TTC while breastfeeding

sarahannemarlee

hi everyone I'm Sarah and new to this forum.
Just after some advice or stories from others experiences... My partner and I are ready for our next child but I still haven't gotten my period back after 18months from having my daughter (still breastfeeding) so no idea if I'm ovulating.
Has anyone fallen pregnant previously while breastfeeding and no period?
TIA.

ArtlessIbex

You may not have much luck here, since many of the women here have never been pregnant. However, anecdotally, you can certainly get pregnant while breastfeeding, since you would ovulate roughly two weeks prior to your first period.
Figuring out if you ovulate is done by temping. Reading "Taking Charge of your Fertility" is a good way to get a handle on it all.
Welcome and good luck to you.

WinniethePoohsPants

I BF my son for almost two years until he self weaned completely and my period didn't return until three months afterwards. That being said, it also depends on the woman; everybody's different. From my experience, It your child is BFing enough you probably won't ovulate.

ArtlessIbex

That's true. Generally, if you're still BFing though the night, it will hold off your ovulation/period.

TheBorg7of9

If you have not have your period, you have not ovulated yet or you are pregnant or you ovulated in the last two weeks and your period hadn't come yet.
Kellymom.com has good articles on breastfeeding and the return of fertility.
Some women have to wean to get their period. Some just have to cut back or wean at night time. How often are you nursing. I got my period back both times around 12 months when I was nursing 2-3 times a day.

FloridaStanley

Some women do get their cycle while BF, and certainly there are women who manage to catch that first egg release and get pregnant before they have a period.
But honestly if you don't have a cycle while BF, your chances of getting pregnant are quite slim. You might need to decide if cutting back on BF is something you're willing to do to ttc, but I don't know how much you'll have to cut back. Everyone is so different in this situation.

m6agua

**baby mentioned**

I know I didn't post this thread, I just wanted to say thank you ladies for the information! My BFF introduced me to the creighton model which ended up bringing me here and to charting/temping. I have been sharing my journey with her and she just had a baby and wants to start charting on FF for TTA for now and to learn more about her cycles as the creighton method isn't entirely accurate. She didn't really know much about her cycle either, but I have been telling her about everything I have learned. She is currently breastfeeding and this thread has a lot of great info that I will relay to her!

TheBorg7of9

m6agua said:

**baby mentioned**

I know I didn't post this thread, I just wanted to say thank you ladies for the information! My BFF introduced me to the creighton model which ended up bringing me here and to charting/temping. I have been sharing my journey with her and she just had a baby and wants to start charting on FF for TTA for now and to learn more about her cycles as the creighton method isn't entirely accurate. She didn't really know much about her cycle either, but I have been telling her about everything I have learned. She is currently breastfeeding and this thread has a lot of great info that I will relay to her!

TCOYF has a whole chapter on breastfeeding and charting.

m6agua

TheBorg7of9 said:

**baby mentioned**

I know I didn't post this thread, I just wanted to say thank you ladies for the information! My BFF introduced me to the creighton model which ended up bringing me here and to charting/temping. I have been sharing my journey with her and she just had a baby and wants to start charting on FF for TTA for now and to learn more about her cycles as the creighton method isn't entirely accurate. She didn't really know much about her cycle either, but I have been telling her about everything I have learned. She is currently breastfeeding and this thread has a lot of great info that I will relay to her!

TCOYF has a whole chapter on breastfeeding and charting.

Thanks, I'll admit I haven't bought it or read it. But I am starting to think I should, I will probably order it soon. I have done all the tutorials, read the FF book, watched the videos, and listened to their podcast on FF though.

TheBorg7of9

m6agua said:

TheBorg7of9 said:

m6agua said:

**baby mentioned**

I know I didn't post this thread, I just wanted to say thank you ladies for the information! My BFF introduced me to the creighton model which ended up bringing me here and to charting/temping. I have been sharing my journey with her and she just had a baby and wants to start charting on FF for TTA for now and to learn more about her cycles as the creighton method isn't entirely accurate. She didn't really know much about her cycle either, but I have been telling her about everything I have learned. She is currently breastfeeding and this thread has a lot of great info that I will relay to her!

TCOYF has a whole chapter on breastfeeding and charting.

