has anyone got pregnant whilst breastfeeding?

bird24 · Feb 21st, 2010, 15:56 PM

Hi Ladies

I'm a bit worried and wondering if anyone has gotten pregnant whilst breastfeeding and not having periods??? is it possible even if you arent having periods?

xx

Cattia · Feb 21st, 2010, 15:59 PM

Yes it is definitely possible, since you will ovulate before you get your first period, and you don't know when that will be. BF does make it less liley that you will get pg, but it is certainly possible, and more likely once you are not exclusively BF according to my HV.

wishingonastar · Feb 21st, 2010, 16:04 PM

yep it's possible...in the 1st 6 months if you're exclusively BFing and baby is having day and night feeds its 98% effective as contraception, a lot of women then get periods back and normal cycles once baby is weaning

Rebaby · Feb 21st, 2010, 16:05 PM

Hey, i got this from the family planning association website:

Will breastfeeding act as a contraceptive?
"Breastfeeding is also known as lactation. When used as a contraceptive method it is also known as lactational amenorrhoea (LAM). LAM can be up to 98 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy if all of the following conditions apply:

you are fully breastfeeding – this means you are not giving your baby any other liquid or solid food or
you are nearly fully breastfeeding – this means mainly breastfeeding your baby and infrequently giving your baby other liquids and
your baby is less than six months old and
you have no periods.
The risk of pregnancy increases if:

you start breastfeeding less often, or
there are long intervals between feeds – both day and night, or
you stop night feeds and use supplement feeding.
Once your baby is over six months old the risk of getting pregnant increases, so even if you don’t have periods and are fully or nearly fully breastfeeding, you should use another contraceptive method."

I thought i was going to be one of the unlucky ones who had normal periods despite breastfeeding as i thought i got af when Toby was just a few weeks old but now looking back i think it was just a continuation of my postnatal bleeding as it wasn't really like a normal period and i haven't had anything else since...

I got the information above in a leaflet on the postnatal ward so OH and i were planning to use breastfeeding as a contraceptive for the first 6 months but now all i seem to hear about is people getting pregnant when breastfeeding which makes me a bit

Hope that helps anyway

bird24 · Feb 21st, 2010, 16:14 PM

Ok great i'm fully breastfeeding and havent had any periods so hopefully that means we are safe - phew - it wouldnt be the end of the world if i was anyway as it took me years to concieve sophie so i'd feel very lucky, i'd ideally like to wait till she is a little older though

Thanks for your posts ladies

anothersquish · Feb 21st, 2010, 16:24 PM

A lot of people become pregnant whilst BFing even with no periods, I know of at LEAST a dozen people who fell pregnant within the first 4 months after birth whilst exclusively BF on demand and having no periods....it is NOT a reliable contraceptive at all despite the "98%" effectiveness given.
Mind you I dont trust anything, I seem to fall pregnant at weird times, last time was after 3 years TTC when I went back on the pill (duh??) and this time was after 5 years TTC when we had given up and decided to save for IVF and wait as OH was being made redundant, DTD once at the very beggining of a cycle and that resulted in Theo....
sooooooo I have little trust in statistics and would say that if you really dont want another baby NOW use another form of contraception (or three...)

Foogirl · Feb 21st, 2010, 17:12 PM

My sister and I are 13 months apart in age. My sister was fully breastfed. the first thing my mum said was "remember you can still get pregnant whilst breastfeeding!"

Rebaby · Feb 21st, 2010, 17:34 PM

Now see, this is what i mean! Loads of people getting pregnant while breastfeeding! Eek! You hardly ever hear of people falling pregnant using condoms, i mean it happens but people don't go round saying "Oh yes, we were using condoms so we thought we were safe..." but since we've had Toby I've heard of so many people falling pregnant while using bf as a contraceptive, i wonder if it happens more or if people just talk about it more? I was surprised at the 98% figure too, as that makes you think "Ooh that's a reliable form of contraception" but there seems so much room for error...all it might take is your LO suddenly sleeping through the night once or twice and the next thing you know...you're ovulating!

bonbon · Feb 21st, 2010, 20:15 PM

I have a friend who has had three children that she concieved whilst exclusively bf and had no periods and I am exclusively bf and I have had regular periods since lo was a month old. I wouldn't trust it as a contraceptive if u don't want another one yet, but if u don't mind y don't u let fate take it course!!!! Lol

Maffie · Feb 22nd, 2010, 01:49 AM

My periods came back after 2 months and id say Noah is 99% boobie fed, we used condoms but we've just gone back to using the pill which I have slight concerns about as I fell pregnant on the same one before (I can trace the conception back to when I had a bug though) it does make me worry sometime shtough as I was told being overweight makes the pill less effective???

