I need advice on falling pregnant while breastfeeding?

Anna Marie - posted on 05/06/2011

Definitely look at dr. Hale to find out about Clomid. Other than that, there is no reason to stop breastfeeding while pregnant, or trying to get pregnant. We got pregnant with a 2-year old that loved to nurse! He nursed throughout pregnancy, and I have great pictures of nursing the 2 of them together :) keep it up!

Keri - posted on 05/06/2011

If you don't plan to use anything to help you get pregnant there is no reason to stop breastfeeding. Unless the pregnancy is high risk or the breast feeding is causing contractions it is perfectly safe to breast feed through the whole pregnancy. I was still breastfeeding my second when I got pregnant with my third child. I only weened him at 5 months pregnant because I was very sick and couldn't keep up with his needs. He was two and a half at the time.

Jessa - posted on 04/26/2011

You don't have to stop breastfeeding, shoot 3 of my kiddos were conceived while I was breastfeeding. My last pregnancy came about while I was still nursing my son and hadn't gotten a period back or anything.

Cinda - posted on 04/25/2011

Do NOT let them tell you how to proceed with your own pregnancy and breastfeeding. I'm still nursing my son at 28 months & have been on Clomid for the last 9 & finally got pregnant this month. My son still nurses & I plan to continue to nurse him until he's ready to stop. We only nurse a couple times a day at this point, more for comfort than nutrition but the point is the same. Your body, your family, your choice. My GYN & pediatrician said that there's really no research data done to date on the affects of Clomid on breastmilk but that it is NOT "contra-indicated". I DID wait until my son was over 18 months to start Clomid & had reduced nursing a bit by that time as well.

Donna - posted on 04/25/2011

I did 2 full rounds of IVF to have our son & gave birth 6 weeks before turning 39. I am a great believer in breastfeeding! Our son loved to feed but IVF said they wouldn't take me back till I'd weaned him 3 months. I was concerned because of my age but still didn't want to force weaning on him. I went to a Naturopath & got safe & gentle herbs to start my cycle. This took 2 1/2 months for my periods to start when my son was 10 months old (my son fed often in the day still & during the night til around 15 months). I charted my temperature & mucous. I eventually had acupuncture for 2 ½ months along with lots of prayers & even though it wasn’t supposed to be possible for me to conceive - while breastfeeding at 40 & 7 months it happened!! I gave birth to our beautiful daughter at nearly 41.5. My son eventually weaned when I was 22 weeks pregnant, my milk ran out in the middle of my pregnancy. I am feeding my daughter still & she was 2 earlier this month. She has allergy issues, so don’t know how long she will need to feed for. Its not always necessary to wean to conceive!

Michelle - posted on 04/24/2011

You don't have to quit breastfeeding in order to get pregnant (the younger two of my three were conceived while I was BF the older child). One thing that may be a very serious issue is the clomid. I haven't taken it, but if it passes into your breast milk, it could be dangerous to your baby. If that's the case you may want to try without the clomid until you have weaned your baby (when you wanted to originally). Depending on why you had to take the clomid to begin with, you may find yourself pregnant again. If not you can try the clomid again after you have weaned.

Misty - posted on 04/24/2011

*preg

Misty - posted on 04/24/2011

No way not true. I used clomid to get pref with my daughter. Then all the info said if you Breastfeed fully you won't ovulate well surprise surprise not only was I Breastfeeding fully but was also on a progesterone pill and got pregnant with my son when my daughter was only 8 months old

LaLasha - posted on 04/24/2011

well these are just some of the side affects for an adult just think about what they might be for an infant. I agree with your doctor you should stop breast-feeding or wait to have another chid (if your truly need this medicine to conceive) after he has weaned.
Clomiphene may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

flushing (feeling of warmth)

upset stomach

vomiting

breast discomfort

headache

abnormal vaginal bleeding

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:

blurred vision

visual spots or flashes

double vision

stomach or lower stomach pain

stomach swelling

weight gain

shortness of breath

Long-term use of clomiphene may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Clomiphene should not be used for more than about six cycles. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.

Dani - posted on 04/24/2011

My daughters are 10 months apart. I was breastfeeding when I got pregnant the second time and wondered why one day my milk dried up. I then went to my obgyn and asked to go on the pill since I wasn't breastfeeding anymore. After 2 months I asked why I hadn't had a period yet and he did a pre test just incase. I was 4 months along when I found out it was positive. I was told you're most fertile after you have a baby. Good luck!!

Virginia - posted on 04/24/2011

You don't have to stop breastfeeding to get pregnant, but if you have to use Clomid, I'm not sure if that would be bad for your son to ingest. That may be why the doctors say to stop. Perhaps you could TTC w/o the Clomid for a few months and see what happens. Good luck!