Thanks, I'll admit I haven't bought it or read it. But I am starting to think I should, I will probably order it soon. I have done all the tutorials, read the FF book, watched the videos, and listened to their podcast on FF though.

You won't regret reading this book. I mean, just check out the Amazon reviews.

PJpeppercorn

I'm breastfeeding my 2.5 year old and still haven't had my period return. She is night weaned and I've cut back a ton. I think I might just be one of those people who has to stop completely. Generally, what I hear is that night weaning can really help.

It's really hard to decide if I should stop doing something so beneficial for the child I have, for the potential of a child that doesn't yet exist. I struggle with this! In the end, my babe won't nurse forever and I'll (hopefully) just have a larger age gap than we'd originally thought.

jnissa

Obviously, people get pregnant while breastfeeding.

However, if what you want is a baby, the science of it is that the prolactin released to support breastfeeding suppresses most fertility hormones. So even if your period returns your chances of conceiving successfully are reduced. We weaned as soon as we were ready to try again. You may get pregnant while breastfeeding, people obviously do. But your body is built to make it difficult for that to happen on purpose.

matryoshkadoll

I was getting discouraged with no post partum period too, and I didn't want to wean my LO.

I have found it helpful to focus on eating more fruits, veggies, and meats, drinking more water and less coffee, and exercising. Cooking more at home also gave me the chance to offer more variety to LO so she will get more of what she needs from food rather than breastmilk. My period came back about a month after I started getting serious about being healthy and preparing my body for another pregnancy (16 months postpartum). Although all of that is anecdotal and has no bearing on your fertility, it never hurts to take care of yourself!

Sarafuss

I got my period back right at 1 year and I cut back on breastfeeding to only 2-3 times a day.  So I had one cycle before I got pregnant with my third baby while breastfeeding and completely weaned about a month or two after finding out I was pregnant.

PrimRoseMama

sarahannemarlee said:

hi everyone I'm Sarah and new to this forum.
Just after some advice or stories from others experiences... My partner and I are ready for our next child but I still haven't gotten my period back after 18months from having my daughter (still breastfeeding) so no idea if I'm ovulating.
Has anyone fallen pregnant previously while breastfeeding and no period?
TIA.

I'm still breast feeding, but my cycle has returned. Been winging it since August 2014 & still not pregnant. Part of it (I think) is just shitty timing (H on business frequently), long cycles etc.

If you'd like success stories you may want to ask the trimester boards. Many of us are TFAS, but usually still trying.

PrimRoseMama

Re: weaning to conceive:
I am letting my son "naturally wean". I'm ok with that affecting TTC though. If you are hot-to-trot & want a baby right meow-- then weaning is an option.

Me? I say if it happens-- woo hoo! If not then I'll just have to wait until he's done on the breast to get KU. I'm only 31. I've got plenty of time before AMA concerns set in.

indulgentgypsy

I'm a speshul snowflake in that I got pregnant while still night nursing my oldest. My period returned immediately with both of my live births and both miscarriages. I think it is very individual to each woman.

sarahannemarlee

Thanks everyone this has helped. I'll be returning to work casually soon in hopes to wean my girl too a couple less feeds and give her and my partner more together time as she is quite clingy to me.
We are over all very healthy she loves her fruits and vegetables we do heaps of smoothies and juices but she likes to have a little breastfeed after her meals so we're still doing about 4 feeds a day with the nights varying from 1-4 depending on her teeth.

PrimRoseMama

sarahannemarlee said:

Thanks everyone this has helped. I'll be returning to work casually soon in hopes to wean my girl too a couple less feeds and give her and my partner more together time as she is quite clingy to me.
We are over all very healthy she loves her fruits and vegetables we do heaps of smoothies and juices but she likes to have a little breastfeed after her meals so we're still doing about 4 feeds a day with the nights varying from 1-4 depending on her teeth.

My son would be boobies 4lyfe. The kid eats like a man & still nurses 8-10 times a day (or more). That's why I let go & let science (God?). :-?? :-P

PJpeppercorn

@PrimRoseMama-- my daughter is the same way! No end in sight for this girl! I think it's her way of telling me she'd like to be the only child for a couple more years!