I wrote a post about pregnancy signs while breastfeeding which is extremely popular. Many women want to know if it’s even possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding, and many want to hear more about any possible symptoms of pregnancy while breastfeeding.
If you are hoping to get pregnant and you are in the two week wait to test for pregnancy, then you definitely want to know the signs to look for.
Or maybe you are breastfeeding and not even trying to get pregnant, but you had an accident and are worried you could be pregnant. You might be wondering if breastfeeding will help prevent pregnancy.
I can say it is definitely possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding. I personally got pregnant, while still breastfeeding twice.
Since I have this experience I thought I would expand on my original post about pregnancy signs while breastfeeding.
Pregnancy signs while breastfeeding are usually the same as any typical early pregnancy symptoms.
One difference, while it is rare, is that it is possible to get pregnant before your period returns. Since you can ovulate while breastfeeding before your period returns, the absence or presence of a period is not a surefire sign of pregnancy like it is normally.
COMMON SIGNS OF PREGNANCY WHILE BREASTFEEDING:
Here are a list of symptoms I experienced when newly pregnant while breastfeeding.
Fatigue.
I noticed fatigue early on with my second pregnancy. During my third pregnancy I did not notice it as soon. I was breastfeeding during both pregnancies.
Extreme or extra thirsty.
I definitely noticed this symptom. This may have been the earliest and most noticeable symptom with both of my pregnancies while breastfeeding. I am typically thirsty when nursing and even more so when pregnant!
Sore breasts or nipples.
This is a common early symptom whether breastfeeding or not. I have experienced this a ton. But, it was not super early. I am pretty sure it started after I had already missed my period.
Cramping.
This has been an early symptom for me with all of my pregnancies. Breastfeeding or not. I believe it’s related to implantation. Of course we also cramp with our period so it’s not super reliable.
Nausea.
This has been worse for me while breastfeeding. It did not start until after my missed period though. Probably around week 5-6.
Later pregnancy symptoms while breastfeeding
By the time you experience these symptoms there is a good chance you will already know you are pregnant. They don’t typically occur until later in the first or even second trimester.
A drop in milk supply.
Your milk supply will diminish when pregnant. I thought it would disappear altogether but I nursed throughout my third pregnancy despite it being low.
A change in milk taste.
My daughter hated the taste of my milk by the time I was 15 weeks along with my son. She then self weaned. My son on the other hand continued breastfeeding while I was pregnant with my third baby.
Hunger.
I am always hungry while pregnant. Is it due to breastfeeding? Maybe not entirely but nursing while pregnant does burn extra calories.
Now that I have done this twice I cannot say there is anything special I have done to increase my chances of getting pregnant while nursing.
While it is possible to get pregnant before your period returns it is not common. Once your period has returned then you can get pregnant even if you are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding should not suppress fertility at all once your cycle has returned.
The main difference for me was that my cycles were all over the place a bit more while breastfeeding. To counter this and up your chances of pregnancy I recommend using an app that will help pinpoint ovulation. I recommend this even if you are not breastfeeding!
My favorites are included here:
Fertility Friend is a great app and site to help nail down ovulation. It includes charting which is recommended when seriously trying to get pregnant or avoid pregnancy.
Glow and Ovia are nice apps with calendars that are easy to use to track your period and ovulation.
If you are trying to get pregnant another MUST HAVE product is an OPK. I am sure you know what those are, but if not, they are ovulation predictor kits. They measure the LH hormone surge that usually occurs before ovulation.
You will want to test before you think you may ovulate until you get a positive test indicating that you are about to ovulate. Once you get a positive OPK you know what that means. (Get busy!)
Since OPKs at the store can be ridiculously expensive for something you want to take multiple times a cycle I recommend these cheap ones.
These show two dark lines to indicate they are positive (like a pregnancy test). They can be a little tricky to read in that sometimes you may wonder if the line is dark enough to be positive.
If you are willing to spend a bit more the Clear Blue OPK is no fail since it uses a smiley face instead of two lines to let you know it’s positive.
