Is it possible to get pregnant while you're breastfeeding?
In short: YES, it's very possible indeed. Here's what you need to know...
Can you get pregnant while you’re breastfeeding? Of course you can't, go all the old wives' tales. But actually – and this is so important, given how much it could potentially change your life – we have to tell you that those old wives are WRONG
Despite that, we’ve noticed that there's still a widespread belief that you can't conceive if you're breastfeeding.
Just recently, for example, The Mummy Diaries star Sam Faiers admitted she was surprised by baby no 2 Rosie coming along – as she didn’t think she could get pregnant while breastfeeding her son Paul.
So, here's what every breastfeeding mother needs to know.
How can you get pregnant while breastfeeding?
While exclusively breastfeeding mothers do tend to find that the return of their menstrual cycle is delayed longer than formula-feeding mums, that's not exactly set in stone.
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So, if your period has yet to return, it’s easy to think that pregnancy is just not possible post-baby.
What's more, you don’t need to have a menstrual bleed before you’re able to conceive again. In fact, by the time you have your first period after a baby, you may well have been fertile for a good 2 weeks.
Everything you need to know about your period post-baby
Should I use contraception while breastfeeding – even if my periods haven't started again?
In a previous chat with expert midwife and health visitor Katie Hilton, she told us that it’s SO worth having a chat with your GP about contraception options after giving birth – whether you’re breastfeeding or formula-feeding.
We’d say that appointment's worth scheduling sooner rather than later, just to be on the safe side.
As it turns out, many of us find ourselves getting pregnant much sooner than we expected after having a baby.
We're often not aware how super-fertile we can be once we start ovulating again, and we don't always get around to using contraception soon enough.
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