Getting Pregnant While Lactating?

I was breastfeeding full time and had not had a period and got pregnant six weeks after giving birth. It happens!

Just a note, the frist year with kids that close is a little intense but after you make it through that it is so fun to have them be such good friends. It wasn't my choice to do it that way initially but I would never go back and change it. Good luck!

talk to you doctor, but I know plenty of people who have gotten pregnant while breastfeeding and not getting their periods. Just because you are not having a period does not mean you are not ovulating. good luck!

I think there is probably no way to guarentee that your period will come back at any specific time. After my first, my period didn't come back for 13 months and we had at least an 8 hour break (sometimes as long as 12 hours) from breastfeeding at night from about 2 month on. We got pregnant right away and after my second, my period came back after almost 12 months. I have friend who breastfed more often (less hours between feedings) and until their kids were older than mine and got their periods back in 6-8 months. So, unfortunately, I think it's mostly just all about what your own body wants to do. Good luck!! =)

Hi Lucy,
Many women get pregnant before they even get their period back. Everyone is different so there is no"for sure" when it will return.
On the other note:
I don't think breastfeeding while pregnant is an issue as long as you look after yourself. Eat healthily and stay rested.
As someone mentioned below though your milk does turn to colostrum I think around the 15-20 week mark of pregnancy?? I'd have to check that. This may mean that you wouldn't have enough milk for baby considering you want to breastfeed for a year.

I encourage you to reconsider your decision. My kids were almost exactly 2 years apart and while it was good later on for them, it was hard early on. I was not able to give either of them the individual attention they needed. I basically managed to keep house and put food on the table. But I had a husband who did 0 help. And that is all I have to say.

You really just need to wait for your body to do what it needs to do. I know a mom that received her period a month after giving birth and had regular periods right away with both full-time breastfed boys. Most of the moms I know (including me) got their periods when our babies were 6 months old. Others at 9 months. And some didn't get it until they totally weaned (even if they were toddlers). Everyone is different. My guess is that yours will return somewhere around 6-9 months - it seems to be the "norm" for most moms I know.

Also, please keep in mind that the optimal medical time to have your next child is 18 months to 5 years apart. That way you have the time for your body to replace what it has lost. I'm sure you'll have your next child when your body is ready. Good luck! :-)

Hi Lucy,

I don't have any advice on how to get that going again, only the body does things on its own time. My period didn't return until my daughter was 16 months old! Now I loved that. A lot of my friends have said once they started introducing "solid" food around 5-6 months and they stopped nursing exclusively their periods returned, but that wasn't the case for me. When my daughter turned one I was down to nursing just twice and day and my period didn't return until I had stopped completely at 15 months and then stopped taking the mini pill. It started about 3 weeks after the last time I nursed her and 2 weeks from when I stopped taking the mini pill. Now I will say according to all my friends I am rare to have gone that long. But it is just what my body did. I am pregnant with my second child now, it took about 4 months from when my period returned. So don't get discouraged and just enjoy this time with your little one. They really do grow up fast. Your body will tell you when it is ready. Maybe you will get your wish and it will come back sooner rather than later.

Take Care,
H.

My understanding is that sometime during your pregnancy breast milk will turn back into colostrum. I think around the 2nd or 3rd trimester. You will want to take this into consideration if you want your daughter to receive breast milk for the first year.

I've never heard about the 6 hr break between feedings igniting your ovulation before. I do know that breast feeding Moms do get pregnant, all the time. My Mom breast fed me exclusively and she got pregnant when I was 3 months old. Once you are pregnant, you'll want to cut back on your breast feeding as you will really put a strain on your body, the milk supply and baby will have their needs met first and your body will take a heavy toll.

Lots of luck!!!! And thank you and your husband for the sacrifices you are making on behalf of all of us!! May he always be safe and out of harms way.

Hi Lucy!

It seems like people have given some great advice on the breastfeeding/pregnancy element, and I just wanted to second the opinion that it might be worth waiting for your body's sake. Whoever suggested talking to your midwife or doctor had a good idea. My midwife strongly urged us to wait for a year in order for my body to really heal and replenish itself. (We weren't planning to have them closer than 2 years apart anyway.) Obviously people do it closer together, but I can really feel a difference in my body from then until now. And I have found that this time with just the one has been really special and allowed me to enjoy him before jumping him into the sibling dynamic. Good luck and healthy, happy babies to you!