I could go on and on about OPK’s and how helpful they are in getting pregnant. In fact I believe I will dedicate an entire post to them since it is an interesting subject (for those trying to get pregnant ha).
I hope this post helps expand on my pregnancy signs while breastfeeding article. As always please let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Hi Jen, informative post. I find myself in a similar situation to some of above posters. I am almost 4 months pp and am both breastfeeding/formula. I have not yet had a period since becoming pregnant last year. We had a moment of madness 31/05/18 (17days ago) and did not use protection. I took an emergency contraceptiv( Ellaone pill) on the 5th day after intercourse.(can be used upto 5 days after) I have all the typical pregnancy symptoms, mainly nausea although I’m hoping this is because I’m worried and stressing as we are not ready for another baby. Around day 15 after intercourse I noticed slight tinge of pinkish in my CF. I also thought maybe my period is returning. You say that it is rare and because I’ve had no period and the fact that I took the emergency pill, I’m hoping I will be ok. I know I should just take the test but would value your opinion before I do. Also is it to early to test ? Many thanks in advance.
Hi Jen, informative post. I find myself in a similar situation to some of above posters. I am almost 4 months pp and am both breastfeeding/formula. I have not yet had a period since becoming pregnant last year. We had a moment of madness 31/05/18 (17days ago) and did not use protection. I took an emergency contraceptiv( Ellaone pill) on the 5th day after intercourse.(can be used upto 5 days after) I have all the typical pregnancy symptoms, mainly nausea although I’m hoping this is because I’m worried and stressing as we are not ready for another baby. Around day 15 after intercourse I noticed slight tinge of pinkish in my CF. I also thought maybe my period is returning. You say that it is rare and because I’ve had no period and the fact that I took the emergency pill, I’m hoping I will be ok. I know I should just take the test but would value your opinion before I do. Also is it to early to test ? Many thanks in advance.
Hi, I think you are probably okay since your period has not returned and especially with the emergency contraceptive but if you want to be 100% sure then yes test! I don’t think it’s too early if it was 17 days ago. Good luck!
Thank you so much, I just had the courage to test and 2 test had negative result. I hope I’m not testing to early but at this stage it’s 19 days since the deed. I’m just nervous because I don’t know what my cycle is or when I would have ovulated. I hope this result is legitimate. Thanks for your advice.
Hi, True since you do not know if you ovulated it’s hard to know the right time to test. Most likely if you were ovulating when you did it though you would have a positive test by now. If it makes you feel better you could wait another two weeks and take one more test. Good luck!
Thanks for getting back to me Jen. Much appreciated!
Hi… I have a 3 month old baby girl.. My periods return back after 1 month… And that one is very very light one… And also my bleeding after delivery also lasts for 4 or 5 days.. Its my second girl… And after that my period came after 1 month.. That time also its light, but much better than the first one… Last period is on June 22 and last about 7 days… Me n my husband had an accident.. But we use an ECP within 24 hours.. And after that on my girl 3 month plunket appointment, they said that her weight is not good, maybe because my Milk supply is not gud… Will it be possible that I’m pregnant..?
Hi,
If you used the ECP I doubt you are pregnant. Plus it has not been four weeks since june 22 and it would take longer for your milk supply to drop. I did not notice a supply drop until 12 weeks pregnant or so. You are probably fine but if you are worried then take a test after 4 weeks from the last period. Good luck!
I was waiting for my husband to give me the green light to stop taking my pill and start trying for baby 2. I finally got the go ahead a month before our son turned 1. I started doing research and found out it may not be as easy as I thought while nursing still. I got a period after stopping the pill a few weeks later. Now I’m day 35 of that cycle and no AF, i ordered some tests just waiting on the package to come tomorrow hopefully.. How long did your first cycles last? When did they regulate?
Hi, it’s actually hard for me to remember now because it has been a few years but I think it took a few cycles. I got pregnant pretty quickly each time after my period returned even though I was still breastfeeding. If your period has come back come back you have a good chance. Good luck!
