Trying to get pregnant while breastfeeding

[blinka]

My husband and I would like to get pregnant again.  Our daughter is 9 months old.  I am still breastfeeding but she is also eating solids and sleeping through the night.  I got a period a month and a half ago but nothing since and I am not pregnant.  Am I ovulating even if I only had one period?

[sanity874]

my sister in law fell pregnant 2 months ago and her daughter is 10 months old and she was breast feeding,and only had her period 3 times in 10 months,so you can fall pregnant.for some women its harder to fall preg while breastfeeding.

[AndiJ78]

That is true, it definitely is harder for some women to get pregnant while nursing. However, there are plenty of women who can tell you they did (one of our members, HouseofGirls is pregnant again and she is nursing).

The only way to know when you are ovulating with periods this wacky is to start either temping or using ovulation prediction kits. I suppose you could throw CM checking into that as well, but I always found nursing messed with that anyway ;-)

Given the solids and sleeping through the night, it is likely your period is resuming, it just takes some time to balance them out. My periods are still balancing out and I weaned by last one in May.

[houseofgirls]

Hello there!  Yes, I got pregnant while breastfeeding.  I never did get regular periods.  I got two, and they were almost 2 months apart.  We were actually using condoms, but didn't 2 times.  Well, thats all it takes sometimes!  When we conceived, I actually thought I was about to start my period.  I was having cramps and was a little bloated.  I guess I was ovulating instead!  

As Andi mentioned, you may have to start charting or using ovulation prediction kits.  Try to have intercourse a couple times a week at the least.  You just never know when you will be ovulating.  Some women can't get pregnant until they wean, others have not trouble at all.

I am still breastfeeding, and am 12w3d pregnant.  I can tell that my milk supply is starting to drop.  My baby is not interested in weaning, so we'll see how this goes!  She is 13-1/2 months old.  Anyway, good luck to you!  It definately can happen!

[bellabeanmom]

I've gotten pregnant with both my second and third babies while breastfeeding.  I always got my period back quickly following the births of my children (regardless of fact I was exclusively bf'ing and my babies were not sleeping through the night).  The third pregnancy was unplanned.  Nursing can make you very fertile or make it more complicated for pregnancy.  

[blinka]

Thank you very much for your posts.  It is reassuring to know that so many women have gotten pregnant!!  I might try the ovulation kits.  I never thought that I would wish for my period to come back!!

[neasyc]

just wanted to say when we were trying for our third child i bought ovulation pridictor kits and when i tock it home and read the instructions it say not to use while breast feeding so i rang the helpline and asked why i was told it was because the prolatcin in your body can stop the test picking up you hormone surge i used the test anyway never go a positive but did manage to get pregnant that month but misscarried a month after my misscarriage i was pregnant again i now have three daughters and breast feed all of them now so it is very possable to get pregnant while feeding good luck

[blinka]

Thank you for the info!!!!  I actually went to get one at my local grocery store and saw the price!!!  25 dollars!!  Wow!!  I was going to go to Target to see if they were cheaper but now I probably won't bother.  Thank you very much!!  I was thinking of charting temps but I am so lazy.  So I maybe we will just keep trying one more month and see from there.  I'm just glad to hear that so many women have gotten pregnant without or with few periods.  I didn't think it was possible with only one period.