Casually Trying to Get Knocked up While Breastfeeding 2Xday...

Actually. I was breastfeeding my first born, pretty much full time, though he did have solids as he was over a year old, but I was planning on breastfeeding until at least 2 years old so still breastfed a lot, when I got pregnant with my second child. EVERYONE is different, and there is no real guide to go by, I don't think. Just keep trying, we were born to reproduce! Best of luck to you!

I suspected the same thing when I didn't get PG immediately. My OB said that he sees LOTS of women get PG while still bf... and so did I while bf several times per day. DD self-weaned about 3 months into pg which was convenient and tear-free. I think the hormones did change the taste. She was 2 yrs old so I was ready for it to happen. Good luck and p a t i e n c e. :)

Keep having fun and having sex- it will come if you don't think too much about it. You are still ovulating and it is more difficult to find your ovulation time but if you listen to your body you will be able to feel the subtle signs. Good Luck!

We conceived three (out of four) of our children while I was breastfeeding. In fact, I continued to breastfeed and naturally weaned until five months into each subsequent pregnancy. Just relax and enjoy your family and try not to worry/stress about it. The odds are in your favor.

Anytime you aren't nursing every 2 hours the possibility of pregnancy increases. Our babies are spaced between 2 and 3 years naturally, and we've used the ovulite to help see ovulation patterns too, but it was harder to track because of being so erratic with my cycle. We usually nurse to as close to 2 years as possible. Between a couple of our children I didn't actually have a period. Others maybe one or two. Another indicator is vaginal discharge. This really helps you understand when you are ovulating and could help you. I don't know if anyone's recommended Taking Control of Your Fertility. It's a good book for answering questions on this. If your not worried about stopping a pregnancy from occurring, my advice is to enjoy and not worry about either weaning or conceiving. You'll be surprised how quickly a new little one blesses your family and the weaning will occur naturally (especially if your milk changes taste from pregnancy.) Good luck and Godspeed! :)

At four months old my son was only feeding on breast milk when I got pregnant with his little sister. I had not started having my period again yet but my cycle was pretty much the same as it always was (as evident by my noticeable mood 'shift' around the time it usually did. If you were fairly regular before you got pregnant, you have a good change of being on the same cycle now. You could probably still use ovulite unless there are hormones while breastfeeding that through the reading off. Your obgyn might be able to give you a good idea, too.

As to what someone mentioned earlier about it being very difficult to have kids close together, I have something to say. My kids are a year apart and it was very hard but now that they are one and two it is getting easier. My son can communicate a lot better and by the time you go through the actual pregnancy, he will older. If you want to have your kids close together, I say go for it. I had not planned it and was completely overwhelmed with how difficult it was to have nausea 20/24 hours but I wouldn't change it now for anything. They are really close and although they argue as kids will do, they care for each other and help each other all the time. Good luck, R.!

Hi R.,

Congrats on breastfeeding! You're doing a great thing.

I am living proof that one can indeed have a baby while breastfeeding an infant full time! My bro was 3 months old and exclusively breastfed (mom was a lactation counselor and didn't think she needed birth control) when my mom realized she was pregnant with me.

Same thing happened to my sister in law. Her son was only 2 months old, but she wasn't BFing exclusively.

So yes you can.

But your cycle won't be predictible or back to normal until you wean completely. Your body is still very connected with your first.

Good luck!

Hi R.,

Ditto to Deniece's response to you.. "Knocked Up" is a very crude expression. I'm hoping you're attempting to be humorous. You are not a human bottle. You are a mother, essential to your little guy's care and nurturance. The optimum space between siblings is three years. At that point in a child's development he has fully individuated. I hope you continue to focus your love and attention on him!
Good Luck!
D.

Breastfeeding does hinder getting pregnant. The less you breastfeed (like you) the higher the odds are of getting pregnant. But, you can get pregnant even when fully breastfeeding as my mother found out the hard way. The doctor told her she wouldn't, and she did! Nevertheless, it does hinder it for most women, but it's not full birth control. So, if you truly want to get pregnant, with no obstacles, I would stop breastfeeding.

Got my pregnant with my daughter when my son was close to 10 months (nursing maybe 4 times a day) I thought I had a stomach bug, she was a surprise.

Breastfeeding for me was birth control. Like you, my cycle started as I started wheening. Your hormones should get back to normal soon due to you continuing to wheen. It is hard to get "knocked up" while breastfeeding as it seems you and I have that in common. My son wasn't completely wheened off when we got pregnant with our 2nd son though. I believe we got pregnant easier as he was getting use to the sippy cup more and more.
They are 18 months apart and they get along very well. So I pray all goes well with you and your hubby. Keep me posted

I was still nursing 4-5x daily when I got knocked up the the second (we were trying) and I didn't notice any difference from the first time. I suppose it would depend on your individual body, but if you are pretty regular, it shouldn't be too different. Good luck.

Yes, you can still get pregnant, it will just be more difficult to determine when you are ovulating. I got pregnant with my third child was 11 months and again when my fourth was 13 months- both were breastfeeding!

Why do you want your kids so close? Believe me, its a pain in the butt! My first and second are 5 years apart and I loved it! It was perfect! Then we didn't do anything to stop it from happening so it did. My younger two are 2years and 2 months apart, and I was breastfeeding up to three weeks before delivery.

It is just so hard, its like having twins! They both want to be held at the same time....and so on.
It will happen I would not worry about it, in fact if you change your mind and dont want it to, thats when it will happen!