So my son is a couple weeks over a year old and I am still nursing. In the last week my son nurses a lot more and doesn’t seem to be getting enough. About 3-4 days ago I was at work and i had to stop what i was doing because i had a really bad pain in my lower abdomen, I feel like I can’t get enough to drink and i am going to the bathroom every hour to hour and a half. I come home from work and take a two hour nap with my son then i am in bed by 8:00 pm. It takes me a half hour to wake up in the morning and i almost fall asleep at work. I have also been feeling very nauseous for the last two days and my nose turns at foods that i have loved my entire life. Could I be pregnant? I have taken two home pregnancy tests and they both say negative.
How long ago do you believe you had unprotected sex? I would say it’s possible depending on the timing. If your period is late and the tests are negative you may have to wait a bit longer and test again. Good luck!
My experience with falling pregnant while breastfeeding was a bit different. I didn’t have any of the symptoms, or a least they could be explained by just having kids already. I was already tired. I got headaches, cramps and moodswings with PMS. I did have a drop in milk supply, but that was well into my second trimester(my milk actually completely dried up). And I didn’t have any breast tenderness, even with my 3rd baby’s pregnancy when I wasn’t breastfeeding. I did, however, ‘feel’ pregnant. I think you can pick up that feeling when you’ve been pregnant before. Wondering if nr4 is surprising us now. Still bf my 9mo old, so seriously hoping it’s a false alarm. Guess we’ll see in a couple of days.
Good luck!
Hi there Jen! I just stumbled across your blog and I just want to say thank you!! All of the info you have posted has been super helpful. You would think being a mom of 3 I would be a seasoned pro at this!! Lol. My period returned when my oldest was 16 months and I continued to nurse and got pregnant when she was 20 months. My second daughter then was 18 months and my period had not yet returned, and I got pregnant with my third! Now here I am, my third girl is now 17 months old and we are wanting to add another! I am currently nursing still and my period has not yet returned and we have been “trying” for a couple weeks with no success yet. Not to say it has t worked though! I have been trying to see if I’m ovulating with a OPK and I have had just no lines as dark as the control lines. My question is did you use an OPK while trying to conceive?? Had your period returned?? I keep thinking that I have to be ovulating since I got pregnant with my third before my period returned but I don’t know!! Thanks so much!
Hi, each time I got pregnant while breastfeeding my period had returned. I did use OPKs except for my third which was more of a “let’s see what happens” baby!
It’s actually pretty rare to get pregnant before your period returns although it can happen as you are proof! I would say keep using the OPKs and trying and I bet your period will return soon and it will be easier. Good luck!
Hi, hope your doing well 🙂
I have a 1 year old and i still breastfeed.
My menstrual cycle returned couple days before she turned 1. I am now 12 days late but all test are negative. Waiting out one more week before i do appointment. I never got any symptoms with me 2 babies except missed cycle. I am currently on a pill while breastfeeding. I couldn’t find if you were on birth control. Is it possible to be pregnant while on the pill and breastfeeding? Have not missed a pill so im confused
Hi Rachel,
I was not on the pill when I got pregnant. If you are on the pill and the tests are negative I would guess your cycle is still off from the breastfeeding. Even once I got my period back I would have erratic cycles some months and seem to skip a cycle occasionally. Sometimes it takes awhile for the hormones to level out. It’s good to know for sure though so definitely go to the apt if you still don’t get it next week. Good luck!
HI Jen… I had my DD 6 months ago and until the last 4 week have nursed her. I still have had no period so my Dr. told me to take a test and go off birth control to try to get it going again. My husband and I have not had intercourse since Ive been off birth control but the pregnancy test I took today said positive. If its rare to get pregnant before your period starts again and being on birth control since week 6 post baby can I be pregnant or can my hormones cause a false positive?
Hi,
I have not heard of hormones causing a false positive. Usually a positive test is a positive test but sometimes there can be something wrong with the test (I once had a false positive due to the test being expired and the dye leaking). I do not think it is your hormones causing a false positive though. I would say try another test and if that is also positive get to the Dr. for a blood test. Good luck!