Why the rush? I have found the more you are trying the less you are going to get the results you want. And some doctors do not want you breast feeding while you are pg. It is not good for you or either babies. Slow down enjoy your baby and good luck!

Every woman's body is different! I didn't menstruate until my daughter was 14 mo and down to two feedings (morning and evening) and my periods weren't regular until I completely weaned. My sis had her periods back by 3 months PP after her 4 kids, even though she was still exclusively breastfeeding.

I have to echo what was said before, give your body some time - at least speak to your doctor or midwife if you have not done so yet.

If you do decide to try right away keep in mind that your supply will likely drop as soon as you are pregnant, also the taste of you milk may change and not appeal to your daughter any longer. I would wait until she is at least 6 months old and started on solids.

Good luck!

When my daughter got to be about six months old and started on baby food, she decreased the amount of milk she was using enough that my cycle started. I got pregnant right away and my girls are 15 months apart.

Trust me, 15 months apart is awesome now that they are 3 and 5. They are so close and entertain each other and love on each other (and fight, of course).

However, pregnant while taking care of a baby is really rough.. trying to deal with a crying newborn and a tantruming 16 month old is overwhelming... in fact the whole first year was a bit overwhelming for me. I'm not saying don't do it (I would do it all over again in a heartbeat), but be prepared and make sure you have a large support system in place... I'd advise waiting to get pregnant at least until your daughter is 6 months old..

Just another note, since breastfeeding is important to you, the pregnancy hormones change the flavor of the breastmilk just a tad.. Some babies keep on going like nothing happened. Others wean themselves. My older daughter weaned herself at 9 months and refused to take the breast - she actually preferred formula!!

Best of luck!! You are in for a real fun ride ;-)

You can ovulate (and get pregnant) while not having periods - even when you are exclusively breastfeeding. But ask your LLL friends about something else -- when my sister was pregnant with her 2nd child, the hormones "changed the flavor" of her breast milk and her daughter refused both her breast AND pumped milk. She was very upset because she planned to breastfeed much longer. That said, I also a friend who managed to continue to breast feed both her toddler and new baby at the same time.

My toddler is nursing and I'm due with another this summer. It's definately possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding. That being said, if you want your daughter to have breastmilk for the first year, she's more likely to do that if you don't get pregnant just yet. Your milk supply will definately change with pregnancy (no matter what you do) and most kids self-wean at some point during pregnancy. My daughter didn't, but she was still nursing at least 6 times a day and overnight when we conceived. There's a great book called "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" that might be able to help you out a bit. My milk changed back to colostrum when I was about 5 months pregnant. That is much harder to pump and has different benefits than mature breastmilk. It might be wise to wait another 6 months to start trying so that your daughter has a better chance of having breastmilk for her first year. It's also really common for nipples to get sore early in pregnancy and it's pretty brutal to pump with sore nipples when you're already exhausted from taking care of one while pregnant. Good luck!

Lucy,

It's your choice on how close you want your kids, but keep in mind that it takes 1-2 years for a woman's body and hormones to normalize after one birth. If you are imbalanced there is a higher risk of complications during pregnancy.

My friend and her sister are 18 months apart and still fight like cats and dogs as grown adults. Two of my husband's brothers are 11 months apart and fought like two hellions as children and are a bit better now as adults, but not the best of friends.

Give this first angle the time to be new all by herself before you overload your system with another pregnancy and the fatigue that comes with a newborn and with being pregnant.

Melissa

my mother was breastfeeding she did have 3 of her children 13 months apart each so that put me 26 months old a brother 13 months old and a new born. I had a friend gedt pregmant and her girls are 13 months apart. when they got pregnant the milk supply decreased. because of diapers and other things they wished the children were farther apart.
good luck to you. One thing you do not say is your age you zalso do not say how many children you want.
Paula

Weell I got PG with #3 while I was still nursing #2! #2 was 9 months old when I got PG so they were 18 months apart.

I also had a friend who didnt have a period for about 4 years because she was nursing then PG nursing and PG.. for a few kiddos straight! Nursing is not really an "effective" birth control, while it can delay your ovulation, it will not stop ovulation until you quit nursing.