Pregnant while breastfeeding?

[Hmm16]

I’ve got a little boy who I had after 3 years ttc and 3 ivf transfers for unexplained infertility.

He is now 8.5 months old and I’ve been breastfeeding but he now has 3 meals a day plus one bottle of formula before bed so has obviously reduced his feeding with that but my periods have not returned.

we have not been trying but have also not been using contraception given the above history.

the last week I’ve had a niggle about the possibility of being pregnant with some serious bloating, nipple soreness etc. things I could completely put down to hormone changes with breastfeeding.

I know people will just say do a test - but anyone who has been through infertility will know that feels like a big deal.

I don’t really know what I’m asking.

If it helps my periods returned at 11 months when still BF day and night, and I got pregnant at 13 months when I was BF twice daily in daytime only.

I did have a lot of hormonal symptoms on and off for weeks before my period came back, I mean things that could mean your period is due or you are pregnant. But maybe this is not everyone - maybe some people just get a period out of the blue. So I guess it's most likely your cycle starting to work again and you can expect your period in the next weeks. But you can't rule out pregnancy of course.

Must be a huge shock. It's not unheard of that those who have had IVF go on to have spontaneous pregnancies. Lactational amenorrhea would not have been effective form of contraception here as your son is having other foods/ drink. So, the answer is/ yes you could be pregnant. Hope you're ok

It might be that you’re ovulating? I have regular periods but only occasionally I get sore boobs for a couple of weeks before, I think this must be ovulation, it feels a lot like early pregnancy and was very frustrating when I was ttc!

I became pg when breastfeeding dc1, who took 4 years to conceive, she was 2 at the time and declared by milk yucky, my periods had returned but we weren’t particularly trying to conceive.

Maybe wait a couple of weeks and test if you’re still feeling a niggle?

My baby is 8m and I am 10 weeks pregnant, so I actually got pregnant when she was around 5/6m, exclusively breastfeeding day and multiple times overnight still. I did have one period at the end of January, then must have fell pregnant after that, but I could have the month before as I was not expecting to be ovulating! I have heard of it happening before having the first period so it is definitely a possibility!

I got pregnant when my baby was 3 months old and she was totally breast fed. She hadn’t even had a drop of water! The next pregnancy was a result of the first time we had sex after the traumatic birth!
I didn’t find out I was pregnant for another 3 months as I was still breastfeeding but felt sick and went to the GP. I never had a period during all this time.
So result was 2 babies within 12 months. All worked out well in the end! They are all grown up now! But breastfeeding definitely isn’t a contraceptive imho !!

My periods came back at 12 months whilst breastfeeding and got pregnant 3 months later (still breastfeeding twice a day)

My periods came back within weeks of both births and EBF. Was still breastfeeding DC1 until shortly before birth of DC2.

Have you done a test OP?

I was exclusively breastfeeding when dc3 was conceived, and he was born 11 months after dc2. Hadn't had a period and had only just stopped post-birth bleeding. Conceiving while bf is definitely a thing!

Congratulations on dc1 and I hope all goes well for you, whether or not you are pregnant again.