Anyone else had to stop breastfeeding so they could get pregnant? Please help!

[Latinorapida]

DS is 16mo, no sign of period and from what I’ve been reading it looks like I’m one of those people who aren’t going to get a period until they completely stop.

He still feeds about 2/3 times during the day and quite a bit throughout the night. He absolutely loves the boob, I feel really sad about stopping as it’s such a big part of our relationship but I had siblings with huge age gaps and it was no fun. Plan was to try and have another one when there would be a 2 year age gap.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Am I wrong to stop breastfeeding him? Am I going to traumatise him? How do I go about stopping the feeding? Should I start by nightweaning?

I just have no idea how to even begin navigating any of this. Anyone with any experience please help! Everyone I know in person stop breastfeeding by 6mo so they have no advice to give as their baby’s have totally forgotten about the boob

Thank you in advance!

You might find that night weaning or cutting out day feeds but keeping nights is enough to get your period back.

I haven’t night weaned yet but went back to work full time at 12 months and not feeding during the work day was a long enough gap for my period to return.

I got pregnant 3 months after my first period (Not trying just a happy accident!) but I’m convinced if I’d stayed at home the feed frequency would have kept my period away for much longer.

I fed Ds until 18 months. Around 16 months I just started decreasing.
Only morning and evening feed, no daytime, replaced after nap with cows milk.
Evening feed I dropped and books before bed instead.
Then just dropped morning feed

So Gradually between 16-18 months. No issues

Hay!
I stopped breastfeeding at 13 months as I wanted a second and had to go back to work, I fell pregnant within a few months. My periods however reappeared after 10 months I think, so not exactly the same.
I just cut out a feed each week, over the course of several weeks. It worked, he didn’t seem that bothered and never “asked” for it after. HOWEVER I quickly became the second favourite parent for the best part of a year, which was heartbreaking. He’s just over two and our relationship is a lot better now and I have a beautiful 4 m.o little brother for him to chat and sing to.

I didn't get my period back till 22 months pp after dd2. She was not feeding in the day at that point but still had a zillion night feeds. So you may find your period does eventually return without you doing anything (but maybe not as quick as you like). Currently bf dd3 who is 17 months old and again, no period yet and she feeds a lot at night and a lot during the day (when I'm not at work), so suspect like you I am someone whose periods don't return for a while whilst bf (with dd1 I only fed till 15 months and was on the implant when I stopped so no idea when I'd have got my periods back).

One piece of advice I was given was to increase fat in your diet so healthy fats like avocado/nuts/yoghurt.

Otherwise yes, if you want your period back now you'll need to cut down the feeds or wean, but just be careful not to do it too fast as you'll risk mastitis.

Good luck and hope you get the outcome you want 😊

Thank you so much for your responses! Ideally I’d like to not have to stop breastfeeding in its entirety. I think I’ll try either cutting night or daytime feeds and see if that’s enough. It would be much easier for me to cut the day time feeds out as I find his feeding during the day is quite sporadic and I think I could distract him whereas at night sometimes he’ll be latched onto the boob all night but from what I’ve read stopping nighttime feeds can be more effective as that’s when your prolactin levels are at its highest which is the hormone that suppresses oestrogen? Will give it a go I guess cutting out the day time feeds starting first of Jan can’t face doing it right now haha

You could look into taking Agnus Castus if you haven't already.

With both DC my periods returned after 18 months. They both carried on feeding well beyond that but I think the frequency must have been naturally reducing by then, particularly at night. I shouldn't think you will need to stop completely.

I night weaned at 13 months for other reasons, did Dr Jay Gordon method, 3 nights of hell then fine.

DS will be fine whenever you stop b-feeding!

From what I recall it’s night-weaning that’s particularly crucial, but regardless I had to stop completely before my cycle returned both times. You absolutely won’t traumatise him, that’s a crazy suggestion. You do what’s right for you and your family. You have done a superb job to feed him to 16 months!

Hi OP, I fell pregnant when EBF DS was 17 months old having not had a period. What's more, DS was concerned via IVF after 3 years of trying DS2 came 6 weeks early so I have had 2 under 2 for the last 2 weeks until Ds1s birthday next week!

My periods came back at 13 months. I stopped completely at 14 months but had been well on the way to weaning by then. I think we were down to morning and bedtime by the time my period returned.

I think as you've said, cutting night feeds would be best from a hormone point of view but given how often you feed at night I'm guessing you'd be trying to break feed to sleep as well? In which case I'd drop the day feeds as it's much easier to distract/replace with a snack and also find other ways of getting LO to sleep for naps.

I believe the gap between feeds is most important of all so if you were in position where you weren't feeding between wake up and bedtime hopefully that would be enough to kick start your cycle.

I'm in exactly the same position as you. My 16mo is still regularly feeding in the day and usually once in the night (sometimes sleeping through) and still no period. I've read that only a few women need to totally wean to get pregnant but spacing feeds out to encourage your period to come back can help. No real advice as I know how hard it is. Like you, I don't want to cause my dd distress by weaning but I do want a second child. I feel quite stuck in this situation.

Good luck to you xx

You don't necessarily need a period, have you checked whether you are ovulating? I've just got pregnant again with no period, i managed to catch when i was ovulating though

It's the night feeds that would make a difference, you don't need to cut of day time feeds if you don't want to

I could not get pregnant until I stopped completely. I had reduced down, a very concerted effort from 18 months and whilst my period returned, I still did not get pregnant. I got sick of feeding and really wanted a second. In the end, I put my foot down at 23months and refused to do anymore of the last one to go, bedtime snuggly feed. I was pregnant next cycle, well worth it.

I found weaning both my toddlers exhausting, with my second I went on till 2.5 years as I did not have the willpower to not give in.

I had my periods return by the time DS1was 6mth, he was ebf. I was pregnant with DS2 when he was a year old. I was 3O at the time.

I bf dd1 until she was 2, at that stage just at night. We gradually reduced down, I first stopped day time feeds, then shorter night time feeds. I become pregnant whilst breastfeeding, at that stage I was feeding once in the day and at night. Was eventually glad to stop has my breasts were soo sensitive.

@Latinorapida Hi just wondered if you please had an update on this as I could have written your post myself right now 😁thank you x