# want to get preg while breastfeeding



## debc (Feb 26, 2005)

i am breastfeeding my 12 month old and want to get pregnant again, but don't want to stop breastfeeding. any tactics??


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## Najiasaidi (Sep 17, 2004)

It's possible to conceive even if you are breastfeeding and having had your period yet. You could try to chart or track your ovulation in other ways to maximize your chances of conception. I am still breasfeeding and didn't get my period until our son was 18 months. I know it can be frustrating but hang in there. We've been ttc for the last few months. Good luck!


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## Felicitymom (Jul 28, 2004)

I came on this forum to ask the very same question







I am ebf a six month old and wanted to know what can I do? I know introducing solids can help, since then you won't be BF as much... but I'm not willing to go full tilt with the solids yet. So..... any ideas anyone?

Here's a silly question... do you ovulate while BF? and just not get a period? when do you start to ovulate and how do you know?


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## neveryoumindthere (Mar 21, 2003)

i'm here too..except my 'baby' is almost 2








any tips?


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

You can get a period and not ovulate but if you ovulate then you will either get pg or get a period within about two weeks. I was faced with this same dilemma. We wanted to try for another child when #1 was about 18 months old but my body was not showing any signs of returning fertility. My child was on plenty of solids and was sleeping some reasonable stretches through the night. I made a stab or two at nightweaning because that was supposed to help. It was simply painful for all of us and finally I just said well whatever. After almost a year of worrying Af returned just after 19 months though not proceeded by ovulation. Two months later I was pg. I frankly never followed all the rules you're supposed to follow to avoid getting AF back and yet I just didn't. Some women have much higher prolactin levels even at low levels of nursing which suppress Af's return. I do want to note that the average age for AF to return for a mom nursing on demand is 14 months. So some of your aren't there yet. You might find that AF returns naturally shortly after the first birthday as your child gets more interested in solids etc. I really do know how frustrating and worrisome it is waiting for AF when you want her back. I do know some women have had good success with vitex helping with AF's return while BFing and I might have tried that if AF had stayed MIA several months longer. But for some women even minimal amounts of Bfing will keep AF away even for a month or two after weaning. In some cases you really might have to decide which is more important to you--the possibility of having another child or continuing to nurse your older child. Good luck with it. I know it's really frustrating when you're just waiting for her to come. You never know she could be just around the corner.


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## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

Well I got pregnant the 2nd month I tried but my nursling is 2. I was rather surprised as I'm 38. The 2nd month we tried I used the ClearBlue Easy Fertility monitor which indicated an LH surge. (expensive but you can buy them cheaper on ebay and reset them). I also got AF back at 3mo pp and have had regular periods since.

If you haven't got AF yet, you could try limiting night nursing. I think I read that having a 6 hour interval break from nursing at night helps. Prolactin levels are higher at night. This worked for a friend of mine who got AF back at 18mo after night weaning. Or spacing out nursing more during the day. Obviously this isn't very practical with a 6mo old but at 1yo, it might be possible.

And I'm finding nursing while pregnant a bit uncomfortable but not as bad as I thought it would be. Hey latching problems with my newborn were worse than this.


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## Tracyn (Feb 1, 2005)

I am too going to TTC #2 while BFing. My toddler is 22 months, and nurses like a fiend!

I got my period back a couple of days short of DS's first Birthday. I sure didn't miss it, but I've been happily regular at least ever since.

Cheers


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## nancy926 (Mar 10, 2003)

I got AF back right before DD turned 2 yo...and got PG right away. We were still night nursing but it varied on number of times (anywhere from 0 to 5 or 6).

If you have AF back, you can also get ovulation kits where you pee on a stick each day for 5 days and it lets you know when you are ovulating. (They say to start on day 10 or so after AF starts.)

I agree it would be easier to start at 1 yr rather than 6 mo, though I know BFing women who have AF return at 4 mos or even earlier.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

10 mos pp and no sign of AF yet. i'm not really dying to get pregnant but i reallllllly miss my sex drive! still nursing round the clock with no sleep stretches longer than 4 hrs.

i figure i might be a natural birth control long child-spacing candidate







(it hasn't been that long really...but you do start to wonder when you hear about it taking 18 months or more for some people). i think i'd like my kids that far apart but i'd rather not wait that long to feel my mojo :LOL


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## hunnybumm (Nov 1, 2003)

If you all haven't already check out the "TTC while breastfeeing" (or something like that) thread in the Trying To Conceive forum. There are a lot of mommas there now who are nursing and working at another one.

I definitly wouldn't start solids to bring on Ovulation, but that is just my personal opinion. I also refused to wean DS is anyway to help conceive. It definitly can be done with a frequently nursing child, every womans body is different so you just never know.

If you don't have the money for the nice fertility moniter then you might want to try buying some cheap ovulation strips, I got 40 +20 pregnancy tests for $15 or so. I used them for a few cycles to confirm I was Oing. You could use them everyday to help detect ovulation.

Good luck!


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