Feb 21st, 2010, 15:56 PM	#1
bird24 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Dorset Posts: 3,159	has anyone got pregnant whilst breastfeeding? Hi Ladies I'm a bit worried and wondering if anyone has gotten pregnant whilst breastfeeding and not having periods??? is it possible even if you arent having periods? xx

Status: Offline

Feb 21st, 2010, 15:59 PM	#2
Cattia Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 6,747	Yes it is definitely possible, since you will ovulate before you get your first period, and you don't know when that will be. BF does make it less liley that you will get pg, but it is certainly possible, and more likely once you are not exclusively BF according to my HV.

Status: Offline

Feb 21st, 2010, 16:04 PM	#3
wishingonastar Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: England Posts: 8,012	yep it's possible...in the 1st 6 months if you're exclusively BFing and baby is having day and night feeds its 98% effective as contraception, a lot of women then get periods back and normal cycles once baby is weaning

Status: Offline

Feb 21st, 2010, 16:05 PM	#4
Rebaby Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 4,879	Hey, i got this from the family planning association website: Will breastfeeding act as a contraceptive? "Breastfeeding is also known as lactation. When used as a contraceptive method it is also known as lactational amenorrhoea (LAM). LAM can be up to 98 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy if all of the following conditions apply: you are fully breastfeeding – this means you are not giving your baby any other liquid or solid food or you are nearly fully breastfeeding – this means mainly breastfeeding your baby and infrequently giving your baby other liquids and your baby is less than six months old and you have no periods. The risk of pregnancy increases if: you start breastfeeding less often, or there are long intervals between feeds – both day and night, or you stop night feeds and use supplement feeding. Once your baby is over six months old the risk of getting pregnant increases, so even if you don’t have periods and are fully or nearly fully breastfeeding, you should use another contraceptive method." I thought i was going to be one of the unlucky ones who had normal periods despite breastfeeding as i thought i got af when Toby was just a few weeks old but now looking back i think it was just a continuation of my postnatal bleeding as it wasn't really like a normal period and i haven't had anything else since... I got the information above in a leaflet on the postnatal ward so OH and i were planning to use breastfeeding as a contraceptive for the first 6 months but now all i seem to hear about is people getting pregnant when breastfeeding which makes me a bit Hope that helps anyway

Status: Offline

Feb 21st, 2010, 16:14 PM	#5
bird24 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Dorset Posts: 3,159	Ok great i'm fully breastfeeding and havent had any periods so hopefully that means we are safe - phew - it wouldnt be the end of the world if i was anyway as it took me years to concieve sophie so i'd feel very lucky, i'd ideally like to wait till she is a little older though Thanks for your posts ladies

Status: Offline

Feb 21st, 2010, 16:24 PM	#6
anothersquish Mum (Mom) Inactive Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,415	A lot of people become pregnant whilst BFing even with no periods, I know of at LEAST a dozen people who fell pregnant within the first 4 months after birth whilst exclusively BF on demand and having no periods....it is NOT a reliable contraceptive at all despite the "98%" effectiveness given. Mind you I dont trust anything, I seem to fall pregnant at weird times, last time was after 3 years TTC when I went back on the pill (duh??) and this time was after 5 years TTC when we had given up and decided to save for IVF and wait as OH was being made redundant, DTD once at the very beggining of a cycle and that resulted in Theo.... sooooooo I have little trust in statistics and would say that if you really dont want another baby NOW use another form of contraception (or three...)

Status: Offline

Feb 21st, 2010, 17:12 PM	#7
Foogirl Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Falkirk, Scotland Posts: 5,965	My sister and I are 13 months apart in age. My sister was fully breastfed. the first thing my mum said was "remember you can still get pregnant whilst breastfeeding!"

Status: Online

Feb 21st, 2010, 17:34 PM	#8
Rebaby Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 4,879	Now see, this is what i mean! Loads of people getting pregnant while breastfeeding! Eek! You hardly ever hear of people falling pregnant using condoms, i mean it happens but people don't go round saying "Oh yes, we were using condoms so we thought we were safe..." but since we've had Toby I've heard of so many people falling pregnant while using bf as a contraceptive, i wonder if it happens more or if people just talk about it more? I was surprised at the 98% figure too, as that makes you think "Ooh that's a reliable form of contraception" but there seems so much room for error...all it might take is your LO suddenly sleeping through the night once or twice and the next thing you know...you're ovulating!

Status: Offline

Feb 21st, 2010, 20:15 PM	#9
bonbon Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bristol Posts: 175	I have a friend who has had three children that she concieved whilst exclusively bf and had no periods and I am exclusively bf and I have had regular periods since lo was a month old. I wouldn't trust it as a contraceptive if u don't want another one yet, but if u don't mind y don't u let fate take it course!!!! Lol

Status: Offline

Feb 22nd, 2010, 01:49 AM	#10
Maffie Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 5,028	My periods came back after 2 months and id say Noah is 99% boobie fed, we used condoms but we've just gone back to using the pill which I have slight concerns about as I fell pregnant on the same one before (I can trace the conception back to when I had a bug though) it does make me worry sometime shtough as I was told being overweight makes the pill less effective???

Status: Offline

User Name		Remember Me?
Password