Getting Pregnant While Breastfeeding: Signs, Challenges, and How to Boost Your Chances

You’ve done everything right—tracking ovulation, paying attention to your body—but still, no positive pregnancy test. Getting pregnant while breastfeeding, can feel frustrating and confusing. Why isn’t it happening? The truth is, breastfeeding changes your hormones, which can make getting pregnant harder—but not impossible. In this post, I’ll explain why this happens, signs your body is getting ready for pregnancy, and simple things you can do to boost your chances of getting pregnant while breastfeeding.

How Breastfeeding Affects Your Fertility

Breastfeeding affects your fertility because it changes your hormones. The hormones that help you make milk can block the ones that make you ovulate. That’s why many mums don’t get their period for months (or even longer) while breastfeeding. It’s nature’s way of helping your body recover properly from being pregnant before falling pregnant again.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant. Your body will start ovulating again, even if you haven’t had a period yet. This usually happens when your baby starts breastfeeding less as they get older or go for longer stretches between breastfeeds. And once you ovulate, pregnancy is possible.

Understanding Your Body’s Fertility During Breastfeeding

If you’re hoping to get pregnant while breastfeeding, it’s important to understand what’s going on with your body. Some mums get their fertility back quickly, while others have to wait longer. It’s different for everyone, and depends a lot on your baby’s feeding patterns, but knowing what to look for can help you figure out where you stand. 

If your period hasn’t returned, or if it’s coming and going unpredictably, that’s a sign your body is still adjusting. But don’t worry—your cycle will start again when your body (and your baby!) is ready.

So, if breastfeeding affects ovulation, does that mean you can’t get pregnant at all? Not exactly. Let’s look at how pregnancy can still happen—even before your period returns.

Can You Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding If You Haven’t Had a Period?   

Yes! Some women ovulate before their first postpartum period, meaning pregnancy can happen before you even know your cycle has returned. But in many cases, if you’re still exclusively breastfeeding—especially if your baby is feeding frequently, day and night—ovulation might still be on pause. 

Signs that your fertility might be returning include changes in cervical mucus (getting clearer and stretchier) and any spotting or light bleeding. If you notice these signs, your body could be gearing up to ovulate, which means pregnancy is possible. 

Do I Have to Stop Breastfeeding to Get Pregnant?

It depends. If your period has already come back, you might be able to get pregnant without stopping breastfeeding. But some mums find that even when their period returns, they still don’t fall pregnant right away. Others don’t get their period at all until they stop breastfeeding completely. In these cases, pregnancy might not happen until breastfeeding slows down or stops. 

Before stopping breastfeeding, it’s important to think about the risks and benefits. Stopping too soon can affect both your health and your baby’s health in the short and long term. But if it feels like the right choice for you and your baby, stopping breastfeeding may help increase your chances of getting pregnant.

If you’re ready for another baby but your body isn’t cooperating, there are some things you can try to encourage ovulation without stopping breastfeeding.

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant While Breastfeeding

If you’re ready for another baby but breastfeeding is making it harder, here are some things you can try:

1. Space out feeds

Try going longer between feeds during the day or night to signal your body to bring back ovulation. Keep in mind, going longer between feeds will lower your milk supply. This is best for babies over 12 months who don’t rely only on breastmilk for food. 

2. Drop a night feed

Dropping just one night feed can be enough to bring back ovulation for some mums. Others may need to space out daytime feeds too. But it’s important to know that many babies still need breastfeeds at night, even into toddlerhood—for both food and comfort. Night feeds give babies a big part of their daily milk, so stopping too soon can lower your milk supply (because your breasts aren’t getting the signal to make more milk) and might mean bub isn’t gaining enough weight. It can also be hard on bub emotionally if the change happens too fast. If you’re thinking about dropping a night feed, watch for signs that bub is still getting enough milk. Not sure what to look for? Download this free guide.

3. Look for fertility signs

Pay attention to changes in cervical mucus or light spotting, which could mean your cycle is returning.

4. Be patient

I know it’s easier said than done, but be patient. Every mum’s body is different. It might take time for your hormones to adjust.

Patience and Understanding: Your Journey to Pregnancy While Breastfeeding

Getting pregnant while breastfeeding can take time, but understanding how your body works can make the process less frustrating. Keep an eye out for signs that your fertility is returning, try making small adjustments, and give yourself grace—your body is still working hard! Whether it happens quickly or takes a little longer, you’re doing an amazing job. Be patient with yourself, trust the process, and remember that your journey is unique 💛

Have you noticed any signs that your fertility is coming back? DM me on Instagram and let me know what you’ve noticed —I’d love to hear from you! 💛