Getting Pregnant While Breastfeeding - Chicago,IL

Start taking your basil body temperature EVERY morning at the same time (or around) before you get out of bed and chart it. You can get the charts on line or from you OBGYN. Also check your cervical mucus. You should be ovulating, not just menstruating. I got pregnant three times while breastfeeding. My first was only nine months old when I got pregnant with #2 and I was still BF five times a day. It did take me three months to conceive, but the basil body temp really does work. I also used the ovulation sticks, which are accurate, but not necessary. Or you can have sex every other day, trust me that works too! Don't worry about not having your period back, I have only had three periods in five years.

I did this successfully with my current pregnancy (due last week, expecting the baby any day now!) I suggest looking at Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler - she has GREAT information on how to determine ovulation, when you're fertile etc. I actually conceived 15.5 months postpartum without ever getting my period back and nailed the conception date because I was charting BBT and cervical fluid consistency.

Ultimately, I started taking the herb Vitex (Chasteberry) in an effort to coax my menstrual cycles back into existence. I have no idea whether that actually did the trick, but I do feel like it helped get things moving in the right direction - I ovulated for the first time postpartum around 8 weeks after I started taking it.

I kept breastfeeding my son until he was about 21 months old and I was 5.5 months pregnant.

I am not sure if that is possible - I think once you ovulate, menstruation will follow. Check out the book - Taking Charge of Your Fertility. That will help you chart to see if you are ovulating. I didn't start back up until I had completely weaned my child.

M.:

You can get pregnant while breastfeeding especially at the point where you are. You may well be ovulating although you are not menstruating.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions
www.breastfeedingandparentingsolutions.com

There are Ovulation Kits you can by at any drug store right next to the pregnancy tests. These test will tell you when you are ovulating.

S.

You are probably not ovulating if you haven't started your period. Once you ovulate, your period will follow. Now, you may not be able to determine when your first ovulation happens, but I had a pretty good idea - the symptoms were very strong. On the other hand, I didn't get my period back until my middle son was 14 months,(9 months with my first and 6 months with my third), so it can take a while. Is he still nursing at night? That seemed to be the key for how quickly I got back my period. My third slept through the night at a much younger age than the other two, and I got back my period the quickest with him. Anyway, the nursing hormone is suppressing the fertility hormones, so if you want to get pregnant you may have to wean, or wait it out. Good luck!