Trying to Get Pregnant While Still Nursing?

It is possible to get pregnant while nursing, just a little harder to. Your milk supply will likely drop when you get pregnant. There is a herbal supplement from Motherlove called More Milk Two which is formulated to help keep you milk supply if you are pregnant and breastfeeding. check out the web site if you end up needing to increase your supply while pregnant. www.motherlove.com Good Luck and Congratulations.

With my first two children we got pregnant when my daughter was 7 months old. The two oldest are 16 months apart. I was nursing full time as my daughter was only 7 months old and did not care for solids. She did not start solids until she was 12 months old on advice of our pediatrician. Yes it is possible! You may want to be prepared on the nursing of your baby. When I did get pregnant my OB/GYN wanted me to stop nursing my 7 month old daughter; I was not comfortable about this and called the La Leche League to see if I should be concerned. I was informed that the concern was based off of nutrients that the baby would get while I was pregnant. It will be very important for you to eat nutritiously and take your prenatal vitamins, otherwise the fetus will be robbed of nutrients. Just a precaution you may want to think about. Both of my babies were healthy. My son was the biggest baby I had (child #2). Try not to stress over this or it will probably be harder to conceive. The closeness wasn't planned for us but I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Good luck!

Yes, you can get pregnant while nursing. Frankly, I wouldn't want my children THAT close together. Especially since your husband is going to be gone and can't help you. Once your 6 month old is mobile --- maybe you'll understand why I recommend this. I'm sure you'll make the best decision for your family.

It is absolutely possible to get pregnant while nursing. I am living proof. I got pregnant about 2 months after having my son. My kids are 9 1/2 months apart (they were both preemies, so if my daughter had been full-term it would have been closer to a year apart). I don't remember if I had had my period yet or not, but just wanted to let you know that it is absolutely possible. Good luck!!

J.,

As you know, you ovulate about 2 weeks before you begin you period, so you certainly could get pregnant on your first ovulation without ever seeing a period. I would ignore the well-meaning advice about weaning. The truth is that some women cannot get pregnant while nursing, but there is no way to know until you try for a while. I would think very hard about depriving your son of the nutritional and immune benefits of breastmilk for the purpose of getting pregnant again.

Mostly, I wanted to chime in about nursing through pregnancy and tandem nursing, because it's an important consideration which you may or may not have thought about. As you probably know, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing for at least the first year, and thereafter as long as mom and baby desire. The World Health Organization recommends at least two years, and thereafter as long as mom and baby both desire. With your first baby only six months old, he really does need to continue nursing for as long as possible. The nutritional and immune benefits continue throughout the second year and beyond.

If you think it through and decide to get pregnany, you might want to consult with a local La Leche League leader about the special needs of a pregnant and tandem nursing mom. Unfortunately most doctors receive only DAYS of education in med school about breastfeeding, so they usually know very little about it. Many doctors will recommend that any pregnant mom wean, when there may be no need to. Most likely, you CAN continue to nurse your first one throughout your pregnancy and after the baby is born. There is a wonderful book out called "Adventures in Tandem Nursing." Your local La Leche League group will probably have it in their library for you to borrow for free, or you can order it on Amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/56h7gl There is great info and many wonderful stories of tandem nursing mamas in this book. I read it even before I got pregnant with my second, and it helped me decide whether to continue breastfeeding. (My girls are 27 months apart.) There are occasional medical issues that cause doctors to recommend against continuing nursing into a pregnancy. However, I would ask you doctor specifically why he/she recommends weaning, if he/she does. Don't just assume that they have a reason! If you continue to nurse, be aware that your needs for good quality nutrition, vitamins & minerals and water are going to be very great. For your sake and the sake of both your babies, you need to pay close attention to what you eat, how much you drink, and taking a very high-quality vitamin supplement. While it is true that babies will draw nutrients from their mother, if there are no nutrients, baby cannot get them!

