Nursing while TTC

[glitzy07]

I know there are lots of moms here who have successfully gotten pregnant while still nursing their first (or second, etc) child.

My doctor and I were discussing TTC at my recent physical appointment, and she mentioned to me that your cervical lining is thinner while nursing, so it is possible that it is more difficult to have and keep a successful pregnancy, but is certainly not a reason to wean before I'm ready.

Has anyone heard this before? Were you more worried about miscarriage if you were nursing when you got pregnant?

FTR, I'm planning to wean around the same time we TTC, but who knows how that will work out.

[meltoine]

Prolactin acts in opposition to progesterone (each of which does what it sounds like - prolactin = pro-milk-making and progesterone = pro-gestating). For some people this causes short luteal phases (the time between ovulation and your period) which can mean an embryo doesn't have enough time to implant securely before the uterine lining starts to shed.

I had this issue TTC DS2 and treated it successfully with a vitamin B6 supplement.

[sjh722]

I had not heard of that. I was still nursing when we TTC #2 and am now 17 weeks pregnant. meltoine's explanation about luteal phases makes sense, though.

[Deleted]

I had no issues and was never told nursing was a worry. I got pg quickly and stayed pg. Ds was 18 months and nursing 3-6 x a day.

[justjen]

I was still nursing when I got pregnant with this one, but I suspect I wasn't producing much milk, if that matters

[geek96]

I have had a very short luteal phase that last couple of months. I didn't research it but it makes sense. I haven't been charting but we have not prevented the last few months. I have been surprised to get my period on CD 25-27 regularly.

[glitzy07]

Oct 22, 2014 20:32:31 GMT -5 @starry said:

all I have to add is someone on my BMB told us that you are more likely to have twins if you get pregnant while nursing. Take that for what it's worth, lol.

You shut your mouth. (Twins already run on both sides of my family. If that shit was going to happen, it needed to be with my first pregnancy.)

[zeewifeandmama]

Nope, never heard that. I got pregnant quickly with #2, but my dd was 26 months. That might have played into it.

[rootbeerfloat]

Ditto zeewifeandmama including the timeline. I got pregnant quicker the second time, too.

[MadamePresident]

I got pregnant with my second when my first was a year and still nursing a ton, because she hadn't started eating food yet. No miscarriage and no twins, do not true for me.

[teatimefor2]

I did get pregnant while nursing, but we had just dropped to one session a day and he was 16 months old. It only took four cycles as opposed to the year to conceive DS.

[lo]

All the people who got pregnant while nursing... Had your period returned or not?

[sjh722]

Oct 22, 2014 22:40:10 GMT -5 lo said:

All the people who got pregnant while nursing... Had your period returned or not?

Yes. I got my period back around 8 months pp and we ttc for 2 cycles. I got pregnant when DD was 16 months.

[holly116]

I've gotten pregnant twice while nursing, no twins, no miscarriages. My period returns with regularity at 3-4 months pp and I've gotten pregnant at 9-10 months pp two times in a row.

I didn't have a moment of break between my first, second, and third pregnancies. I was either pregnant or nursing for almost 5 straight years so, lol, take that fwiw.

[Deleted]

I did not know that. It did take me longer to get pregnant while nursing (4 cycles vs 1) but I wasn't aware of changes to the cervix.

[Deleted]

meltoine explained it perfectly. I knew this could be an issue so we casually started ttc when j was 13/14 mos with the plan to wean when j was around 18 to 24 mos if I wasn't pregnant. We got pregnant with the girls that first month and j self weaned when I was,about 9 weeks pregnant.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2014 20:32:31 GMT -5 @starry said:

all I have to add is someone on my BMB told us that you are more likely to have twins if you get pregnant while nursing. Take that for what it's worth, lol.

I can attest to this also it has to do with your body and ovulation returning to normal cycles. Sometimes your body is still a little out of whack and can hyperovulate thus increasing the odds of twins. It is also more likely if you are over 30. I also have a huge family history of twins too though. So I had all 3 things going for me.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2014 20:34:54 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

Oct 22, 2014 20:32:31 GMT -5 @starry said:

all I have to add is someone on my BMB told us that you are more likely to have twins if you get pregnant while nursing. Take that for what it's worth, lol.

You shut your mouth. (Twins already run on both sides of my family. If that shit was going to happen, it needed to be with my first pregnancy.)

lol I hope you aren't over 30 and especially not over 35! Add the age, nursing, and family history and I got pregnant with twins while nursing and that's how I had 3 kids under age 2.

[curbsideprophet]

I got pregnant right after DD turned two. She was nursing twice a day. I talked to my midwife and she was fine with me continuing to nurse. She did say we may need to reevaluate at some point if nursing was caused too many early contractions. It was not an issue.

[gibbinator]

I've never heard of that before but it makes some sense. Anyway, I was still nursing ds1 twice a day when I got (and stayed) pregnant with ds2.

[rugbywife]

When I got pregnant, while nursing, when DD was like, I don't know, 4 months old, lol, my doc told me to stop nursing. I have had one miscarriage however, and I have pituitary tumour (which testing has shown no hormonal issues with but since my first successful pregnancy required medical intervention the presumption is that it could have played a role).

So in my case, no more nursing. Mucho sad. Every time my kid sees my boobs she gets excited. I kind of feel sorry for her.

[rugbywife]

And all the people talking about twins need to shut their mouths. No. Just no. I literally can't even.

[glitzy07]

Oct 23, 2014 2:01:29 GMT -5 @awinter said:

Oct 22, 2014 20:34:54 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

You shut your mouth. (Twins already run on both sides of my family. If that shit was going to happen, it needed to be with my first pregnancy.)

lol I hope you aren't over 30 and especially not over 35! Add the age, nursing, and family history and I got pregnant with twins while nursing and that's how I had 3 kids under age 2.

Lalalalalalalalala, I can't hear you!  But I'm not over 30, so at least I have that going for me?  lol

[qcinoct]

I got pg while nursing, and didn't have any problems carrying him. I will say that my first postpartum period didn't come until DS1 was 11.5 months old though, and by then, we were only nursing in the mornings and evenings as I was back at work.

[Deleted]

I'm really curious about this too. I'm nursing and not TTC, but not not TTC for the moment. I guess I'm relying on the not-so-reliable breastfeeding as birth control method. I would be really happy to get pregnant soon, but then again I feel like I'm crazy to try when DD is only 6 months.

[curbsideprophet]

Oct 22, 2014 22:40:10 GMT -5 lo said:

All the people who got pregnant while nursing... Had your period returned or not?

Yes. Mine returned around 6 months pp when DD started sleeping longer stretches at night.

[Deleted]

I went off the mini-pill at about 16 months and it took a few weeks after that for my period to return. I think I had two periods before I got pg.

[rugbywife]

Right when DD turned 3 months I got my first PP period. My first cycle was 30 days (I rarely had 30 day cycles EVER prior to DD due to PCOS), got my period again, and that was it, got pregnant right after that.

[GotWine]

My period returned around 8 months PP. I got pregnant on my 2nd cycle of TTC while still nursing DD. She was 19 months when I found out I was pregnant and weened herself immediately after because she hated the new taste of my milk. It did end with a miscarriage but it had nothing to do with nursing.

[zeewifeandmama]

Oct 22, 2014 22:40:10 GMT -5 lo said:

All the people who got pregnant while nursing... Had your period returned or not?

Yep. It had come back at 13 months.