Breastfeeding:TTC

Can I become pregnant while breastfeeding?

Many mothers that are nursing a baby or toddler want to become pregnant again while breastfeeding. Most people think that if you are breastfeeding you can not become pregnant. Although breastfeeding does offer some protection against conception, it does not make you infertile. The chances of becoming pregnant while exclusively breastfeeding are slim, but it does occur. If you are supplementing your baby with formula or solid foods, your chances of conceiving will likely be higher.

While some women will conceive easily while breastfeeding, the majaority of nursing mothers will have a harder time. This is because as you breastfeed, your body is producing prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that delays ovulation and conception in nursing women. Menstruation can begin at any time during the first year of breastfeeding, so it is wise to know exactly when you are most fertile.

Women that want to conceive while breastfeeding should chart their basal body temperature very carefully and monitor the cervical mucus. Ovulation predictor kits can also be beneficial. Research suggests altering your nursing schedule if you are trying to become pregnant while breastfeeding. Try not to nurse around the clock and supplement if at all possible.

Comments: Breastfeeding - TTC

Comments 1 to 24 of about 51.
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strongmama03 - 141 days ago.
Hi, my daughter is 10 months Im still nurcing and ttc. Havnt had a period in 21 months so wondering how to track when Im fertile..?

Miss ATARI 2600 - 359 days ago.
Hey ladies, Im nr=ew here.. i jus need women to talk to.. i am 20 yrs old and engaged. me and my fiance have just started ttc about 2 months ago. a couple weeks ago we have been taking fertilaid for both men and woman.. anyone used it before??

kokonenny1121@yahoo.com - 522 days ago.
HI guys i kind of new here... Me and my husband been ttc for 7 years now with no luck. So on the 28th of oct I was having this very weird periods that scared me to death, bc its super super heavy that I have to change tampons 3 times in an hour, and every time i move even just for a little walk to the bathroom, the blood just come out like the Niagara falls I thought i was miscarriage,so I took a prego test and its negative... cause my bff said if i am miscarriage the hormones still there. It was lasted for 5 days then it became lighter and lighter until it was gone. Now my question is why my period stopped after that its been almost 1 month. My periods is never regular anyway but I always have the symptoms every moth. Please tell me what should I do Im sad and confused... Thx guys anything would help.

michellelaughs - 832 days ago.
2t- good luck. At your age i doubt you'll have any problem =)

michellelaughs - 832 days ago.
2nd miscarriage while ttc while nursing. Am cutting back more on the nursing and ttc again.

2tiesttc1tutu - 832 days ago.
lol I didnt even know this one was here! I am also breastfeeding and ttc at the same time. Actually I want my ds to stop nursing and think the only way to wein him is to get pregnant. lol He is a boob man for sure! Just had his first birthday Feb 9th!

michellelaughs - 832 days ago.
wow, nobody comes here, ha ha.

pugdunn - 880 days ago.
I got pregnant with our 3 son while I was breastfeeding our 3nd son ... it does happen.

mummy2onej - 979 days ago.
hi im trying to get pregnant with my second child it took me 3 yrs to catch with my first who is now 7 months,i have pocs . has any1 had the same problem concieving their sencond child . any info would be great hope to chat 2 some of u ladies soon.

michellelaughs - 983 days ago.
I've been cutting back on the breastfeeding this month as it was messing up my luteal phase and now I feel like crying. I hate that I tell my dd 'no'. I want to nurse her not tell her no. Im doing it for her., to give her a sibling but I am feeling resentful and sad. I dont want to wean her right now and it feels like I am even thought I still nurse her 2-3 times a day. I was nursing her about 8 times. I feel hormonal. Either my AF is here or I am preggy, Which is it???

michellelaughs - 999 days ago.
Alex, since your post was 38 days ago maybe you have figured this stuff out but I would highly recommend www.fertilityfriend.com. It tells you everything you need to know via a 'free online course' and provided you a free online chart for keeping track of everything. Also, if nothing else, I personally am a fan of the ovulation predictor sticks. you can buy them at walmart next to the pregnancy test. They tell you when you are about to ovulate. Good Luck!

michellelaughs - 1004 days ago.
Hi,......Looks like this is a lonely forum but I am going to post here just in case people do look in here sometimes, lol. I have a 22 month old, have just got AF back for 4 months but still have a short luteal phase, 7 days. My dd has been nursing around the clock every 3-5 hours until a few days ago when she night weaned. I can definately stretch out the day sessions a bit more if we need to. Do you think that will be enough to get my luteal phase back to normal?I dont want to completely wean her yet.