Another thought, while some moms do very well nursing throughout pregnancy and then tandem nursing until their first baby is ready to wean, it doesn't always happen that way. For me, nursing became an excruciating experience. I nursed as long as I could, but then weaned my oldest 12 weeks into my pregnancy. Paired with extreme nausea, the discomfort of nursing was just too much. Many mothers also lose their milk around the fourth month. Some babies are determined and nurse right through this time, but some do not. There is a chance that your son will give up nursing, or that you will not be able to continue nursing him. I will certainly not tell you what to do, but it is something you should probably consider. The longer you nurse your son, the more health benefits he racks up. These are benefits that will last a lifetime for him. Only you can decide whether you are willing to risk losing the benefits of breastfeeding.

Best of luck making your decision. Only you (and your husband) can ultimately decide what is the right choice for your family!

Best of luck,
S.

Nursing is NOT a good form of birth control. My brother-in-law's sister got pregnant with her 4th child when she was still nursing her 3rd, a 7 mo. old at the time. Maybe you should talk to your OBGYN, but you shouldn't have any trouble if you had no problem conceiving your first.
Good luck (and yes, you are a bit crazy :) - I thought my soon-to-be 22 mo. spread between my daughter and the little bun in my oven due in Nov. was a close one. Again Good Luck!) :)

J.--

I know that while some women can and do get pregnant nursing, other women can't (or don't) until they stop nursing. People are so different in this regard--it is a very individual thing based on your genetics, weight, health, hormones, amount of times the little one is nursing, and your diet.

If I were you, I would talk with my OB about it, and see what their recommendations are. Also, you can get test strips to test your urine for LH, which is released before ovulation. You could just test each day to see if you are ovulating, or close to it.

i became pregnant with my second baby as soon as i started weaning my first. i started weaning by slowly spreading out the nursing times a little farther apart every day. so it didn't take much change in nursing frequency for me to ovulate again. i didn't even have a period. eventually i think the pregnancy hormones were strong enough to change the flavor of my breastmilk because my son started nursing for a few minutes, looking at my breast funny, then getting up to play or get something else to eat. so if you're not ready to wean your son completely, you might not want to get pregnant just yet. just something to think about.

It is definitely possible to get pregnant while nursing. Many people say that nursing can be used as birth control, which is absolutely false. I nursed all of my babies exclusively, and my periods always returned within about 2 months of giving birth. Even if you haven't had a period yet, you can still ovulate before your first period. The fact that your little one is eating baby food makes it more likely that you will ovulate. Good luck on getting pregnant before your husband leaves!

Yes you can get pregnant while breastfeeding. I don't think breastfeeding is a very good form of birth control anyways. I have a couple of friends who got pregnant while breastfeeding and know of a few others as well. It is harder, especially when you don't have a period, but you could try buying the ovulation tests so you could better tell when your best times to concieve is. good luck!

Just a thought on try buy on of those ovulation kits they sell them at any drug store! All I had to do was read the directions and I got pregnant with my first one!(LOL, very true)They are actually really helpful directions and give a lot of info! But my first we had talked about, my second two were a bit of a surprise but I wouldn't change it for the world. We have so much fun with all three of our little ones. The first and second are 12 months apart and the second two are 14 months. Good luck! Making my oldest only 26 months when my third was born!! And thank you so much for the sacrifice that your family is making for our country! Your children have amazing parents who are true hero's!!! Thank you!

While it is possible, you need to listen to your body. If you haven't got your cycle back, you're body isn't ready to carry another pregnancy. Every women is different and every time is different. I didn't get my cycle back after my first until a few days before his first birthday, after my second, it was a few days after he turned 6 months. I am pregnant now and still nursing my second, so there is no need to stop nursing even once your pregnant. Good luck with whatever happens and if you need any help, let me know (I'm a doula)!

You can get pregnant without having a period because your first ovulation can come and you get pregnant before your body sheds its uterus lining.

The more often you nurse, the less of a chance you have of getting pregnant, especially if you nap nurse and or/co-sleep with your baby. The suckling of your baby stimulates hormones in your body that keeps you from ovulating. A great book on this is Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley.

Good luck!

It's very possible! I have a 7 month old, and found I was pregnant when she was only 4 months old - while I was nursing exclusively. The only advice I can offer is to add in some formula, to get a jump on the weaning process and to allow your body to start ovulating again. Plus, nursing while in the first trimester is completely EXHAUSTING. My daughter began refusing breast milk when I was only 2 months along (due to a change in hormones), so we had to switch to formula altogether. We were shocked initially, but now we're very excited to have 2 so close together. Good Luck!!

