Breastfeeding and pregnant? What are my chances?

[SunnySideUp2020]

Anyone had some luck and got pregnant while breastfeeding?

Or did you have to stop?

[quote Fizzl]@SunnySideUp2020 glad we're not the only ones already thinking about number 2! Are we mad?! I already can't wait to do it again and my baby is only 8 weeks old. Because it took us a while the first time around were keen not to leave it too long incase it takes a while again (plus we're not getting any younger!) but also know it might not take long and don't want two little babies and would prefer for her to be in nursery before we have number 2. I've told my husband whilst I'm still breastfeeding it will be unlikely, at least until my periods return anyway[/quote]
I wonder if you'll feel the same in a few months! I found newborns an absolute dream to the extent I genuinely don't understand why anyone finds them hard. Once they hit a year however...

I fell pregnant at 5.5 months, EBF my first. I'd had one period and started doing ovulation sticks to find best/most fertile time and then fell pregnant immediately!
Continued breastfeeding until 8 months pregnant when it just got really uncomfortable to feed a 1 year old on a big bump.
They are both teenagers now 😄

@SunnySideUp2020 oh I definitely didn't want to soak up the birth anymore than I did 😂 but equally I'm not afraid at all to do it again in a heartbeat even though it wasn't exactly the smoothest experience. Totally worth it and I kind of feel excited to do it again knowing that I can cope.

It's the first two weeks I regret the most. It was such a whirlwind of several hospital appointments, visitors and a very poorly dog that I don't remember really just sitting and cuddling her and chilling or being in this lovely newborn bubble - every time she fell asleep I handed her to my husband so I could nap or get ready to leave the house. We don't have many photos from that time either because everything was such a blur that I just forgot to take photos that makes me sad too when I see all these lovely sleepy newborn photos. Think you are right and we definitely were not living in the moment - we were just in survival mode and I wish I could have enjoyed that time more but it was just unfortunate circumstances. Next time I will soak it all up even if I'm trying to juggle another child which I'm sure will make things more chaotic and I'll probably have all the same feelings/emotions whilst trying to adjust 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

Are you having a bad spell with sleep? Elodie has been a dream (most nights) since we introduced the dummy at day 8 (I cannot thank you enough for that advice) and she sleeps good chunks and I often get more sleep than I did pre-baby! I'm already worried this is going to change in the next few weeks just as we feel like we've cracked it.

@Kakser this is exactly my worry! And what I've tried to say to my husband - that we don't know what's around the corner yet and just because she has been (mostly) a dream so far, especially with her sleep, she's only a few weeks old and it doesn't mean it's going to stay this way and we could end up biting off more than we can chew. I've loved the newborn stage but I'm yet to experience the rest!

Good to hear everyone's experiences though. My plan has always been to start dropping the breastfeeding from 6 months ish anyway so if my periods haven't returned by then hopefully that will help.

You are not wrong @Kakser 😬
We do frequently look back on the days where DS1 was tiny, stationary and only needed boob or a new nappy and think awwww those were the days 😂. He’s 15m now and a tornado. Soon I’ll have 1 stationary and one tornado. Oops.

@Kakser oh i am starting to have a taste of it. Good sleep is rare around here nowadays!
But that is also why I'd rather have 2 years of very hard work... and then enjoy life with older babies 😄

@Fizzl

In the middle of the 4 months sleep regression. Amelia used to be a dream too... since she was born 🥲🥲🥲
I hope you won't be joining the club in a few weeks!
It is hard... basically days get easier because you are more confident/efficient and baby is a little bit more independent but nights are madness. She falls asleep easily at 7pm but then wakes every 2 hours then every hour from 3am. We are still struggling with reflux as well. :/

@FTEngineerM good luck!!! I used to complain because she was cluster feeding attached to the boob all day sleeping and eating. Il take this any day over sleep regression! 😁

Also thinking to drop breastfeeding around 6 months.

I got pregnant breastfeeding!
My first baby was an IVF baby, conceived after many years of ttc.
I got pregnant naturally when she was 10 months old. No idea I was even fertile as hadn't had a period
My DS is an absolute blessing, but definitely taking precautions this time 🤣🤣🤣
Good luck OP

Just to add my first was still completely boob mad when I conceived at 10 months, she was still waking hourly at night for comfort feeds too so I wouldn't say we had cut down on feeds before conceiving as such. Obviously she was weaning onto solids by this point so there would have been some reduction to feeds but she still definitely loved her milk numerous times a day and night!

@SunnySideUp2020 sounds pretty brutal! I still don't put Elodie to bed until I go up about 10ish and she usually falls asleep around 11. This works for us at the moment as it means she normally sleeps until 8-9am which is great but I know soon I'll need to start creeping this forward slightly to make sure she gets enough sleep. I'm very used to blocks of around 4hrs sleep now so waking every hr or so would be a killer! I need my sleep so dreading the 4month mark and just praying we sail through it. I also remember complaining (and crying!) about the cluster feeding when I found it overwhelming - I look back now and wonder why when all I had to do was put my feet up and produce the boob!

I have no experience of sleep regression yet so not really in a place to advise but have you tried keeping her up a bit later and just letting her nap on and off in an evening? I know when I spoke to my hv about sleep she said do whatever works but she felt keeping them up later and downstairs with you was easier than spending your whole night going backwards and forwards. I've kind of accepted now that until she's 6months and in her own room with a proper routine this is what we will do - but I also know this wouldn't be for everyone, especially if you want your evenings back and might not be the solution if she's falling to sleep easily at 7. And I might feel differently about this if we start having a rough time with sleep!

Sorry I'm de-railing slightly here with the sleep! It's good/reassuring to hear positive experiences of breastfeeding and falling pregnant though!