Hi Jen, I wanted to know if it is possible for me to become pregnant if I am still breastfeeding and have not had my period since I had my son back in August. I was on birth control for a couple days back in December, but I kept forgetting to take them so I just stopped all together. I spotted for a couple days but that was it. Me and my husband had intercourse about a week or so ago and I have been cramping for a couple of days now is it possible that it could be implantation cramping?
It is possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding even if your period has not returned, but only if you catch it on your first ovulation since pregnancy. Once you ovulate you should start to have your period again. So I would say it is unlikely but possible. The only way to know for sure is wait and test in a couple of weeks. Good luck!
Hi Jen! Just came across your blog. Love your post. I am 3months post partum and I breastfeed my son exclusively.Though last month June 2019, I saw not too red light stuff for 2days and I hadn’t had sex by then. What could that be because I wasn’t sure what it was? This month, July(about 2 weeks ago) I had sex and it was the withdrawal method. So for the past 3 days, I’ve had high temperature, feel tired, loss of appetite and discharge, frequent urination since delivery though. and no pains at all. I take OTC pain reliever and it reduces it. Could I be pregnant? Could it be ovulation? Could it be menstruation coming back? Could it be hormones as they sat? What do you think? As I’m a FTM. Also scared to take a PT cos am not ready. My baby is hands full already Thanks in anticipation.
Hi,
Sorry for the delayed response I was out of town for a bit. So, if you are breastfeeding exclusively and only 3 months postpartum I doubt you could be pregnant. You may already know by now since my reply is a little late. Only way to know for sure is to take a test.
Also chills and consideration. Thanks a lot
Also chills and constipation. Thanks a lot
Hey there!
So my son is 9 months old, and my husband and I are wanting to try for baby number two. My periods have come back, but are inconsistant. (Like every 2-3 months instead of every month)
Since my periods are all over the place, can the type of mucus still be a determining factor of fertility?
This week i had egg-white mucus. So im wondering if there is a possibility of me being pregnant?
Let me know yor thoughts! Baby still breast feeds often.. about 4-5 times a day 🙂
Hi,
I would use ovulation predictor tests to try and figure out if and when you are ovulating. The mucus can still be a factor but it’s hard to know for sure since your period is inconsistent. Mine was inconsistent too for a few months. I used OPKs and that helped me. Good luck!
I was noticing on your introduction that you have 7 years of experience with breastfeeding between your three children; what an accomplishment! It’s so wonderful you have been able to not only breastfeed all of your children, but also get pregnant while breastfeeding.
While I know that many women do conceive while breastfeeding (of which you are an example), it can be a difficult process for a lot of moms and I am one of those. It can depend on how often you are nursing and other various factors, but ultimately, every woman’s body is different and each woman’s fertility will respond differently to breastfeeding.
My feritility returned very gradually over an 8-month period following the sudden day-weaning of my toddler and it was an agonizing process that caused a lot of distress for me. I wrote a post with my full experience (https://mamarissa.com/trying-to-conceive-while-breastfeeding/) because I found so little info on the topic when I was going through it. I want other women to have access to another mama’s story who struggled to conceive while breastfeeding.
It’s an interesting topic for sure. I’m so curious as to why fertility comes quickly for some breastfeeding mamas, much later for others, and not at all for still others. It is quite amazing to me what hormones are capable of … and how unpredictable they are.
But I am truly glad and encouraged by your story of being able to conceive twice while breastfeeding. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Hi.
My name is Nicole.
I want to have another kid. But I have 10 months old daughter and breastfeeding. So I’m struggling to get pregnant. So how can I get pregnant or conceive my fertility back ? While I’m breastfeeding. I haven’t got period returning. So please help me ?
Hi,
If your period has not returned it is definitely a lot harder to get pregnant. Hopefully around the 1 year mark for your baby you can stretch out breastfeedings more to get it to return. Sometimes stopping night feeds helps.