Do You Still Ovulate When You Are Breastfeeding

I have been pregnant or breast feeding for 4 and half years straight now. So it is VERY possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding! I plan to continue breastfeeding until my youngest is a year old in March and then I am done with having and nursing babies. Good luck!

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Hi M.! I recommend the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It's great for helping you know what your body is doing and to know exactly when you are ovulating.
As so many have said, yes you can and most DO ovulate while nursing. I know a girl who got pregnant during her period. Everyone is so different.
Have you heard of red raspberry leaf tea? It does not help you get pregnant but it does help with hormones and mabey leveling out hormones will help the ovulation process. I have no idea if that is true but so many things are connected in our bodies that it may help. I do know that the tea is GREAT for pregnant and nursing moms.
Good luck to you!

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M.,
You can chart your temps and tell if you are ovulating or not. There are many websites (fertility friend) you can use to learn about this. Some folks have anovulatory cycles for several months while they are breastfeeding, especially when they get their periods back so early (mine didn't return till I was 21 mo. post partum and we were only nursing 2 times a day). Be aware that if you get pregnant it can drastically reduce your milk supply in the second trimester so you may have to switch your baby to formula at that time even if you continue to breastfeed him. Good luck.
S.

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Hey M.~

I first of all want to say "Good for you in turning your diet around and your families"!!!!! I don't think people in our society realize the importance in eating right and also supplementing their bodies with good quality food supplements! The body just has to have good support because our food is SO FULL of BAD stuff and the environment that we live in is SO toxic!

Like everyone has stated, yes, you are still ovulating if you are having your period and typically during breastfeeding at some point most women get their period back.

Take care~
A.

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Hi M.,

Three months is not a long time to be trying. Relax, and have fun. ;-)

Yes, the fact that you are breastfeeding *could* be affecting your ovulation. If I were you, I would track my basal temperature for a couple of months. Also, watch for the discharge that accompanies ovulation; it is thick and you will be able to stretch it between your fingers.

I got my period almost 4 weeks to the day after my son was born, and I was breastfeeding!! Breastfeeding never stopped my period, not even for one cycle. Everyone is so different.

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I didn't read the other answers but the simple answer is yes. If you are having a period, you are ovulating. You CAN get pregnant while nursing. I was still nursing my second, 3 times a day and twice at night, when I got pregnant with my third. Good luck!

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Hi M.,

I worked in an OB/GYN office for 15 yrs and I can't tell you how many oops we had because mom's didn't think they ovulated when breast feeding. Yes you do and yes you can get pregnant. Good Luck.

D.

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YES YES YES!!! One of my good friends was breast feeding and was on the "mini pill" at the same time and got pregnant with a surprise baby#4!!! Try the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility" by Toni Weschler--it's very simple to understand and I believe there is a section on post-partum and nursing. That book should be required reading for every woman, whether they are trying to conceive or trying to avoid conception without popping artificial hormones into your body. I'm sure your naturalpath is familiar with this book, if not I'd share it with him/her. Good Luck!

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most of all remember that in order to get pregnant, you have to be calm and relaxed. that is a pretty big part of it all.

it is completely possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding, and some parents nurse right through pregnancy and tandem nurse 2 kids at one time! :D sounds fun right? LOL.
i really like the idea. however, i really dont think that its causing you not to ovulate. if you are having periods, i would think theres nothing wrong where you couldnt get pregnant.

maybe its just taking longer this time around. age, and other factors, can all make it a bit more difficult. take your time, and dont stress about it. stress is a powerful influence as to whether or not our bodies are ready for pregnancy. :D
good luck!

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Prolactin is supposed to stop both ovulation and menstruation. However, as you have read in these posts, that's not always the case.
Some women may ovulate without menstruating. Some may menstruate, but not ovulate. Some none, some both.
In my case, both were taken away until I started the weaning process. I got one period shortly after his first birthday, the next one I didn't because I was pregnant! :)
If your diet affected your pregnancies to that extent, then it follows that nursing could also affect you to this extent. Also, if he's keeping you awake, your body may not have all that it needs for a new life. You can only do so much!
Maybe you should stop nursing him at night to begin with, so you get some sleep. Then gradually work on it during the day.
And like someone else said... don't worry so much and enjoy the 'trying'! :)
Good luck!

