Is pregnancy possible with breastfeeding?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

After childbirth, all women are completely focused on their baby. Laundry, cleaning, baby care, motion sickness and, in most cases, frequent breastfeeding are the daily worries of a young mother. With all this, the stage of pregnancy is already behind, and you can still resume intimate life. There is an opinion that a woman cannot get pregnant while breastfeeding, but is it true? Why do gynecologists still prescribe birth control pills, although pregnancy with HB is impossible? Or is it still possible? Worth looking into.

Unexpected news

A woman who is completely absorbed in caring for a baby may not even notice that she is pregnant. Round-the-clock fuss does not allow you to concentrate on yourself and listen to your body at the very beginning of the “interesting situation”. But eventually the woman will guess her new condition very soon.

If a young mother already has suspicions that something is wrong in her body, then the first thing to do is to observe yourself and analyze the situation. To assess for yourself whether there is a pregnancy with HB or is it a false alarm, you need to think and note whether the following signs are present.

Possible signs of pregnancy with breastfeeding

• Absence of menstruation. If it does not occur in the first six months after childbirth, then you should take a pregnancy test or go to an appointment with a gynecologist. An extra check wouldn't hurt.
• Soreness of the mammary glands and nipples. With HB, most women know firsthand that swelling of the mammary glands, redness and pain of the nipples and halos are associated with the onset of breastfeeding, which is not developed for everyone. This is especially true for primiparous women, as well as those who have flat or inverted nipples. While the baby develops breasts, time will pass. This is why breastfeeding pregnancy is so easy to overlook.
• Reducing the quantity and quality of milk. With the onset of pregnancy, a woman's body begins a global restructuring. This also applies to the production of milk, which may decrease in quantity, and its taste may also change. The baby will certainly notice the changes that have occurred and may well refuse to breastfeed or start eating poorly. Many adults think that a baby is being picky or showing temper, but the reason for crying goes much deeper.
• Increased fatigue. In the first months, it is especially difficult for a young mother to take care of a baby. Constant lack of sleep and a fairly active life often lead to the fact that a woman at the end of the day just falls down. Pregnancy and the formation of a new life inside the mother also takes a lot of strength. As a result, the woman will not immediately be able to guess what happened.
• The work of the uterus. Under the action of the hormone oxytocin,excretion of milk from the glands. If the test shows two strips, then another hormone - progesterone, which helps to relax the uterus, begins to stand out. There is a certain conflict, and if there is not enough progesterone, then this is a threat of termination of pregnancy. Therefore, any manifestations of pain must be reported to your doctor.
• Toxicosis. As with normal pregnancy, and with HB, toxicosis cannot be avoided. Frequent bouts of nausea give reason to think: maybe something is wrong in the body? In any case, it does not hurt to take a pregnancy test.

There are other signs of pregnancy with breastfeeding, namely: a change in taste preferences, drowsiness, lower back pain, a different perception of aromas, increased urination, changes in basal body temperature, mood.

Pregnant or not?

Today, the probability of pregnancy with breastfeeding is quite high. If a married couple leads an active sex life without protection, then the possibility is very large. Breastfeeding is not protection against unwanted conception. In addition, getting pregnant after a recent birth is quite dangerous, since the body has not yet had time to fully recover from the previous gestation. Moreover, doctors categorically do not recommend pregnancy for women whose delivery was by caesarean section. The resorption of the threads, the healing of the suture (both in the upper layer of the skin and in the internal tissues) occurs very slowly, so gynecologists talk about possible subsequent pregnancies only 3 years afterchildbirth, not earlier. In addition, if the suture has not yet healed properly, then it will not be able to withstand repeated gestation, and this already threatens with abortion.

Who is the first to notice that the family will soon be replenished?

Of course baby. A change in the taste qualities of milk secreted by the mother during pregnancy is immediately noticed by the baby. Children eat milk many times a day, so they quickly remember the taste of the consumed food. Even if the mother eats something sour, spicy, s alty, the child will certainly feel it through milk. Possible crying or his bad mood is a consequence not only of colic, but also of a probable pregnancy, as the mother begins to restructure the body. Therefore, if the baby suddenly notices changes in milk, expresses his dissatisfaction, then these are the first signs of pregnancy with breastfeeding.

Still breastfeeding or better not?

Many people ask: "Is it possible to continue breastfeeding during pregnancy?". If, nevertheless, the "interesting position" of the woman was confirmed, then in any case, you should not deprive your child of milk.

Of course, it may now be necessary to supplement him with formula, because the milk produced is becoming scarce, and the child simply does not get enough. But in any case, he receives mother's milk, and this, as all experts say, is the best food for the baby.