alex.aarons.mom - 1037 days ago.
I finally found the right forum! My hubby and I have just started to TTC again. We currently have an almost year old and an month old. I have yet to get AF since I am still bf my son. I was wondering how to tell or keep track of when I may be ovulating. Are there any obvious signs? What should I do?

lissie *team blue* - 1060 days ago.
I am frustrated b/c though my periods started in march and we quit birth control we are having a hard time ttc. My periods ar irregular. It was 60+ days between first two periods and then 33 between next period. My second and 3rd periods only came after all day car trips so I'm not sure if I am ovulating without the interruptions I had with the trips. I cut my babys feedings down to 3x/day. He is 12.5 months old. My husband will be apart from me for the next 6 weeks except on weekends :( That makes it even more difficult ttc. I am just frustrated and discouraged ttc while breastfeeding. i also am having reoccuring ovarian cysts that are painful. Not sure if that affects anything.

andy21 - 1086 days ago.
ugh, so confusing... AF is still not regular since the birth of my son. AF started in March 18-23 then came back April 30-May 4 now, It's June 1st and no AF. My DH and I have been BD fairly often but I am not sure if I am even fertile yet because I am BF my 7 month old. Any opinions??? I had a BFN a few days ago. We BD on May 12, 16, 21, 25 and 29 because I am not sure when I'm ovulating. My hubby was saying he'd love to have a BFP for his father's day gift! could I get prego??? it was super easy with my son.. (I posted this in TTC too-just trying to get some help=])

krystalH103182 - 1121 days ago.
I was wondering has anyone heard or tried fertibella advance conception pills? I got a 2 month sample in the mail and wonder if it works.

ourlittlehogi - 1158 days ago.
i'm looking for input in charting while breastfeeding. i'm three months post partum. prior to pregnancy we did temps, fluids and position to achieve pregnancy.my ? is....i've been done bleeding for awhile now but have a slightly yellow discharge. every few days it will get very slick, stretchy...just like very fertile CM when charting. is this normal postpartum discharge or is it a sign of fertility? i am breastfeeding exclusively and have had no sign of my period coming. i had two full term pregnancies in 2009 so we don't really want to get pregnant again too soon but we wouldn't overly upset either....

usmcwife - 1212 days ago.
& i am BF but also supplementing a bit

usmcwife - 1212 days ago.
any mommys out there who are TTC after recently having a baby? my sons 2 months, open to thoughts and suggestions :)

august20 - 1279 days ago.
lovemylove- I am still nursing 18 month old twins. One is close to being weaned (most days) but the other is not ready at all!. AF returned for me when I returned back to work at 15 months. I am cut back to 2-3 feedings / day / baby. If your babe isn't ready to be cut back, maybe try cutting back duration of feeds (that's what I did to get ready to go back to work). Cutting out night feedings is supposed to help, but I still haven't done that! Not sure if I should even be on this site... we're not officially trying (I'm petrified of having twins again) but definetely would be sooo excited to find a positive.

lovemylove - 1280 days ago.
Hey Ladies!!! Ok here is my deal. My son will be 2 on Jan 3. I breastfeed him still! NO AF!! I really want to get pregnant but do not want to ween him yet until he is ready and let me tell you he is not. Do I need to ween him? How are you ladies doing it??? Confused. Thank you!

Bri - 1352 days ago.
stacka - That's so awesome! Congrats! YAY! I knew you would get one eventually.

stacka - 1352 days ago.
Hi, We got our BFP yesterday, still breastfeeding my one year old so hopefully that all goes ok. Very shocked because BBT did not indicate I had ovulated and I was expecting AF... What a lovely suprise!

michelle010203 - 1367 days ago.
Anyone have time to answer a question about ttc?

Bri - 1409 days ago.
august20 - The pull out method isn't really reliable because well ovulation can be so everywhere and even what comes out in the very begining contains sperm. I have a friend from high school. She got pregnant as a virgin. Her and her boyfriend's 'parts' got very close but he never penitrated and she ended up pregnant! Get that one! But as for early signs, for me it was the same except for the sore boobs.

littledebbie99 - I got mine back when Kekoa was 9months, I didn't get pregnant until he was 17months. My first several periods were about six weeks apart and I thought I was pregnant last September but I wasn't. Take precaution unless you want to conceive or you don't care if you do.

stacka - Good Luck! That's what we did. Well I didn't chart anything but we just had sex all the time. It worked!