Did You Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding?

Updated on March 13, 2010
R.S. asks from Chicago, IL
15 answers

Just curious how many of you got pregnant without resuming your period, and while still nursing?

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K.L.

answers from Chicago on

I was breastfeeding but HAD gotten my period (with both kids I've exclusively breastfed and got my period at 3 months post partum). I was trying to get pregnant and conceived the first month we tried.

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K.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

I nursed exclusively and still got pregnant. I hadn't gotten my period yet and my oldest was 6 months old when we conceived our second. My doctor told me that we would probably be safe for six months while I was nursing, but she strongly encouraged birth control options if we were opposed to getting pregnant again.

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S.S.

answers from Santa Barbara on

My sister-in-law did.

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L.A.

answers from Austin on

I have 2 friends that got pregnant will breast feeding with no periods. BTW, They had been told this was a possibility by their doctors.
One of them said her mother in law told her she also had gotten pregnant while breastfeeding..

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K.P.

answers from Dallas on

I was bf my son and on the mini pill and concieved my daughter when he was just 2 months old. They are 11 months apart at 18 months and 7 months now.

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A.D.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi R.,

I was breastfeeding exclusively and on the mini pill and got pregnant when our oldest son was 6 months old. I never had a period and didn't even know I was pregnant until I took our oldest for his 9 month checkup and his wait gain wasn't great. I had been really tired and nauseous on occasion but dismissed it as being a new mom. Our ped asked me to take a pg test and ...Surprise. Our boys are almost 13 and 11, they are fifteen months apart almost to the day. It was tough when they were little but got easier as they got older. They are very close. Take care.

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J.J.

answers from Dallas on

Breastfeeding is not effective birth control and you CAN get your period back while exclusively breastfeeding early on - I did with all 3 of my kids - my cycles resumed between 6-7 weeks postpartum and I bf exclusively with each of them - and my 3rd nursed until she was 2 1/2!

I would not have taken a chance - we used condoms after number 1, minipill after number 2, and I had a tubal ligation after number 3.

M.S.

answers from Columbus on

I had just finished BFing. A friend told me you are more fertile right after (about 2 months) you quit. Her information was a little late.......LOL!

A.G.

answers from Pocatello on

it can happen but if you're like me then most likely no. I exclusively bf my first daughter and didn't even get my period back until she turned 1. So I didn't get pregnant until I had been done nursing for a few months. Now with my second she is almost 14 months. We had never used protection and I still haven't got my period back yet. I did take a test to make sure I wasn't pregnant and I'm not I just still haven't ovulated yet. So yes you can get pregnant while Bf but if your baby is young and bf is exclusive then the chances of getting pregnant are not very high.

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A.S.

answers from Chicago on

This did not happen for me but lactational amenorrhea (using BF for birth control only works if:

For women who meet the criteria, LAM is 98% - 99.5% effective during the first six months postpartum.

* Breastfeeding must be the infant’s only (or almost only) source of nutrition. Feeding formula, pumping instead of nursing, and feeding solids all reduce the effectiveness of LAM.
* The infant must breastfeed at least every four hours during the day and at least every six hours at night.
* The infant must be less than six months old.
* The mother must not have had a period after 56 days post-partum (when determining fertility, bleeding prior to 56 days post-partum can be ignored).

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J.W.

answers from Chicago on

My friend got pregnant while breastfeeding, without getting a period. Her daughter was 6 months old when she got pregnant again. So, it can happen.

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J.F.

answers from Toledo on

Me me me! LOL. We concieved #4 while I was still nursing #3 (9 months old) and taking Micronor (the "mini pill"). I did have my period back but only for about 3 months though.

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S.S.

answers from Dallas on

Me! I was exclusively breastfeeding my 7 month-old son and using a diaphragm.

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K.

answers from Chicago on

I did at 16 months postpartum, but I was also TTC. I never got my period back between the two kids, but I did know from charting that I had ovulated. It was pretty great - I went over 4 years without a period!

I continued to nurse my son until he was around 20 months old and I was 25 weeks pregnant. At that point I was just "touched out" and wanted to give my boobs a break before #2 came along. I was told it was completely fine to nurse throughout my pregnancy.

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S.C.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Yup, I did 1/2 of what you said. My son was 6 months old when I got what I called a "funky flu". Turns out, morning sickness! I eventually took a pregnancy test, about a week after the first yucky morning and got a very bold positive! I did have my period though, a month after my son was born.

B U T!
I did continue to nurse him until he was 13 months old, and I was 7 months pregnant.

I was told I could if I gained good weight and had no contractions. The night I felt tightness was my oldest last night... Probably was Braxton Hicks. But what did I know, 2nd pregnancy and I was so young...

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