Pregnant and Nursing

[texasfarmom]

Hi Mamas!

Ok...so I'm not pregnant yet...but I'm hoping I am. (Currently 2DPO.) How many of you are here and got pregnant while nursing? Does anyone have any actual statistics on the odds of getting pregnant while nursing?

[hildare]

we did, three times, though two were early losses (ob says due to my age).  this last time, though, i had just nightweaned, which really seemed to help matters. 

i don't know of any research with stats, there's some stuff on kellymom though.

[bluedaisy]

I did, but my dd was older (about 2 1/2 when I got pregnant) and I had my cycles back since she was 14 months so I had been having regular periods for a while.  We weren't really TTC, I wanted another child and DH wasn't ready yet but he skipped birth control one day and that was all it took!  When I got pg, DD was still nursing several times in the night and often a few times during the day.

How old is your child?  How often does he/she nurse?  Do you have your cycles back yet?  It's my understanding that if you are having cycles, you are ovulating and can get pregnant.  If your cycles aren't back, you could try nightweaning or at least trying to have some long stretches in between nursing sessions and I've heard that can help you get started ovulating again.

Good luck!

[texasfarmom]

Thanks hildare and blue! My DD is 15 months and I have had my cycles back since she was 9 months old. They have been long so this is only my 5th cycle. She nurses 15-20 times each day and night. I might nightwean her in Jan. If I'm not pregnant yet. I hope it doesn't come to that though!

[Kedrosami]

I don't know what the odds are, but I got pregnant while nursing my 13-month-old (it was a complete surprise, unplanned pregnancy!) He was still nursing quite a lot at the time.

My cycle also came back at 9 months but it didn't come back regular--I only had 2 periods before I was pregnant again. I nursed him all through my 2nd pregnancy and now my 2nd baby is 2 months old and I'm tandem nursing.

[babycatcher12]

I got pregnant with my last 2 while I was breastfeeding. My cycles returned when each baby was about 10 or 11 months old. The first time I got pg the first cycle and then had an early loss, but got pg again on the next cycle. With this pg I think I had about 3 cycles before I got pg again. I have no idea what the statistics are, but to be honest I was surprised I got pregnant this last time because I had been having pretty consistently short LPs (like 8 days). 

Baby #3 weaned when I was about 24 weeks or so with baby #4. 

Baby #4 is still nursing a few times a day (usually at nap time and bed time and once or twice during the night), but I'm only 8 weeks. We'll see how long he nurses. 

[forestmushroom]

I am nursing my 21 month old and about 9 weeks. 

It is becoming really hard if he wants to nurse a lot (which he was a little sick with a cold and nursing a ton this week). 

But I hope to continue until he is at least 24 months. 

I didn't have my cycle return until he was 16 months old, and then had 4 very regular cycles, and then I was pregnant!  But I pretty much knew the day I ovulated, and exactly when I was a day late I test and got a BFP.

[emmaegbert]

DD was 21 months old and pretty much night-weaned but still nursing when I got pregnant as a big fat surprise despite using condoms (yes, every time!) for birth control. I had my cycles back when she was around 8m old so I knew it was possible. I am now 38 weeks and she is still nursing (almost 2 1/2) but not much. It hasn't been the most pleasant to nurse while pregnant, but the comfort level comes and goes. I guess I will be tandeming! I would have been fine with her weaning at 24m but she really didn't want to.

[coldandsleepy]

I was still nursing pretty heavily when I got pregnant this time around.  My son self-weaned a couple months after my milk dried up... about a month ago now, so around 5.5 months of pregnancy.  My cycles returned waaaaay early (first PP period at exactly 5 months PP), we started "whatevering" around 12 months PP, and I got pregnant around 18 months PP.  It was actually way faster/less problematic than TTC with my first baby.

[Thursday Girl]

I have now gotten pregnant 3 times while nursing about as often as you said you were. I did night wean my 2 1/2 year old after I got pregnant this time. The last 2 times I got my period back around 2 years after the birth. The first time birth control caused it to come back sooner. I don't know any statistics although I know a number of other women who have gotten pregnant while breastfeeding.

[AbbieB]

2 pregnancies while nursing.

My cycles came back at 7/8 months postpartum. Started tring for #2 when first born was 18 months. It took 2 years. #3 happened as a bit of a suprise (thought I was expecting my period next day.) 2nd born was almost 4.

For me, it's all about the lutal phase. Nursing kept mine pretty short, about 7/8 days. I got pregnant when it hit 9 days.

[1babysmom]

This is my 3rd pregnancy while nursing (tandem, actually).  I got pregnant last time while tandem nursing, too.  This is actually my 4th pregnancy this year (last 3 were early miscarriages), but I have no reason to believe the others ended early due to anything related to nursing. (I have PLENTY of other issues that likely contributed)

That said, even while tandem (and TRIandem) nursing (and we've supplemented or anything), my cycles come back before a year, around 10 months usually (with anovulatory ones starting around 3-7 months).  Bummer for me in that dept!

[texasfarmom]

Thanks for your replies everyone! I just get nervous in the TWW when DD is nursing SO MUCH! I am 5 DPO today, so we'll see!

[breastmama]

Just thought I'd chime in and add that I also got pregnant while nursing... twice. I have to give it up for the ladies who do the tandem thing. I felt horrible weaning this last time around at 15 months but I just couldn't take the pain and it felt so uncomfortable to have him climbing all over me when I was feeling so sore. He's doing ok now though and I've considered letting him nurse again once this baby comes, if he wants to...

[tri31]

We just discovered that I am pregnant. My guy is 19 months old. I was nursing when we got pregnant with him, too. 

[my2girlz]

I got pregnant with DS when dd2 was still nursing at 20 months old. My cycles returned at about 10 months. She self weaned at 24 months. I got pregnant this time while nursing a 7 month old. I'm currently 16 weeks. My cycles returned at 4 months.

[lizsky]

I've heard so many different women's stories about this- I think charting can help you get a sense of whether you are ovulating and how long your luteal phase is.  But you may just not know until you've been TTC for a few months.  

My cycles came back when DD was 8 months old.  I nightweaned her at 14 months.  I got pregnant when she was 15/16 months the 1st month we started trying.  At the time DD was nursing about 5-6 times a day.  For me, it was not difficult to get pregnant while nursing, but the pregnancy did lead to my DD weaning.  My milk supply dropped pretty steadily over the course of the 1st trimester and she was down to nursing 1-2x a day by 10 weeks.  She stopped nursing entirely somewhere around 16 weeks even though I continued to offer periodically  (I'm about 19 weeks now).  Its bittersweet, but I'm excited for her to have a sibling, and I feel at peace with the 18 months or so of nursing she had.