotected sex literally once, and still BF my 14mo regularly through the day and usually once at night. Period returned when he was 9mo (with the mother of all PMS, I actually thought I was going mad). So it can happen..

I got pregnant with DD2 when I was still breastfeeding DD1 but my period returned at around 8 months. Maybe start reducing the amount of times you’re feeding to try and kick start your period.

My periods returned at 7 mths

CallMeCarol I love you!! I'm off now to raid the fridge!!

Interesting experiences from everyone, thank you.

@CallMeCarolDanvers I've never heard of that! The risk is, once I start on the pies I might not stop 🥧 If period doesn't return shortly after going back to work, I will try the pie method, to be followed by night weaning...

Not sure if relevant, but I've been having PMS on and off for weeks...

I've got pregnant twice when BFing. My periods returned 7 months after DD1 (a mobth after introducing food), I was pregnant 2 months later but BF until I was 6 months pregnant. DD2 my periods returned after 4 months (she was a very efficient feeder and had a few weeks of longer stretches through the night). I got pregnant when she was 2.5 but she was only having a few feeds a week by that point, she weaned completely a few minths later. DS I can't remember when my periods returned!

I was on a hippyish parenting forum when the DC were younger and there were a lot of people EBF. Some people got pregnant very early after giving birth (EBFing with a 10 month age gap ) and others had to completely stop BFing years later before they conceived again. It really varies. If you cut down feeds then your periods might return. Or you might get pregnant without having a period at all!

Ah night weaning..... well, things reached a head when he was up 8,9 times in a night, having previously been fine. We had coslept until he happily went into cot, had EBFd (bottle refuser!) ....but i felt at that point that I couldn't take it anymore, every night was worse than the last and I was broken. So my husband and I set aside a weekend to night wean as he was 9 months and eating well. We broke all feed sleep associations (night and day) and mixed our well-established routine up, ie I bfd before bath rather than after, and never ever bfd in his bedroom (eg if he woke up early in the morning). Husband put him to bed on night one, we were prepared for a sleepless night....unbelievably it worked instantly. So, I feel he was ready at that point. I think I started feeding him for the occasional little daytime nap in the months after that, I just needed to break the cycle. Still works beautifully now, milk always before bath, anyone can put him down! Maybe we were just very lucky. Anecdotally..... he suddenly self weaned a few months later. Literally overnight. One lactation counsellor suggested she saw night weaned babies would self wean much earlier than others...... I was sad at the time, but happy now! Good luck!

Thank you for taking the time to let me know @Pleasehelpimfreakingout sounds like you did a great job!

My periods returned (for all three DC) when I was down to two feeds a day.

My periods returned with avengance at 5 months when I was still ebf

My period returned when dc1 was 18 months old, I night weaned at 22 months and conceived that month too (coincidence, not planned to happen together as such), had a chemical pregnancy, conceived again the next month, stopped bf about 4 months after that, dc1 was 2 years 2 months.

Night weaning isn't recommended before 12 months, from 12-18ish months it can be difficult (but not impossible) because they lack the ability to understand what's happening/what you're saying.