Breast feeding as contraception?

[Jayceesmumma]

How accurate is this?? http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding/faqs/breastfeeding-fertility

98% is pretty high..

 

[Lisa_85]

My doctor told me that if I'm exclusivly bf then i shouldn't fall pregnant!

I didn't want to risk it so i got the implant anyway... baby Issac is enough for me.

Xx

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Thanks babe.. Other methods of contraception aren't really an option for me medically and personally.. I've also got pcos which slows down ovulation. Ur clearly not my fertility as I have lilyanna!

 

[BevG]

it is supposed to work well for a tleast 6 months. my mum did that and had my brother 18 months after me so it worked for 9 months before she concieved him.

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Thanks hun! He had an 'accident' last night and freaked out a bit lol!!

 

[ForestLas80]

Oh my I wouldn't risk it....knowing my luck u would be in the 2% who did fall! I could not imagine having another baby by next Xmas right now!! Scary thought!!!

 

[Nat26]

I think this thread is really interesting, I don't know of anyone whose got pregnant while breastfeeding. I think its probably very unlikely in the early days but after a few months I guess some people do start ovulating. I decided not to risk it and started taking the mini pill this week, would love another baby soon but 9 months is maybe a little too soon!!

How would you feel about another one? xx

 

[BevG]

actually this is my plan, i only want 2 and i want them to be fairly close to gether so im going to let nature decide when im ready to have my next baby lol

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Mil said Xmas day she reckons we will have another by next Xmas to be honest it wouldn't be the end of the world.. Obviously it's not ideal having them THAT close together as I've always had one on one time with my other two due to the age gap and school etc.. And now my youngest (not anymore!) started school I've got time with my new little one.. I'd hate to cut that precious time short by sharing it with another baby but at the same time it's good to have them close so there's no jealousy like there was when Ellie was old enough to have a mind of her own.. They used to get on so well but now they argue and it breaks my heart coz I've always wanted them to be close.. Me and my sister have the same age gap and she was so jealous of me we didn't get on til the day I had Jaycee and I was 18! Another point being I've been doing this since I fell preg at 17.. OH would ideally wait FIVE YEARS for the next one... He's 21 I'm 25 (26 this month) I'm not gonna do this all over again when I'm 30!! I'll never get my own life as selfish as that sounds! Plus I have pcos which doesn't affect my fertility ATM but it may do in future.. My doc said this may be my last chance when I fell preg with lilyanna so I'm lucky to have her! My sister has 14mos between her two and she does have it hard as he's 16weeks and she's 1+1/2.. But when they are a bit older it will be so easy! The age gap with my first two makes things hard as they can't do the same things.. Like in the ear piercing thread, I didn't want Ellie to have hers done but because Jaycee did I couldn't say no! (I let them both decide for many months and she always reminds me to clean them every morning and eve even though it makes her cry bless her!)

So there's pros and cons to both waiting and not waiting.. No way I can leave it 5yrs.. Max 2! What will be will be in the meantime I suppose! I can't really do much else other than withdrawal method which isn't 'safe' due to precum (tmi sorry lol) or give up sex totally!!.... Hmmm think not! Lol! My OH would be gutted if we fell pg again so soon so at least 6mos is good if bf can hold it off til then!

Wow rambling now lol!!

Thanks everyone for replying

 

[l_maclean]

Just to throw a spanner in your works, my aunt got pregnant while breast feeding. I personally thought it was a bit of an oldwives tale. There's a thread in the "am I pregnant" section about one of the girls being worried 6 weeks after giving birth - i think (not 100%) that someone said if your periods are back to normal then you can fall - them returning just takes a bit longer usually if BF.

xxx

 

[Jayceesmumma]

If periods started I'd expect you'd be able to conceive coz u have to ovulate to have a period.. I've not had one yet nor have I had any ovulation pains.. I've had tummy cramps like period is due since 4weeks but no sign of it.. How old was her baby when she fell pg? They say if u combine bottle and breast or start weaning on to food it stops acting as a contraceptive..

 

[JJ Mum]

It's a risky one hun, I BF and still am , I didn't have a period till Devon was 7 mths , I have only had 4 now , and he is going to be 1 in two days time! I think they say once you introduce any other foods than milk eg at 4/6 mths then it's a risk. At 7 mths , I dropped all milk after snacks/meals , and just fed morning and evening before bed (only 2 feeds) and bam - 26 days later my period was back.

 

[l_maclean]

If periods started I'd expect you'd be able to conceive coz u have to ovulate to have a period.. I've not had one yet nor have I had any ovulation pains.. I've had tummy cramps like period is due since 4weeks but no sign of it.. How old was her baby when she fell pg? They say if u combine bottle and breast or start weaning on to food it stops acting as a contraceptive..

Ally and Sam are irish twins - same age for a month or so. so dont think ally was old enough to have started weaning, and i know she def thought she was safe cos she was breast feeding - so id be inclined to think it wasnt split - but it was 20years ago so im not sure. xxx

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Yeah my daughters cousins are in the same yr at school they r so close in age lol! Oh dear.. It seems it didn't really work for your aunt..

I may have to discuss this with a hv.. Lilyanna has her jabs tomo ( ) so I'll ask then about it x

 

[l_maclean]

Thing is - I guess if you think about other forms of contraception its not bad.

I just realised that 98% about the same as the pill, and im sure we all know people for whom that didnt work. I guess if you're following the LAM guidlines, its about as good an option as anything else really.

xxx

 

[Nat26]

I think if it were common to get pregnant while breastfeeding there would be an awful lot of replies on here of people who have! I don't know anyone who has and where I do know of people who have children close in age they have been formula feeding and yes that means their fertility really did return quickly.

I will be very interested to hear if you do get pregnant but I think its probably unlikely until at least you introduce solids! I only started taking the mini pill as I was more worried what people would say if I did get pregnant straight away lol - not that it really matters what other people think!! I'm 27 in March and would definitely like another baby in a year or so... One born every minute really made be broody again lol....is this wrong???

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Lol it's not wrong to b broody now.. I still do and really miss my bump!!
98% is pretty high and as has been said, other forms of contraception are the same percentage!

 

[Princess81]

Oh I know girls that have become pregnant whilst BF!!
I was chatting to my doc about this today, she said if its less than 8 hrs between feeds then it should prevent ovulation but it's not guaranteed. Not willing to take the risk lol x

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Hmmm... She does 4hrs in the day and around 9-11 hours at night but surely if I've ovulated I'll have a period??

Oh I'm scared now lol!!

 

[l_maclean]

The bit at the bottom of the link you posted said it is possible to ovulate before you've had a period, and i definitely read this somewhere else as well.