Elizabeth - posted on 04/24/2011

I had to use Clomid for both of my pregnancies. I stopped breastfeeding my son when he was 14 months old to begin Clomid again. I was told to stop nursing 6 weeks before going on Clomid to reduce the risk of multiples. It was possible that I was no longer infertile and if I took Clomid if I didn't really need it, there was a higher risk for mulitples. I guess that 6 weeks is for your hormones to reset. It was a very hard decision to stop breastfeeding, but I felt better about it when I had a breast exam 2 weeks later. The doctor told me my breasts were completely dry and my son wasn't getting much milk before I stopped. I am so happy that I was able to have another baby.

Colleen - posted on 04/24/2011

I was on Femera (similar to Clomid) to get pregnant with my daughter. I was very frustrated because I hadn't gotten by period yet, and wanted to get pregnant again. 3 days after her 1st birthday, I finally got my period. Nothing had changed with her feedings, it just came back. I am hoping we can get pregnant this month or next and not have to take fertility drugs again.

Elaine - posted on 04/24/2011

Clomid is labelled as an L2 by Hales, which means it's fairly safe to take while breastfeeding.

Samantha - posted on 04/23/2011

I personally wouldn't take anything I didn't need to while breast feeding, even if the dr's 'say' its safe. Their opinion is only as good as the research that has been done and often this is not much. If what they are referring to is that you shouldn't be breastfeeding while pregnant then that is simply wrong. I did it twice. you just have to make sure you look after yourself, get as much rest as you can and eat well. If you need help getting pregnant this time, maybe you could try alternative methods, see a naturopath or an accupuncturist and see if they can help you.

Lauren - posted on 04/23/2011

Find out if clomid is contraindicated for breastfeeding (make sure you look it up in Hale's guide to medicine while breastfeeding, don't just ask your doc, because clearly he/she is a dummy!). If Clomid is ok to take while nursing, then there is no reason for you to stop. I nursed my daughter while pregnant and still nurse her and her sister. It causes no problems and doesn't jeopardize you or the baby.

Kasie - posted on 04/23/2011

Try doing it the old fashion way, just you, your man and no protection. Don't use anything to help, especially if you're breastfeeding.

Katherine - posted on 04/22/2011

I fell pregnant while breastfeeding my daughter and I continued to breastfeed her until she was 9months which made me 15weeks pregnant.

Savona - posted on 04/21/2011

Ive been hearing this a lot more often, but my doctor has told me that it was safe to be pregnant and still breast-feed. I just had to eat extra calories and such.
If you HAVE gotten your period already since you had your baby, breast-feeding is no longer a form of birth control and youre able to get pregnant again.
goodluck

Naheeda - posted on 04/20/2011

I have the same problem. I have been breastfeeding my daughter for 11 months but now we would like to try for another baby. My doctor told me I have to stop breastfeeding. I have not had my period yet either... so I look forward to people's advice on this

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 04/19/2011

If your periods are back then I would try to chart your cycles so you can see if you are ovulating yet. If you are then you know when to try. I used this website:
http://www.fertilityfriend.com

It's free and it explains how to chart. It also helps you interpret your signs of fertility.

Maria - posted on 04/19/2011

I got preganant while breasfeeding and haven't had a period in over two year due to pcos and breastfeeding as long as you ovulate its possible. I took clomid didn't work so I had an IUI for first pregnancy

Sian - posted on 04/19/2011

Thanks Elizabeth, I have also heard of so many people who bf while they are pregnant. But It is as if South africa is against breastfeeding. It is so frustrating being so passionate about something and have no support near - by.

Sian - posted on 04/19/2011

Hi Sara D,thanks for the response,my son is 14 months,and I only bf at night,twice or three times,depends on him. My period has started again,about 5 months ago. I will see how it goes. Just really would like my children have a small age gap.

Elizabeth - posted on 04/19/2011

I agree with Sara..you do not need to stop BF to become pregnant. My own mother breastfed my sister while she was pregnant with my other sister and when she was born..she BF them both.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 04/19/2011

P.S. I'm 27 weeks pregnant and nursing my 23 month old. If you can get pregnant and your pregnany is normal then you can continue breastfeeding.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 04/19/2011

You don't have to stop, but I don't know if you can take clomid while BF. I was on metformin due to PCOS and got pregnant while taking it. After my first my body seemed to "reset" and I didn't need metformin or birth control to have a period like I did before. Pregnancy tends to "reset" the body and some moms who had fertility issues before don't have them the second time around. Has your period started back again? If it has then you can try to get pregnant. I charted my cycles and took an ovulation test. If your period hasn't started yet then you can try tinkering with your BF pattern a little bit. Sometimes moving one session can be enough to bring back your period. If you do need fertility meds to help I'm not sure which ones, if any, are safe to take.