I stopped breastfeeding my baby at approx. 12 mos (Dec. 1, 2006) however my menstrual cycle has not yet come back and we would like to start trying for a second child. Am i able to get pregnant even though i have not started my period yet(I have read that it is possible, but are there any tricks to getting it accomplished) or will the possiblity of pregnancy just be less likely until i do start my cycle again?? I would appreciate any information and/or love to hear from anyone who has had this same type of situation. Thanks.
Thank you everyone for your information and suggestions. I know several people warned me about having a second child too close in age to the first....trust me, this is something i've already thought about. One thing is that i'm not getting any younger (29)! I truely figure our little one will be 16-18 mos old before we actually get pregnant anyway...i'm thinking April would be a good month to get pregnant then there would be 26 months age difference. I guess we'll see what happens. I am on prenatal vitamins ( I never stopped taking them after my 1st born)and my next well woman exam is next week, so we'll see what my OBGyn says. Thanks again everyone. I hope you all are having a good start to the New Year!
DD was six months old and I was exclusively BF'ing her (no food AT ALL) when I became preggers with DS. I had not had a cycle at all....so it is possible :)
Hey! I know for a fact that becoming pregnant again is possible at your particular phase in post partum. I was actually still breastfeeding when I conceived. I hope this eases you a bit. However, recent studies reveal that for the optimal health and well-being of both mother and unborn baby, you should wait 18 months from the birth of your previous child to the conception of your next. Maybe your body is allowing a bit more time to recover before you put yourself through that ordeal again. Hope this helps.
Hi J.-
As long as you are up to date with your well woman exams, and your doc agrees, go for it. Sometimes trying to understand why and how our bodies do what they do just causes a lot of undue stress. Good Luck!
Have you checked to see if you are not already pregnant? It is possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding. Good luck!
If you aren't careful it's more likely that you will become pregnant before you start that first period after you stop breastfeeding because you will ovulate firs then if that ovum isn't implanted you will bleed to discard it.
I did. I was cutting back on nursing in 2001 and wating for my cycle to return so I get some spotting and think, Alright now I can have my BCshot. Went to get it and uh oh, guess what? That was implantation bleeding, my baby was only 5 months old!!!
So if you are really set on trying again make sure you're prepared, maintain a healthy weight, no drinking, no smoking for you or anyone that lives with you, start taking your folic acid now.
Good luck
I would say... you probably have to wait for you cycle again... but I am not an expert. My suggestion would be fun practing! :) It will happen before you know it!
Good Luck!!!
Well, my answer to this would be a resounding "yes"! I stopped breastfeeding my daughter when she was 13 months old (5 months ago). I never did get a period, and I am 12 weeks pregnant tomorrow! I never had a regular period before my first child was born, so when I didn't get my period right away after weaned, I didn't think that much of it. Then, I started feeling odd about 7 weeks ago and just "knew". Now we are happily expecting our second child.
The catch: I do not know if this has anything to do with me not having a period before concieving, or not having a regular cycle, but since the beginning of my pregnancy, I have had 3 "bleeding" episodes, most recently over the weekend. This last one was much heavier than a menstral period, but only lasted about 8 hours. Ultrasound shows a normal-sized baby and strong heartbeat-they don't really know why I am bleeding so much. The baby seems fine, but it may be something worth looking out for.
Good Luck!
Probably the first thing to do would be to go in for a check up and find out why you haven't started yet. I'm pretty sure it's common though, and my friend did get pregnant before her period started again after her first child, but she'd always been somewhat irregular.
Anyway, see your doctor and let them know your plans. They might give you a shot (or pills) of progesterone (I think?) to get you started again or will at least get you started on prenatals to build up your body for it. Two in diapers sounds scary to me but all the best luck to you!
Yes, you can get pregnant if you haven't had your period yet. This is because your body may be ovulating already. You really won't know though. You could read up on Natural Family Planning and how to pay attention to your body's fluids, vaginal secretions, etc. When your mucous is stringy and tacky, that usually means that you're ovulating. And that's the time you want to "hit the sack" with your honey! You can also take your tempurature every morning at the exact same time and you'll know when your temp rises ever so slightly that you're ovulating then too. But you have to have a special thermometer for that. Anyway, look up some info on natural family planning! Hope that's helpful!
Missy
It is my understanding that you can get pregnant even while breastfeeding, but then if you do your milk supply will dry up. Good luck.
