Cant get pregnant

Ania - posted on 12/04/2011

I breastfed my son and when he was 18 months we decided to get pregnant, i was still breastfeeding and we got pregnant at the first try and I exactly knew when. I measured tempretature and knew when I ovulate. I used website www.fertilityfriend.com

Ashley - posted on 12/01/2011

Thank you all :) I really appreciate it !

Elizabeth - posted on 11/29/2011

I breastfed my now 4yr old until she was 22mos, but got pregnant when she was 20mos and my period had returned when she was about about 12 mos. I'm now pregnant with number 3, though still breastfeeding number 2 (now 23mos). 2yrs old isn't a very long time to breastfeed actually, It isn't even considered "extended" breastfeeding.

As for lactational amenorrhea - the term for a lack of periods while breastfeeding - it is only really dependable as a reduction in fertility for the first 6mos after birth and only is the baby is eating at least every 4 hours (or 6 at night), exclusively breastfed. It happens because the hormones involved in breastfeeding, will suppress ovulation for a time, but as a baby begins to eat more solids, that fertility can come back quickly. If your periods came back quickly, you were not in lactational amenorrhea, and your doctor should have taken that as a red flag that despite having regular periods all this time, you did not get pregnant.

You can easily have regular periods and not actually ovulate or have some other problem. some examples:

Periods are regular in most women, but only one part of the period is truly regular (almost) no matter what. A women will almost never vary in the length of her luteal phase (the time from ovulation to menses). For me this is 13 days. If i ovulate, I always have a period 13 days later. This length of time has to be greater than 10 days or you have a luteal phase defect - meaning that the your luteal phase is not long enough to support the fertilized egg until the egg takes over production of progesterone (the hormone that hangs around until you either implant a fertilized egg or your body realizes it isn't pregnant and you menstruate).

you do not necessarily ovulate on day 14. this is the reason that the so-called rhythm method was unreliable and that those who practice natural family planning, or fertility awareness track fertility signs rather than counting days. I've known a few women who assumed they ovulated on day 14 and wouldn't have sex between then and their period thinking is wouldn't cause conception. I ovulate on day 17-ish, when i have a somewhat regular period. as i said above, the only truly predictable about of time in any given cycle is the luteal phase.

I had period for years where is did not ovulate but my body got into a groove and just kept doing the regular period thing. That is also surprisingly common. If you do not track a number of signs, you don't really know if you are ovulating. Far too many women go full steam head into fertility treatments when they could discover common, easily fixable problems, by just tracking a few signs. Interestingly, I have not had a period since having my almost 2 year old - despite being pregnant now with another. My husband and I were not really trying and I assumed I was currently infertile due to the lack of periods. oddly, we caught the "first egg to drop" through dumb luck. I realized it the next day when thinking back on the fertility signs that had been present. We had to work very hard for the other two babies because i very rarely ovulate and wanted to avoid fertility treatment. So I'm all too aware of when my body is doing on any given day. At this point I think that my lack of a period was due to some situational sleep deprivation, and that recent efforts i have taken to get more sleep brought my body back online.

My main point is - periods do not equal ovulation or proper circumstances for conception and implantation. There are so many different things that have to be going on, that there is very little you can know without tracking a few things. Unfortunately, many doctors (not all doctors) do not bother with this step and tend to go straight for drugs and other treatments to help parents feel like they are doing somethings when the best things to do is track some things for a few months before making decisions. If your doctor has not recommended tracking your fertility signs, I encourage you to do so. You can talk to an NFP teacher (often through your church), or you can get a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. it's pretty awesome for the do-it-yourself-er. and has a ton of helpful pics and diagrams.

Good luck and my prayers are with you!

Michelle - posted on 11/28/2011

I'd be surprised if it was because of the bf'ing. I had no trouble getting pregnant while feeding, and I know others who have as well - so I'd think there's another reason I'm sorry!

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 11/27/2011

Have you tried charting your cycles? Or using ovulation tests? I used http://www.fertilityfriend.com to help my chart my basal body temperature and other signs of ovulation when trying for my first and second.

Ashley - posted on 11/27/2011

My doctor said everything with me is fine and he doesnt knw why im having trouble getting pregnant.My periodes arent irregular and they have returned immediantly after my first pregnancy. The first time I got pregnant it happened on the first try. Its just a mystery to me. But thank you for the feedback, it has helped me. I think Im just going to go to another doctor to see if theres something going on. Thanks again.

Lori - posted on 11/27/2011

I breastfed my daughter till she was 23 months, and stopped after I'd become pregnant with my 2nd. Breastfeeding does decrease your fertility, but it is possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding.... for some women. And it certainly won't prevent you from getting pregnant again after you've stopped breastfeeding. I don't think your not getting pregnant again has to do with the fact that you breastfed for 2 years. Have your periods returned? Are they regular? Did you have any trouble conceiving the first time? Have you had your thyroid checked? Have you told your Dr you're TTC? What does your Dr say? Most women can get pregnant within 1 year of TTC. That's 12 months of trying - which can seem like a very long time when you want to be pregnant NOW. If you've been trying for more than a year (since weaning), it might be time to check in with your Dr. If it hasn't been 12 months yet, just keep trying, and have fun with it. If you're stressing over wanting to get pregnant, it makes it sooooo much harder to get pregnant.