Getting Pregnant While Breastfeeding - Oneonta,AL

Everyone is different. Some people are super fertile even when nursing (a certain lady with 19 KIDS AND COUNTING comes to mind).

Breastfeeding is natures way of naturally spacing children. If you want to really go with what mother nature intends, then breastfeed happily and have unprotected sex starting at 6 months and when you get pregnant, you get pregnant.That said, I DO have a friend who is 7.5 months YOUNGER than her sibling!!!! Her mother got pregnant IMMEDIATELY after the birth of her sister and she was born prematurely!!! My friend, however, paid the price and has some severe bone defects due to the lack of folic acid in the mother's system from the other pregnancy.

I just re-read your post though - you haven't had the baby yet right? Uh, you may re-think that close-spacing thing once you have this sweet little person. I really like a bigger gap of at least 4 years (so your first is more independent with exciting adventures like preschool and true pals). My own kids are 8 years apart and I LOVE IT. Talk about having a second set of arms!!!

Anyway, you never know what life throws you. You may think you want them close, but few can predict how their life will change with a child.

Congrats, Congrats!!!

4 moms found this helpful

The BEST way of improving your chances is to give your baby something aside from breastmilk at least once.

(This can even be water, because of the additives that go in the water... aka would need to be tapwater, not bottled water). All you need is ONE time with ONE other substance. The effect was proved permanent with nearly every baby in the study (to make up a statistic - since I don't have the study in front of me... it was something like 96 or 98%, and with repeated exposure essentially 100%) ... (10s of thousands of infants had their saliva tested over a couple of years at their regular doctor checkups... obviously not a US study, but a european one... although I believe there are US studies -waaaaaay smaller- as well). The only variable was how quickly the MOTHER'S body reacted.

What happens when a baby ingests something other than breastmilk is reeeeeally facinating... but simply put: a chemical reaction happens and is present within the baby's mouth, that transfers to your nipples, causing another chemical reaction in your body that starts up the reproductive cycle again.

Ever wonder why so many kids are 2 years apart? Most parents start supplementing (rice cereal, etc.) or "tasting" (cheerios, mum & dad's food, etc.) right around 6 months. Then a couple months for fertility to be up and running again, a month or two for sex to happen at the right time, and bam! Pregnant.

In order for breastfeeding to have ANY effectiveness in birth control, it has to be the only substance that every goes into a child's mouth. Now, some women are so fertile... their cycle literally starts up again on day 1, and they have their regular period before the baby is even 6 weeks old. But this is the minority (ditto women who have difficulty conceiving).

And yes, formula as well as water/rice cereal/ apple juice/ cake/ ANY edible substance "works".

:)

3 moms found this helpful

.... each woman is different. Each successive pregnancy is different.
there is no predicting it or consequent pregnancy timing.... nor the consequent return of a period after having a baby and/or while nursing or not. Also, you do not know how breastfeeding will go... or how baby or your milk will adjust to it.

I nursed my 1st child. I got my period even while I was still breastfeeding. I got pregnant while still breastfeeding, which ended as a miscarriage.
Then by the time my daughter self-weaned from breastfeeding... and after the miscarriage... and per the Doctor's recommendation as to post-conceiving after a miscarriage/DNC... I had gotten pregnant with my now son... about maybe 7 months after that.

It all really depends. There is no formula to it.

MANY women get pregnant while breastfeeding. But, keep in mind that if pregnant while breastfeeding... it changes the taste & constitution of your breastmilk... and some babies will then "reject" nursing. OR... your breasts become SO tender/sore from being pregnant... that you may not want to breastfeed anymore. Or, you will get much morning sickness and discomfort while pregnant.. and then breastfeeding becomes unbearable.

There are many scenarios... which are not predictable.

With 2 babies close together in age... you will not really know if you will want to do that... AFTER you have your 1st baby... because sometimes a Mom changes her mind, because after having a 1st baby, sometimes the fatigue is too much and lack of sleep... or you may want to enjoy and spend time with your 1st baby... more... until they are older. Or some Moms just want to have all their kids close in age... and be at the same stages with diapers, wakings, age stages etc. Which sounds like what you are maybe thinking. But... having kids/babies all soo very close in age... is not a piece of cake. And it does not guarantee, that the siblings will be closer or get along, better. It is all about personality dynamics... not numeric age differences.