Hi J.,
Congratulations on your first baby. You can still get pregnant while nursing - I know because I did! When our 1st child was 6 months old I got pregnant with our 2nd. We were actually trying not to. To my surprise, I started a period when my daughter was 4 1/2 months old. So we found the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler. It was a tremendous help in learning to chart my temp, etc to find out when I am ovulating and fertile. We unexpectantly got pregnant I think, because my cycle was a little off with nursing. But I think if you begin charting - temp, checking cervical fluid, etc, you will be able to tell if you are even ovulating to get pregnant. Best of luck to you and many blessings. We now have 3 children. The 1st and 3rd are 3 1/2 years a part. It's a lot of work with them all little at the same time, but it's also great having them grow up close.
C. M.

Nurse on! That's my advice b/c I conceived 2 babies while nursing, one using birth control as well. I nursed our baby until the next one was 1-2 monthes due. Have you gotten your period yet? I did get mine early. Excited for your family. I have a military background...both sides. Would love to encourage your family. L.

Just want to tell you that YES it certainly is possible. I was still nursing my 9 month old and we were definitely NOT trying to get pregnant when I found out I was. No real periods or anything at that point. I'd heard it was harder or you couldn't get pregnant while nursing but in my case, not so. Getting pregnant with my first was VERY fast so if you didn't have too much difficulty with your 6 month old, hopefully that will be the case for your next.

I got pregnant while still nursing - at age 44! If I can do it, you can! What I did was stop all nightime feedings. I pumped earlier in the day and fed him with the bottle if necessary. (He was pretty much sleeping through the night anyway at 8 months). So, don't feed or pump for at least 8-10 hours at night. This should do the trick for you. The bad part is that your milk supply will be somewhat reduced. Within a month to of doing this, I had one period then got pregnant the next ovulation cycle.

My son was 7 months old and still breatfeeding quite a lot and I was able to get pregnant easily, mind you I wasn't trying though. I hadn't had a real period yet so I only new I was pregnant again, because I got bad morning sickness. I have two friends and I who were able to get pregnant while exclusively breastfeeding babies under six months old. I still continued breastfeeding him through his first year while I was pregnant, and everything went really well. Many people said it would be bad for the pregnancy, but I have never felt healthier in my life as I did pregnant and breastfeeding. My second was a healthy 8 lbs 5 oz baby, so obviously nursing my firstborn didn't take away nutrients from the fetus, and my firstborn was also gaining weight as needed so my doctor was satisfied. I did need to increase my fluids and take an omega 3-6-9 vitamin in addition to my prenatal to keep my milk supply up. Anyway I love having my kids 16 months apart, they are best friends and inseparable boys (they are 2 and 3 now). Good Luck :)

There are pregnancy tests and ovulation kits at the dollar store! These work just as good so if you want to try them, it could save you a lot of money. I got pregnant while nursing when my daughter was about 7 months. I had been taking the mini pill and went off it but had unprotected sex just once in that time frame so we either got pregnant that one time or with a condom. I never had a period. If it is meant to be, it will. I was very sick while nursing and pregnant for the first 3 months. It drained me but supplementing with formula helped so my little one didn't starve and I probably needed to drink and eat more but I was so sick. I love having my 5 and 6 yr old 16 monthes apart. It is hard but they are close and best of friends. If you are doing baby stages anyway, I am a fan of having them close. Good luck.

Having pregnancies so close together really wears out your body. If you're in great shape atm, you can probably handle another. However, I wouldn't recommend having a third that close together. Let your body recover.

Also, find a low-cost/insurance covered chiropractor with experience in pregnancy adjustments that you can see during your second pregnancy.

Just wanted to let you know that I got pregnant when my son was 6 months old. I had had one period and boom! I am a full time working mom so I had just stopped breast feeding because I couldn't keep up with him. I know it is possible to get pregnant while nursing my mom did. My brother and I are 12 months apart. At times it is really hard but my son is such a big helper and my daughter just loves her big brother. Good luck, my only suggestion is to keep trying and when you least expect it it will happen.

Guilt free working mother of 2 beautiful children and the best husband and father a women could ever want.