Just enjoy your son! I had so much fun with my son, we did so much together. I kinda miss the old days of having one kid, but dont get me wrong I love all my kids, but I am just so tired and there is just so much more house work!

Hi there! I am 16 weeks pregnant and got pregnant while still nursing my 2 year old. I too started having irregular periods when he was about 10 months old. I always kept track of my periods just to have a record should I need it at a doctors appointment. I didn't expect to get pregnant, since my first 2 were Clomid babies and didn't even think it was a possibility. Well, I guess you could say we had a really nice Christmas...
Anyway, looking back at my calendar, baby number 3 was conceived when I should have been ovulating even though I didn't have a real period in December.
I guess what I'm saying, is anything is possible. If I can get pregnant with all the odds against me, past infertility and all, then it may be easier than you think for you to find yourself prego. Just don't stress about it and have fun trying!
Best of luck! Wishing you a beautiful little Christmas present!

WELL ALL I WANT TO TELL YOU IS THAT MY DAUGHTER GOT PG WHILE BREASTFEEDING. SHE HAD BEEN TOLD AS LONG AS SHE WAS DOING THAT SHE COULD NOT GET PG. YOU KNOW I AM A NURSE, LISCENSED & WORKING @ THAT TIME. BUT SHE DID NOT CONFIDE OR ASK ME.
SO JUST KEEP ON KEEPING ON, IT WILL HAPPEN I AM SURE. HER ARE 14 MONTHS & 3 DAYS APART.
GOOD LUCK,
D.

I got pregnant while still breastfeeding several times a day, and my cycles were a bit wonky. As it turned out, I ovulated right when I would have for a 28 day cycle. Pretty cool. I also have a friend who got pregnant while breastfeeding without ever having a period. I would just give it a try for a while and see. If it's not happening, then perhaps try the strips you talked about or the book, "Taking Control of your Fertility."

I was weaning my son when I got pregnant. He was a little over a year old. My period was not as regular so I had to chart my basal temperature and I used ovulation strips to time it right. It took us a while with my son but this second pregnancy happened on our first try so for me, it was actually easier to get pregnant even though I was still breastfeeding.

I am a midwife and you can for sure get pregnant while breastfeeding especially since you are only nursing twice a day.

Lisa

I got pregnant when my daughter was 1 1/2 years old. My son was born a couple weeks after her 2nd birthday. It is SO hard for me. I am constantly tired and they both want to be held at the same time. Not to mention both in diapers still and the extra amount of laundry.
I almost feel guilty for having them so close because I feel I am making my oldest grow up so fast because of the new baby. My toddler needs so much attention, and even more so now with someone new to share mommy and daddy's attention with.

Not trying to pursuade you our of your decision because that is so what I wanted to. Maybe it's just me too, who knows, but this stay at home breastfeeding, cloth diapering mommy is totally worn out and it's only been 3 months of having two little ones.

I breastfed even more often than twice daily when we become pregnant with my second child. My first child was 11 months old. we became pregnant within the next two months. we were not trying but not preventing either. we were just using the rhythm method. i would expect that you may have random cycles and ovulation until your child is completely weened. however, pregnancy is very likely especially if you are trying. good luck!

Hi R.,

Congrats on your desire for more kids. I love children myself, I have 4 and 1 on the way! My 2 oldest are 14 mos apart. My 2 youngest are 13 mos apart, and my newest baby will be about 13 months after my youngest child. For me, it's so easy to get pregnant while breastfeeding. What I found, by researching a lot, is the way to tell when I'm ovulating. See, we never wanted to spend money on tests and such, so I finally figured it out by my natural discharge. You may be able to look it up online if you want, that was the easiest way for me to tell. Anyways, when it's "slippery", that's when you and your husband get together. That usually happens a for a couple days before you ovulate. Do it as much as you can at that time. The "slippery-ness" makes it easy for the swimmers to reach the egg. I never noticed my discharge until I started looking. Anyways, that was the easiest way for me. You can also research it and see what else you can find. When you research it, you'll find that counting days after your periods is not so certain. Those days can vary so much. Research "how to tell your ovulating" .

Don't worry about some of the comments. Compared to me, waiting until your child is 11 months before you start trying is actually "far apart" : ) . Yes, 2 children close together is difficult at times, but it's also how you look at it. These days, so many people fear children, or do not understand children, that it's hard for them. Let me tell you, I cannot tell you how many people look at me funny when I tell them how many kids I have. They say, "Oh my, I would have stopped at 2. You should stop, I don't know how you can handle that!" I actually get tired of hearing it. I'm the one with the kids, not them. I love my children and wouldn't have asked for anything else. I have 4 children 4 and under, and will have 5 children 5 and under in October when our newest baby is born. Also, having the kids close together will encourage a stronger bond. I have noticed that with our 2 oldest (4 and 3 yo). They are so close it's neat! Trust me, you can handle it, especially if you want to. If you have any questions, or want to talk, feel free to contact me.

Good luck! I have 2 17 months apart (they're 20 and 21 now) while nursing, though he only nursed part time because he didn't suck well. I started periods pretty early too, so I would say just keep on doing what you're doing. Don't hurry too much weaning your 11 month old. He'll do it himself if you're giving him milk in a cup with meals. Let him nurse for comfort after he doesn't need to for nourishment when he wants (bedtime and early morning are the most likely times. My 3 all gradually stopped on their own between 13 and 16 months.