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Try charting your temp and maybe getting an ovulation microscope. I am breastfeeding and TTC also. I use fertilityfriend.com to keep track of my charts and it helps. It does cost about $10 bucks a month but its worth it. Another thing I take is 1000 mg of Vitex and 200 mg of B complex. It is supposed to help bring back Ovulation and lengthen your luteal phase.

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My son was 9 months old, and happily nursing, when I got pregnant with my daughter. That was the first period after giving birth. Yes, I ovulated while nursing. On another note...good for you for changing your eating habits! You sound so much healthier...and your kids will be, too!

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Hi M.,

My friend, who was nursing twin boys until they were just over a year is now six months pregnant! She hadn't had her period since before she got pregnant with the twins and figured she was safe. Baby #5 on the way!

C.

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M.,

Nursing will stop ovulation, but it stops periods, too. If you are having a real period, you should be ovulating. You may want to try an ovulation kit to see for sure or check with your doctor, naturepath or midwife.

Good luck,
S.

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M.,

Yes you can ovulate when you are nursing, I was nursing my then 11 month old (as often as you nurse your baby) when I became pregnant with my second son and am now pregnant with my third baby and was nursing the second when I got pregnant this time. I'd say if you are having regular periods, that you are most likely ovulating. Yes, I have been pregnant and/or pregnant and nursing for the past 4 years :)

I had 3 cycles before becoming pregnant the second time, and two cycles before becoming pregnant this time.

I agree with other posters to try taking your temperature or using an ovulation prediction test (available at drug stores) to see when you are fertile to try to concentrate your efforts.

Someone noted that 3 months is not long at all to be trying, many couples try much longer even without your history.

Good luck to you, and good for you for still nursing your baby. It most certainly is good for him, and many of us can surely be pregnant and nursing at the same time.

Jessica
SAHM to Charlie (3 1/2) Joey (22 months) and baby girl due in 2 1/2 weeks :)

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You may or may not be ovulating. Having menstrual bleeding is no indicator that ovulation has occured. Women (especially those with PCO and those with hormone inbalances or are approaching menopause) can have a period and not ovulate...this is called an "anovulatory" period. See for more info: http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/anovulation.html

You don't say whether the doctor who evaluated you recently is your regular ob/gyn or a fertility specialist. Since you've had issues in the past, I'd highly recommend going to an actual fertility specialist and have a very thorough work-up done to determine the exact cause of your past miscarriages. A good workup would entail not only a physical exam, genetic blood tests, ultra-sound, and a series of blood tests throughout one entire menstrual cycle, to monitor hormone levels in all phases.

You don't say what types of test you have done, be sure that the doctors look into everything from hormone levels, genetic blood disorders,PCO, Fibroyds, as well as diet.

If you're interested in a natural fertility method, and live in the Twin Cities metro area, contact St. Joseph's Hospital's fertility clinic. They are one of a few hospitals in the country that offer a natural fertility method called the Creighton Fertility Method. Many couples have had incredible success against the odds achieve pregnancy through this clinic. The docs are great too. Go to

http://www.tcnfp.org/creightonmodel.php

for more info.

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I can only assume. I think I ovulate because I see the egg white mucus which arrives around the time of ovulation. You could seek an infertility specialist and make sure but I don't think they'll test unless you have tried at least 6-12 months.

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I nursed for 4 years for my two, so, yes, you can get pregnant nursing. I got pregnant at 10 months. I had my period once. I went on the pill at 6 months with the second so that we did not do it again, and then an IUD at 1.5 years because I was bad about taking the pill.

Take temp. You're ovulating if you are having your period, you just need to "do it" at the right time.

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You are ovulating if you are getting your cycle.
I always started my cycle back about 4-5 months after a baby. But I don't concieve right away, it often takes 4-6 months to get pregnant. (my last two are much, much longer than that.)
It just isnt' time yet. It will happen.

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you need to stop nursing all together if you want to get P.G. and why do you nurse 2 to 6 time a night my goodness dont you ever get any sleep? let the baby fuss a little and go back to sleep he will soon find out that Mom is not going to come and get him out of bed every time he fusses. you have eggs but they are not comming down to get fertllized because of the sucking your son is doing. however some women get P.G. while they are nursing I did so good luck don't worry it will happen

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Many of my friends have become pregnant whist breastfeeding, and so now tandum feed :)

www.a-little-wish.co.uk

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