can you have periods while breastfeeding?

[jam78]

Is anyone taking birth control pills while nursing and do you/can you have periods?  Also, has anyone taken camilla bc pill and got pregnant? Help!!!!

[Michele, Katy, TX]

You can get pregnant while breastfeeding.  Once you start having periods again, that means ovulation is taking place again.  I had a cousin that got pregnant while nursing.  And I believe one of our "forum family members" got pregnant while nursing.  Infact, in a way, it can be easier to get pregnant nusing because until you have your first period, you may not have been aware that you just ovulated a couple of weeks before.   But if you are on the pill, I'm sure you are probably fine.  

[jam78]

thanks for the info!  I have been reading up on similar stuff but I am just paranoid about getting pregnant again!  I had a period a month ago after taking the pill and I am waiting for another period and I have not yet started.  I have read about camilla pill and about LAM but I just wondered if anyone has got pregnant on this pill or while breastfeeding.  Again I am just paranoid because I don't want to get pregnant again, at least for a long time anyway. Thanks again.

[beautifullychaotic]

I got this information from womenshealth.com


Breastfeeding is up to 98% effective as a natural contraceptive for up to six months after childbirth if your period has not returned. This method of birth control is called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method or LAM. LAM is most effective when you can also answer “Yes” to the following questions:

    * Do you plan to breastfeed fully for at least 6 months after the birth of your baby? This means that at least nine out of 10 feedings are breast feedings. Breastfeeding women who depend on LAM to prevent pregnancy should limit the number of supplemental feedings given to their infants to no more than 5 to 10 percent for the best contraceptive results.

    * Do you plan to breastfeed your baby at least once every four hours during the day and every six hours during the night? The most significant impact on fertility is achieved when feedings are spaced out no more than four hours during the day and six hours during the night.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or the ACOG, direct breastfeeding is the most effective method for women using LAM. Other feeding methods may “reduce the vigor and frequency of suckling and the maternal neuroendocrine response…” This may increase the probability of ovulation returning. Additional contraception is recommended for women who are unable to directly breastfeed during the majority of feedings, as described above.


But I would think that if you are on the pill and breast feeding then you should have to worry about getting pregnant.  

I hope I helped.