Once you have baby... and with breastfeeding, it is strongly recommended to STILL take your pre-natal vitamins.... and for conceiving as well. So, your intake of vitamins and healthy eating, is still at the forefront. And a priority.

Just make REAL sure... that you want to get pregnant so soon after having your first baby.... being "under 6 months old" as you said. MANY Ob/GYN's recommend waiting.... a woman's body, post-birth, takes about 1 year to return to normal and "recover" from a pregnancy and birth.
Sure, many women get pregnant soon after having a baby.... and they are fine. So you have to evaluate that, and at your check-ups post-birth, with your Doctor.

Many aspects to this. Think it out.
No pregnancy or birth, is as we theoretically think it will turn out... but plan ahead... and once your 1st baby arrives... then it will give you a clearer window, into what you will decide.

All the best,
Susan

3 moms found this helpful

My two oldest are 18 months apart and they are extremely close...one 18 and the other is 19. You would like them to be close enough to be friends, but also give your self a little time to bond with each. My oldest was off the bottle, walking and potty trained by the time the new arrival happened. I breastfed them both; however, you may not want to use me (since everyone and every pregnancy is different) because I've been pregnant on everything known to man (including a tubal ligation that was done correctly-twice!)

2 moms found this helpful

Hello

I would say it is unlikely, but can't say that anymore b/c I've gotten pregnant twice now while breastfeeding. ha! I breastfed my 1st daughter and was on a 1 hormone pill for over a year and never got pregnant. But I did get pregnant when my 2nd was 5 months old and again when my 3rd baby was 11 months. When I got pregnant w/4th baby I was taking the 1 hormone pill. So it can happen!!
Good Luck to you!!

1 mom found this helpful

it just depend when your period is gonna be back.I had it back after 40 days and I got pregnant when my baby was 4 months,they are 13 months apart,
good luck

1 mom found this helpful

I have two babies 14 months apart. I had a 5 month old when we got pregnant again. I assumed it was not very easy to get pregnant while breastfeeding..but assumed wrong! ;) I had only spotting 4 months after having my first baby but got pregnant right after that. I breastfed entirely for about 11 months. I've had other friends who wanted to get pregnant but didn't have a period at all while breastfeeding. I guess it depends on your body if you can or can't get pregant while breastfeeding. My breastfeeding was good enough to feed the baby but I didn't make tons of milk like some that I know did. That may have been a factor why I got my period so quickly after having the babies. good luck! hope this helps!

1 mom found this helpful

your chances are better than if you were not breastfeeding. I am a mother of 5 and believe me getting pregnant while breastfeeding is not only possible it is very probable. you will actually be more fertile because of breastfeeding.

1 mom found this helpful

My older brother and I are 1 year and 7 days apart. After having my first child I talked to my mom about this because several questions came to mind. She said that she breastfed my brother until three months because she got pregnant with me. After that her body wasn't producing enough milk for him, and he moved on.

It really depends on your body. For some mothers, breast-feeding is a very effective method of birth control. For many others, it isn't really any method at all. My period returned about 2 months after I gave birth, even though I would continue to breastfeed for months after that. You may not be able to tell until after you've given birth. Talk to your doctor about ways to improve your chances.

Getting pregnant while breast feeding is a lot more easier than it was trying! As long as you are having your cycle!

I did get pregnant when my first was 9mths old, but I think it was due to beginning the weaning process. He nursed a lot, didn't start solids until 6mths, and nothing but cereal until 7mths. I never had a period after he was born. When I was pregnant with my 2nd son, I hated the question "when was your last cycle?" because it was the cycle when I had my first one. :) It depends on how much you are nursing, and when your cycles come back. I have heard that once you start nursing 24oz or less, then your cycle will return. I have also heard that fertility can be higher the year after you have a baby. (Don't know if that's true for everyone, or just an average. It worked for me - my first son was from clomid, my second occurred naturally!)
Just wanted to add - we were 'unprotected' from when my 1st son was 6mo to 9mo. I didn't like the progesterone pill.