Modern ways to determine pregnancy

In order to understand your situation, there are several ways to determine pregnancy with HB:

• The easiest and most affordable option -do a pregnancy test. It is sold in any pharmacy, it is cheap, it is easy and understandable, therefore, it will not be difficult to make it. GV does not affect the result in any way. If the level of hCG has increased, then this will immediately be reflected in the test with two strips.
• Go see a gynecologist. As with the last pregnancy, the increase in the size of the uterus will tell you that you will soon need to buy another crib.
• Ultrasound. When breastfeeding, it is not prohibited, so the study can be safely done at any time. It will immediately show whether there is a pregnancy or not.
• Urine analysis. Donating blood for the hormone hCG (chorionic gonadotropin) is a relatively accurate option, because it begins to rise only 7-10 days after conception. In any case, it never hurts to take a general blood test, because if pregnancy is detected, then when registering, you still have to take it.
• Blood test. But this is a more accurate and faster result. HCG levels are higher in blood than in urine, so getting a blood test is one of the best decisions to find out about replenishing as soon as possible.

No period is no reason to relax

Many people say that pregnancy with breastfeeding without menstruation is impossible, but is it true? In fact, before the arrival of the first menstruation, ovulation occurs first. If at this moment there is intimacy with her husband, then conception is just around the corner. If fertilization does not occur, then menstruation comes. But that doesn't mean thatthere was no chance of having a second or subsequent child.

When the chance of getting pregnant is higher. Reason 1

There are times when an unplanned pregnancy during breastfeeding is very likely to occur. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the frequency of feeding the baby. If the child drinks 150-180 ml of milk 5-6 times a day, then the chance is much higher than when the portions during breastfeeding would be smaller, but the application itself would be more frequent. In addition, if the baby is not full, then more frequent breastfeeding will solve this problem.

Reason 2

Secondly, the earliest replenishment in the family depends on the age of the boy or girl. Usually, after 4 months, they begin to introduce complementary foods (vegetable puree, cereals), gradually replacing 1-2 feedings per day. By 6 months, when fruit purees are added to the diet, and the menu becomes more diverse, the risk of an unplanned pregnancy begins to increase. After 7-8 months, meat purees are added to the baby's diet. After this point, many women stop feeding, because the child has almost completely switched to adult food, or reduce breastfeeding to a minimum. In this case, you can easily get pregnant.

Reason 3

Feeding a baby by the clock is a common reason why many give birth to a baby sister or brother. More correct with GV will be feeding on demand. In addition, all children are different, and a break of 3-4 hours at the same time of day canseem long, and in another - fast. It is better to apply to the breast of the child when he wants. But it is worth remembering that the minimum time between feedings is 2 hours. This rule should be followed so as not to disrupt the digestive enzyme systems.

Protection is maternal he alth

If pregnancy with breastfeeding is undesirable, then it is worth talking about protection. Carrying a child a few months after giving birth or having an abortion are not the best actions that will undermine the he alth of a young mother. To protect yourself, you need to think about contraception in advance. The most famous methods of contraception today for breastfeeding:

• Condoms. Convenient, accessible, simple. However, according to experts, they do not give a 100% guarantee against unwanted pregnancy. But the benefits they bring cannot be denied.
• Intrauterine device. You can say about it: set it and forget it. Already in the eighth week after childbirth, its installation is permissible. In addition, the cervix is still soft, so inserting it will not cause much inconvenience. Protection is very high.
• Contraceptive pills. Oral contraceptives are another good way to prevent pregnancy. They create mucus, which makes it difficult for sperm to pass through the cervix. If all the same they were able to break through this barrier. and fertilization has occurred, then the resulting embryo will not be able to attach to the wall of the uterus and begin to grow, because the endometrium of the uterus has changed.

All methods of protection, their purpose, durationreception and the necessary withdrawal of the drug should be decided only by the attending physician. Any independent action can harm a woman's he alth.

Women during pregnancy are accustomed to constantly visiting the gynecological office. But after the birth, everything changed, and after two or three examinations and tests, everything ends. This is wrong, because it takes time to restore a woman after childbirth with GV. This means that the observation should be longer. A regular trip to the gynecologist (at least once a month) will save you from new problems, including helping to identify the onset of pregnancy in the early stages. Therefore, decide on further actions and keep mom he althy.

Finally…

It is worth remembering: the widespread belief that it is impossible to conceive while breastfeeding is wrong, and this has long been proven by the relevant experts. Breastfeeding and a new pregnancy can exist together, but how this will affect the he alth of the mother is a big question.

There are girls who want to have children of the same age, and therefore they specifically try to settle a new life in themselves. But how did the new pregnancy affect GW? Everyone is different. Each woman's body is individual, and you should not try on successful bearing or a tragic termination of pregnancy. In any case, the birth of a new life is always happiness, regardless of life principles and circumstances. Any decision made for a woman will be the right one, because everyone is subsequently responsible for their actions.