Oh, yes, it's possible!!
I actually thought one could not get pregnant while nursing, and so took no precautions against getting pregnant during that time. I thought nature would control that. :)
Why I did not know better speaks volumes for today's supposedly sophisticated,"modern" women! My girls are 14 months apart! I woke up one morning and said to myself, "What's this (feeling)? This feels toooooo familiar!"
Yep, here she came!
Today I am ever grateful to God for my two girls being so close in age. (Schools might put them together for classes, except that their birthdays are just far enough apart). I think that the worst time of their lives (SO far!) was when one was away to her freshman year of college and the other was here in Colorado finishing her senior year of high school. (She got into MAJOR trouble, without her loving and watchful sister/best friend here to help her through some hurdles.)
Today they attend the same University and, by choice, room together in an apartment close to the University. Next year they will rent a house with three other girls, but want ALWAYS to live together!!
Bottom line: Yes, you CAN get pregnant while breast-feeding.
Thanks for letting me share this joy just before Mother's Day.
J.

Yes you can get pregnant while nursing. Just keep going at it and see what happens.
C. B

J.,
Congrats on your 6 month old. So even if you're nursing and not getting a period yet, you can still get pregnant. Your best chances are probably when you look at your husband and he looks REAL good. ;) It's still good to keep breastfeeding your baby as long as possible, since he is getting vital nutrients (they absorb more from your milk than any other way), but have fun trying for more! Good luck!
J

even if you don't have a period, you can still ovulate while nursing.

Sometimes you just have to trust in mother nature and go with the flow. If you're nursing and have not yet had a period, you probably haven't even ovulated yet...you obviously can't get pregnant if you're not ovulating. You could cut way back on nursing or totally wean your baby (in order to more or less force your periods to start again), but the health benefits to your baby from nursing are so great that that would not be recommended for him. When is your husband going to deploy? My advice to you is just relax, enjoy your baby and your time with your husband. Even with full time nursing, as your baby starts eating more baby foods your body will begin to return to normal menstrual cycles, and you can anticipate a period anytime from 8-12 months after the birth of you son. You are very lucky in love and to have this wonderful baby...enjoy them, and if you don't become pregnant before your husband is deployed, you can look forward to making another baby when he returns.

Most definitely, you can. It was difficult to get pregnant with my 1st 2 children (not nursing), but the 3rd came as a surprise. At my 6 month checkup after my 2nd, the doctor said I was pregnant. I laughed. He was serious. I was nursing and never had a period between the two pregnancies.

It seems that there are lots of stories (I know two people personally) who weren't worried about getting pregnant because they were nursing, only to add a new baby about the time the other one turned one. So it's definitely possible, but not the best way to get pregnant.
I've also heard advice about continuing to nurse while pregnant, so it isn't a rare phenomenon, and people do try to keep nursing while pregnant.

Oh, it IS possible to get pregnant while nursing. 28 Years ago, after my older sister was born, someone told my mother that you couldn't get pregnant while nursing, and then came my brother 11 months later. Believing it was a fluke, I came 14 months after that, and my little sister came 14 months after me. All in all, five of us withing the first six years of marriage...it is possible to get pregnant while nursing.

I usually get my period about 1 or 2 months after the baby starts food. www.fertilityfriend.com has a great course about how to plan your fertility. The course is free. Even if you don't get your period back, it should help a bit if you're ovulating. GL!

Well most woman don't get their period back until they are about done nursing. So if you are like them then you can have all the unprotected sex you want and you won't get pregnant. If you really feel like you want to get pregnant again soon you will need to stop nursing. Now i know some woman never have a period before getting pregnant again while nursing because they ovulate and the egg gets fertilized so in that sense you could get pregnant without having a period. But it is unlikely so again if you really want to get pregnant now i would start weaning.

Yes it is possible. I have eight children five girls and 3 boys. they are 15 to 16 months apart except two are 20 months a part I normally breast feed for 8 to 9 months , so I am pretty sure I was always breast feeding when I got pregnant with the next child. So my children now are 24,22,21,20,17,16,14 & 13. And this close together is GREAT, I love haveing them this close, I would do it the same if I had to do it all over again. Tina

J.-
I believe it is possible for some people to get pregnant while nursing and not for others. I am nursing my third baby (9 mos.) and didn't take any birth control after any of them. I also didn't get my period back until I had COMPLETELY stopped nursing and the first two nursed for a year. But I did get pregnant on the second period both times. I would also like to get pregnant soon, but I doubt that will happen until baby doesn't need me anymore. I'm not preventing and it would be a welcome surprise, but I think if it hasn't happened yet...? So, don't stop nursing unless you feel that the next baby has priority over breastfeeding the first one, but that might be what it takes.

