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without contraception during BV

14 replies

madelene
Hi lovely girls from Brabbels,

Just a weird question maybe, but I was wondering... I hear a lot of conflicting stories about fertility during breastfeeding. I used protection during the breastfeeding period with my two oldest. But I got my first period sooner than expected back then.

Now I gave birth to our third daughter on March 24th and am exclusively breastfeeding at her request. She sleeps through the night, so she only gets breastmilk for the rest. I haven't gotten my first period yet, unlike after my previous births. So I don't know when my fertile days are to get pregnant, since my cycle hasn't returned yet.

I'd rather not take the pill or anything like that right now. But my question is, can I do it without contraception? Because I haven't gotten my period yet. Or is it not safe against pregnancy after all? Did you do it the same way? Or did you use something right away?

Greetings, Madelene.

Replies

  1. ikke #2

    Hi hi, I wouldn't risk it...
    Unless you want to get pregnant quickly again.
    I had given birth to my daughter, and once the postpartum bleeding had stopped, we had sex with a condom. The condom broke, and I didn't get my period anymore.
    When my daughter was 3 months old, I turned out to be pregnant again... Of course, it was very unexpected.
    But I'm super happy with my 3 kids.
    Greetings, ik

  2. Anonymous Guest #3

    With the pill, you're generally less fertile, but it's not a guarantee. Plus, you can get pregnant before your period starts. Because you only get your period after ovulation has occurred If you don't want to get pregnant, I wouldn't take the risk.

    We did that... took the risk... I didn't take the full pill (due to circumstances, this wasn't possible), and because of a difficult medical start for our son, I hadn't gotten around to getting an IUD inserted. Then we naturally felt like it... I quickly did the math (my period had been regular for 3 months) and thought, "Now it's safe."

    A while later, I had a positive test in my hands Not planned, but definitely wanted! My cycle that month turned out to be completely different. By the way, this was 3 months after giving birth.

  3. My1987 #4

    My midwife said you do have ovulation despite not getting your period.
    So I wouldn't bet on it.

  4. Amy #5

    You're still fertile while breastfeeding. It seems to be a bit less so if you're exclusively breastfeeding on demand, as long as there aren't too many hours between feeds. Plus, you never know when you'll ovulate again and thus get your period or become pregnant. I only got my period after six months and then started on the mini-pill. Until then, condoms.

  5. madelene started this #6

    Thanks, ladies, for your advice and replies!
    So, uh, congratulations on your pregnancy!
    That’s indeed super fast. It just proves again that it’s not exactly smart to do what I’m doing now without any precautions. I just want to enjoy my three girls right now and I’m not really looking forward to another pregnancy.
    Anonymously, that’s well and clearly explained by you.
    I can indeed never know when my ovulation will be, nor when my first period will return.
    Amy, I didn’t know that.
    Good to know; it can indeed be better, but I shouldn’t gamble like I’m doing now. Amy, thanks too for your explanation. Jasmijn only gets it during the day, for example.
    Not at night because she already sleeps through.
    And during the day, there’s a 3-4 hour gap between her feeds.
    I feed on demand, for example.
    I’m really glad my period hasn’t returned yet. I wouldn’t want to miss that.
    No, reading your messages, I realize I’m actually taking risks like this.
    Quick question: how did you find out you were pregnant again?
    Or did you already get your first period back?

  6. ikke #7

    I only had one period and then it stopped... I also stopped full BF at someone's request.
    At some point, my period stopped and my milk supply dropped, so I didn't have enough to fully BF and had to spit up every morning.

  7. madelene started this #8

    Oh, okay, clear now
    I'm actually glad I haven't had my first period yet. I feel much better this way without my period.
    But it'll come back eventually, of course.
    Thanks for your explanation.
    I'll think about what kind of contraception I'm going to use.
    Something with as few hormones as possible.

  8. madelene started this #9

    Min possible.

  9. ikke #10

    You also have a mini-pill that you can use in combination with breastfeeding, according to me it's called Cerazette... besides that, you could of course also use condoms.
    Greetings, me

  10. madelene started this #11

    Yeah, I'll take a look.
    Once we've got it sorted with my husband, he doesn't really like condoms.
    Otherwise, I'll ask about that too.
    It's nice that you can use them during, say, pregnancy.
    Greetings, Madelene

  11. Amy #12

    You can definitely safely breastfeed while on the mini-pill. The brand name is Cerazette, but it's also sold under a generic name. I used that one too, but I wasn't really thrilled with it. The first few months were fine, but from August to December I had continuous breakthrough bleeding. So I'm not sure if I'll take it again later. I might go for an IUD instead. (Although I'll make sure to get well-informed first, since my GP hinted that I might still have a higher chance of breakthrough bleeding because I already had them on the mini-pill.)

  12. MamaN #13

    Hi Madalene,

    I'm still breastfeeding my 15-month-old son. After 8 weeks, I switched back to the regular pill I used before my pregnancy. The doctor said it was safe, and he was right. My milk supply didn't decrease. I only got my period after finishing my first pack. You're only infertile if you're breastfeeding on demand every few hours. Since your baby sleeps through the night, you're definitely not meeting that frequency. I'd go back on the pill, either Cerazette or the regular pill I was taking.

    Love,

  13. Annabelle #14

    Hi
    I wouldn't risk it at all. My daughter is 4 months old and I'm on the minimum dose. I started when she was 6 weeks old and hadn't had my period before that. The advantage is that you just keep taking this pill so you don't get your period anymore. Very handy!

    Greetings

  14. Marieke #15

    Amy, the breakthrough bleeding from Cerazette is really tough. I get that you're doubting. The mini-pill just doesn't work well for everyone. An IUD could be a calmer alternative, as long as your GP or midwife explains it well to you. Annabelle is right that the benefit is that you don't get a period. But choose what feels right for you.

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