I am almost 10 weeks postpardum and am breastfeeding. I had an extra long time of bleeding after my c-section due to not cramping properly, but since that has been over I have had no period, and no signs of anything coming.
I had the mirena put in 6 weeks pp with my first, and now I have decided that I am done with hormones and anything else, and do not want to be taking any form of BC. My boyfriend will probably get a vasectemy but in the mean time I want to know if there is a chance we could get pregnant.
The Dr. says there is always a chance, but I don't know how? Since I am not having a period, I am assuming due to breastfeeding, then how could I be ovulating?
Has anyone of you, or someone you know gotten pregnant while BF with no visable signs of a period?
Thanks
Ok thanks for most of the answers. We have been using condoms as well. I had quite a bad time with the mirena. And have tried a few pill/patch birth controls before with dramatic side effects, like severe migranes as well as others.
I was just wondering how often it can happen, if it occurs as much as the rate of failure of condoms and BC.
Yes, that's why I have 3 boys are very closely spaced together.
Was breastfeeding, using condoms, had no period yet and bam!
My husband feels like quite the stud. ; )
We are a great example of why YOU WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE to have sex!!!
You can get pregnant before having a period, because ovulation has to happen before you can have a period. Ovulation = possible pregnancy. If you don't want to be pregnant again, use some form of BC or get the vasectomy done (that takes some weeks to be final, also).
You ovulate, then get your period about 14 days later if you don't get pregnant - so you can get pregnant without getting your period first, because ovulation comes before your period. Happens to teenage girls all the time who have not even gotten their first period yet.
My husband's ex got pregnant by surprise with their second while she was breastfeeding their first, who was 5 months old at the time. She had not had a period either.
A period isn't required, for ovulation. Like Sue said, breastfeeding is not effective birth control. You can get pregnant, at any time with breastfeeding...just like you can without breastfeeding. After my sister was done breastfeeding, her body was out of sorts. She didn't have a period, for over a year post-breastfeeding and still got pregnant. Use some sort of protection, if you don't want to be pregnant!!
Yes, twice.
Thus three kids.
:)
ADDED: Hmmm, I haven't read any 'judgement or attack' in any of the responses here, just personal opinions.
Public forums where MILLIONS of people of WILDLY different backgrounds can add their input, may not be the best place for a REALLY REALLY sensitive poster.
I LOVE this site BECAUSE of it's diversity!
:)
yep, mine are 11 mos apart. It happens :)
YES. My OB did! She had had to have fertility treatments for both her kids and was breastfeeding with no period, so imagine her surprise to learn, only 4 months after #2 was born, that she was pregnant with #3!!! You ovulate before your period comes back, and breast-feeding is no guarantee (for some women it works as BC, for others, um, no - ever heard of the Duggars, from the show 19 Kids and Counting? MOST of her children were conceived while she was breastfeeding). At least use a condom and spermicide until your BF gets the vasectomy.
Any time you have sex you risk getting pregnant. I was taking BC pills and got pregnant with my 2nd. I would use something, other than BF, to make sure you don't get pregnant. eEen with a vasectemy, it takes time before they can be sure that it took.
YES there is always a chance lol. I was going to bring up The Duggars. She breastfeeds all her kids, and has gotten pregnant probably everytime while breast feeding. Most of her kids are barely 18 months apart.
I am on the pill, we are "careful" and waiting for my husbands vasectomy to be officially effective and Im STILL worried it could happen to me lol. With our last two babies we tried 1x and were successful so Im just afraid we're super fertile :)
Oh and yes, my neighbor was exclusively breastfeeding, had no period and got pregnant when her baby was 5 months old, crazy! But it happens!
I worked for a Professor of Nursing as her nanny for several years and she was always amazed at womens reactions when they got pregnant while breast feeding.
If you are not taking birth control or abstaining then you are running the risk of becoming pregnant. It's just very simple.
Please consider the Nuva ring, it is a local form of birth control that inserts in the vagina and if wanted can be taken out for several hours for intercourse. It usually isn't felt though. It comes in the mail in a Styrofoam box and stays in the fridge until you put it in. Since it is a local form of BC it should not have any side effects.
If you are finished with having children then you might consider the Essure procedure. It is a small spring like thing inserted in the fallopian tubes and it has a substance on it to promote tissue growth to block the tube. To test to see if it is finished and fully blocked the doc runs dye through it and then no more BC ever.
In lieu of all the other responses, I would like to add that although it is possible for some women to get pregnant while nursing around the clock (at regular and frequent intervals), many women do not. I have been nursing regularly for 1.5 years and have not ovulated yet. Prior to my pregnancy, I was very regular. Anyhow, the term that the La Leche League uses is called "natural child spacing" - so it is a very real phenomenon. This method becomes less effective if you go for long stretches without nursing.
well yes it could happen. I actually have a friend right now who was breastfeeding her baby and is now pregnant again. Her babies will be 11 months apart! and the only way she even thought that she might be pregnant is she started getting sick when she smelled certain foods. So yeah it can happen. But that's the thing, you will ovulate before you have a period......that's what a period is the egg coming out cause it wasn't fertilized. So yeah if you are having unprotected sex you could get pregnant that first month you do ovulate and then you wouldn't have ever had a period. But I actually do use breast feeding as a form of birth control when I first have a baby...cause with both kids it took forever to get my period back. Like my 1st was 12 months when I got it back and my second was 14 months! before I got it back. Of course once my babies started getting older we did use condoms cause I knew I would start to ovulate sometime soon. So if you don't want to get pregnant or risk the change just us condoms until your boyfriend gets a vasectemy.
I have been ovulating like clockwork since 3 mo post partum, no actual period but I have all the signs of ovulation...I chart and am pretty in tune to my body. So yes, you can very well get pregnant, We used condoms and sustaining for the first 4 months and then my hubby got the big "V" I am now 10 mo post partum still no bleading but ovulating every 30 some days.
yep sure can I got preg when my dd was 5 months and I was breastfedding. L.:)