I got pregnant with my second while I was still nursing. My husband was also ready to deploy. I would just advise you have a strong support network. After no problems with my first I needed bed rest during my second pregnancy for some bleeding. This of course was the result of a middle of the night trip to the hospital. I was also not allowed to pick up my son later in my pregnancy because of some premature labor. I had to move in with my parents because I could not take care of my one year old. I don't know what I would have done without my parent. I also know many wives who were pregnant while their husbands were deployed with no problems, just something to think about. Also I know for me after my husband left to go back after his leave when my daughter was born it was much harder on both of us. Good luck and I hope it works out for both of you.

It's a little more difficult but yes you can get pregnant while nursing. I did! My son was 8 months old and I got pregnant with my daughter. I loved having them so close. It was hard when they were babies but they are 19 yrs & 18 yrs now and they are the best of friends. I wish I had some great advice on how to get it to happen fast but I can't help out much in that respect. We just didn't take any precautions and let it happen. I do remember that I had one period before I got pregnant with my daughter and my son was eating lots of "real" food and nursing only in the morning, naptime and bedtime and a couple of other times during the day by that time. Best of everything to you and your little family. May it grow fast!

Hey J., I've been told by my doctor you can get pregnant while nursing, so you shouldn't have much trouble. Plus, it's easier to get pregnant when you try soon (within a year) after you have a baby, so you're good to go. BUT PLEASE BE FOREWARNED.... I had an adorable 7 month old when I decided she was so much fun I just HAD to have another baby quick! I too wanted them close in age. I got my wish and my two girls are 16 months apart. Here's what I want you to know: IT'S TONS OF WORK. 100 times more work than one baby and with two in diapers and in the baby stage, it's reallllllllllly hard! Please think about this before you rush into another pregnancy. I have found out the hard way that there is good reason women space their children out, usually waiting until one is 2 or out of diapers. Being pregnant while carrying another baby (who is getting heavier by the month and so are you) around is HARD. Both of them crying at the same time is STRESSFUL. They have different needs and usually the newborn wins out, so the other baby gets resentful because Mommy has no time for her anymore. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of wonderful, happy times too. But I couldn't pull it off without my husband's help. And with your husband deploying, I can't imagine putting both babies to bed by myself every night. As it is, I have to do that every now and then and it is quite challenging (very difficult). So please take these things into consideration and think about spacing your four kids out a little bit to spare yourself a lot of stress. Trust me!

Breastfeeding is considered a fairly effective birthcontrol method up to 6 months postpartum. You can still get pregnant while nursing especialy when your child is taking other foods and you can ovulate before your first menstral period. My mom planned her children just as you are doing. My brother and I are 15 months apart and my sister and younger brother are 15 months apart. She breastfed us all, and would back off breastfeeding enough to get pregnant. Good luck

I was told by my doctor that you should wait at least one year between each pregnancy. It takes your body at least a year to heal. When you are pregnant the baby takes alot from your own body, like calcium which can cause you to have brittle bones and teeth if you don't replace it. Plus you are nursing and that weakens your body as well.
I understand wanting to get pregnant again so soon. My children are 3 yrs & 1 month apart. My husband was deployed when I was pregnant with the second and it was very hard taking care of a 2 year old by myself and being overly tired and pregnant.
Just a few thoughts. I wish you lots of luck and safety for your husbands future deployment.
C.

Mother of Tommy 5 and Paige 23 months.

Well, first of all I know for a fact that contrary to popular belief you CAN get pregnant while still nursing, I have 2 children to prove that, but I don't know how you would plan one. I am one of the few women that will still have a period while nursing so for me (at least with one of those children) planning was easy....the other one was a total surprise. My best suggestion is to just have fun trying from now until your husband has to leave and hope for the best. Good luck! J. SAHM of 6