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Two Under 2
Won't let me create a poll, but how did it happen?
My husband and I have finally decided that we do, in fact, want to be part of this club 
... We have decided to TTC when LO is a year old. LO was EBF until 6 months, and I plan on breastfeeding (if he'll keep going) until DS is at least 2 yrs. I've read, however, that breastfeeding can be a pretty good form of contraception up to 6 months, and then continue (with less effectiveness) really until the return of your regular period.
My question to you all is this: Did it matter if you had stopped breastfeeding?
1. BFP <6months, while EBF
2. BFP >6months, while BF+solids
3. BFP >12months, while BF+solids
4. BFP while EFF
Also, did it matter if you had received your period yet?
TIA!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Won't let me create a poll, but how did it happen?
I'm #1, I was 4 months postpartum when I got my BFP and EBFing still. My period returned at 3 months and regulated quickly.
That being said: I had joined a "TTC while BFing" group on babycenter and continued with them through most of my pregnancy (rare to find a drama-free forum). Many of them had issues even getting their cycles back while BFing, or getting regular cycles while BFing. Lots of them had issues with long cycles (30+ days), annovulatory cycles, etc, well into the 2nd year of BFing. Night weaning was strongly suggested to encourage cycles to return, but it wasn't a guarantee. I also know they took some herbal supplements to encourage things to start/regulate, Vitex being one of them.
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui)
#1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo
#2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015
#4!!!!!!! due June 2017
Lurker here. My MiL was EBFing when she got pregnant, and the baby she was nursing (let's call her S) passed away (she was born in November). The baby she got pregnant with while she was nursing S (we'll call her K) was born that next November (just a few days after what would have been S's first birthday), so they are/were not even 13 months apart. My MiL told me she never got a period while nursing S when she got pregnant with K.
The impact of breastfeeding on fertility varies greatly. I know women whose cycles didn't return until months after they completely weaned and even nursing 2xs a day was enough to keep them from ovulating. Some women had their cycles return at 8 weeks PP while exclusively nursing.
For me, I had my cycle return exactly 8 weeks after I stopped nursing both times.
I'm a sort of rarity in that I never got a PP period. I had a feeling I had ovulated and took a test 10 days later... boom BFP. So I got pregnant while EBF+solids when my daughter was 8 months old. The answer to this question is going to be all over the board since everyone is different.
What I would do is nurse for a year and see where you stand. If you aren't having a period, evaluate if your desire to have #2 is greater than your desire to continue nursing.
Also, note that if you get pregnant, your baby could quit on their own. I was very very committed to nursing for a year, then I got pregnant and my daughter would not nurse and would not take my milk from a bottle. I tried lots of different things and nothing worked to get her to want my milk so that was pretty disappointing.
It makes me cringe any time that I read someone reference EBF as a form of contraception. It's not. It's a means of feeding a child. Despite the fact that it CAN affect your fertility, it's not birth control.
That being said, I never had a break. Between lochia flow lasting FOREVER and my first PP period, there were maybe 10 days of freedom. This happened with both boys.
I was able to get pregnant no problem when my son was 11 months old. I nursed him until I was 5 months pregnant with my second. He weaned himself at that time.
Pipsqueak born 6/9/14
I am still exclusively breastfeeding. My first, and only, postpartum af happened when dd was 3.5 months old. She turns 6 months next week, and I'm 6 weeks pregnant. That said, my sister had a baby within a month of me and made it to 6 months without af. (I don't know after that because I haven't asked recently.)
Every woman is different, but I'm starting to think that LAM is way less than 98% effective as birth control.
ETA: I'm still exclusively breastfeeding, but we are introducing solids next week on her half birthday. I hope to keep nursing for 6 more months (at least), but we'll see if my body cooperates.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences! FWIW I am not trying to use BFing as birth control I just read that if you're EBFing often, on demand, without using bottles, and have yet to receive your period it is a highly effective form of birth control and I don't want that to stop us from being able to conceive #2. I understand that my LO might reject my milk when/if I do become pregnant, but I would like to try to keep it up.
Either way, I'm happy that you all have shared and I have become very enlightened!! Thank you again!!
#1
DS was four months old when we got BFP after having my period 2ish times (the first was a wimpy one). I was EBF, but DS slept through the night at 2 months. I know that not nursing overnight changes things. DS and new baby will be 12.5 months apart.
Off B.C. Jan '06, started charting Feb '08, 2% morphology and PCOS, no O with meds,
IVF w/ICSI only option to conceive.
Licensed Foster Parents 07.11
Miracle BFP 7.20.11 1st beta 6,274! EDD 3.17.12
Miracle Baby born March 5, 2012 . 6lbs 1oz, 19 3/4"
Miracle BFP #2 10.8.12 - edd 6.20.13
With DD#2 I BF DD#1 until 13.5 months (AF returned at 6 months PP) two weeks later I got BFP.
With DD#3 DD#2 was still mostly BF (though not exclusive anymore) at 9 months when I got BFP. She still BF until 14 months (AF returned at 5 months PP)
All were planned
We knew we wanted somewhere between a 15 month to 20 month gap between kids...because I changed jobs after DD was born I wanted to be at my new job long enough to qualify for FMLA by my due date.
Background info - we have been incredibely blessed when it comes to fertility...baby #1 was conceived less than a month after stopping BC..miscarried at 6 weeks...conceived DD less than 2 weeks after miscarriage. My cycles have always been 28 days without fail.
DD was BF only (pumped via bottle when working) until 6 months, then she was solids and BF until 1 year...still nursing 1-2 times a day at 14 months.
We were on birth control from 6 weeks pp until about a week shy of DD turning 8 months...that was when that round of BC ran out. At this point DD was nuring 4-5 times a day, and had just started eating 3 "meals" a day as well. So that was like July 17th or something in that range...August 21st AF for first time since DD was born...Sept 21st came and went with no AF...and a BFN. 2 1/2 weeks later wasn't feeling good so husband made me take another test...BFP...turns out my cycle had been a week longer than normal so the BFN was because we took the test too soon.
OP, good luck TTC - I hope you get to join the club!
To answer your question...
We started TTC#2 when DD1 turned 1. AF came back 11 months PP. I got pregnant on the 3rd cycle. I was still BFing 4 times a day at the time and DD was obviously eating solid meals by then, too.
LO#3 wasn't exactly planned. AF had yet to make her return and we figured that we'd look into contraception once she did, and that if I happened to get pg before then, then we'd be cool with that. So no AF this time around. I was still BFing DD2 4 x a day on top of solid meals.