Pregnancy Symptoms While Breast Feeding

First i want to ask what symptoms are you having? And are you using protection? I was on the mini pill and breast-feeding for the first year and i did have some silly things that made me wonder if i could be pregnant again. I would sometimes feel movement in my stomach. I new that it was gas or my stomach rumbling but it felt like a baby sometimes. Funny right? Or just the tired, cranky feelings that i had when i was first pregnant with my daughter. So I guess if you think you are pregnant you should take a test. But if you are breast-feeding full time and using protection (condoms, mini pill ect.) You most likely are not.

M.,
It could be that you are pregnant again... but I recently felt the same way while at my midwife training class and I wasn't pregnant. I learned that it was most likely a rising fluctuation in my progesterone levels (which are what also increase in pregnancy) that was making me feel nauseous, dizzy and headachy. After birth your hormones still go through lots of changes (ups and downs), even to 2 years after a baby is born. It helped me to eat some protein and drink fluids and make sure I was getting good rest. In a lot of ways, you still need to behave as if you are still pregnant while nursing. Eating healthy foods, drinking good fluids and resting when the kids rest routinely are all important--It's easy to forget when we have other kids around and life is crazy. ;)
J.

Hi M.,

I became pregnant while nursing. BF is not birth control, so it is very possible you can get pregnant. Your milk will also taste different, so if you are, your daughter might start turning away. You should just get a test done.

I have not experienced this myself, but have two friends and a grandmother that did become pregnant while breast feeding. You should call your doctor about your symptoms. He/she may advise you to take a pregnancy test. Good luck!

I have a sister who got pregnant while she was breastfeeding. For some women, breastfeeding is good birth control, for others it's not. I would take a test or see your doctor to be sure.

I've gotten pregnant while breast feeding (twice), but I had a stinking suspision that I was ovulating (which I ignored the first time and planned the second). When the baby changes their appetite and can hold off longer, maybe they start sleeping all night, or start lasting an hour or two longer during the day without nursing, I think the body notices this and tries to go back to "normal" (??? is there a normal ???) mode. [this is completely made up and not medical knowledge! --it's just what I've kinda figured out with my pregnancies and milk supply.]
Either way make sure and take care of yourself and your little one(s). Drink LOTS of liquids if you do find that you're pregnant and continue to nurse your daughter. Well, you should anyway, but your body will use the nutrients you give it, but it's hard to supply ample nutrients for three people all in different forms (your own body, a nursing infant, a growing fetus/baby).

I felt sick when i was breast feeding but wasn't pregnant. Breast feeding isn't birthcontrol and it is possible to become pregnant while breast feeding. I would take a pregnancy test or talk to your doctor to be sure. I have had a couple of friends get pregnant while breastfeeding. The best advice i could give though is if you are feeling wierd, talk to your doctor. If your not pregnant, then he can tell you why you feel that way.

I had alot of pregnancy symptoms while nursing my first baby, ignored them and when my daughter was 7mos took a test and found out I was pregnant! I was so tired, falling asleep all the time, hungry, naseous you name it. My baby was nursing all the time because my milk supply diminshed. You can email me privately if you want more info!

Hmm. some interesting responses here M.! I had the same thing happen to me when I was nursing my twins (now 17 months old) and it turned out to just be a slight bladder infection. I don't know what symptoms you are having but for me it was abdominal tenderness similar to the "stretching" pains early in pregnancy and I think I tricked myself into thinking I actually was pregnant because then I started getting nauseous in the morning! I honestly took about 3 tests (one a blood test at my work clinic) before I believed I was not pregnant. good luck with the breast feeding - I loved it with my two! And good luck with whatever you find out!

I totally symapthize! I think it is because out hormone levels are still out of wack! I like to tease my husband that I am pregnant, but he doesn't think it is soo funny since we have 5 kids and the twins are only 8 months! I wouldn't worry too much unless it continues for more than a week at a time.

I'm assuming you had a test and are negative. I got pregnant with number 2 when my first was 7 months old and I was nursing. another friend was pregnant when her first was 4 months old and her seceond and third child will now be 13 months apart.

Otherwise, my husband has now had the 'sergery" and i am finally on my own without brithcontrol. Yeah! but it has been weird. I totally feel "prgnant" right after ovulation and before PMS. Every month it is like...this can't be! i guess I just forgot as I had been on birth control or pregnant so much of my adult life. the hormones are so weird now.

What does "odd" mean? What symptoms are you having? You CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding. Do a pregnancy test.

Take a test. If you test positive, it is rarely wrong. If you test negative, it may be too soon. Often the first sign of pregnancy is sore nipples returning after a great nursing relationship. That being said, there are many reasons why you could be having sore nipples. Has your baby recently changed how much she nurses? 6 months is spot on for a growth spurt, so if she is nursing a lot more, that could be a reason. My kids also got really distractable between 6-8 months, so we had lots of popping on and off, which caused sore nipples. She could also be teething, and changing the way she latches on. As another sign of possible pregnancy, I got the "heebie jeebie" nail-on-the-chalkboard feeling up and down my spine whenever I nursed my toddler while I was pregnant.

Many signs of early pregnancy are similar to premenstrual signs, so you could also be getting ready to get your period back. I would take a pregnancy test. If that is not the issue, you might do well to contact a La Leche League leader, or a lactation consultant and have a chat about what might be changing in your nursing relationship that is causing whatever "odd" symptoms you are noticing. If that doesn't do the trick, you can always talk to your doctor. (Be aware that doctors usually have extremely minimal training about breastfeeding, so you may be advised to wean your baby when there is no actual reason to do so.)

Best of Luck,
S.

Hi M.! Isn't breast feeding wonderful? What you're feeling is probably your uterus contracting. That's what happens when you breastfeed. Some women can feel that and actually feel like they're having contractions. Others can't. So don't worry, it's perfectly normal!

I used to get horribly nauseated every time my milk came down with all 3 of my children. My doctor had never heard of this, but I endured this with all 3 children anywhere from 8 months to 19 months (my daughter was 19 months when I weaned her). I don't know that this qualifies as an odd symptom of pregnancy or not. I was not pregnant, but this was definitely odd! Since you can get pregnant while nursing, I would take a test or see your doctor.

I had a few symptoms. If you are at all concerned I would just take a pregnancy test. It is better to know for sure than to guess and worry. Good luck. As it turned out I was never pregnant. But it isn't uncommon for women to have surprises.

I got pregnant while I was breastfeeding with two of my children, so it is definitely a possibility! I would recommend taking a pregnancy test. Also, our bodies go totally out-of-whack during and after having a baby, some more and longer than others. Hang in there! If there were any big concerns, pain, or discomfort, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor. Good luck, and have fun with that sweet little baby!

I'd say if you're really concerned, go get a dollar store test, they work just as well I've deicded. I started experiencing some wierd pregnancy symptoms when my first was 6 months old, and turns out I was pregnant, same thing again when my 2nd was 8 months old. I know that with my 3rd (who I am still nursing) I still get occassional bouts of nausea and hot flashes. I think that some of those symptoms don't go away until you're finished nursing.

Dear M. P. Yes you can be pregnant while breast feeding the chances are not as great but it can happen. If it was me I would go to the drug store and get a pregnancy test are go to your Dr. This could put your mind at rest.
C. J.