does breastfeeding make you more or less fertile?
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Many women are less fertile while they're breastfeeding, especially in the early weeks and months. This is because breastfeeding reduces your levels of certain hormones (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and luteinising hormone), which are needed for ovulation and pregnancy.
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For Gestational diabetes, breastfeeding significantly reduces your risk of developing diabetes later in life. Breastfeeding suppresses your periods and monthly hormonal changes.
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Takeaway. In general, most women won't start ovulating right away after having a baby, but the return of the menstrual cycle ranges widely for women. Every woman's personal cycle is different and factors like weight, stress, smoking, breastfeeding, diet, and contraceptive choices will affect the return of fertility.
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The hormones that prompt your body to make breast milk can also stop your body from producing the hormones that cause you to ovulate. That means that some women have no period while breastfeeding. Others get their first postpartum periods in the months after delivery.
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If your period resumes — even if you have an irregular period while breastfeeding — you can get pregnant. What's more, it's actually possible to get pregnant before your period arrives. So if you're not ready to put another bun in the oven just yet, be sure to take proper birth control precautions.
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Nursing While Pregnant Boosts Chances of Twins Mom who are breast-feeding when they become pregnant again are a whopping nine times more likely to conceive twins than those who have stopped nursing, according to research by Dr. Steinman.
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Contraceptives which contain estrogen have been linked to reduced milk supply and early cessation of breastfeeding even when started after milk supply is well established and baby is older. Not all mothers who take contraceptives containing estrogen experience lower milk supply, but many do.
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Many moms don't have a period for months (or at all) while breastfeeding. But a lapse in your cycle doesn't mean you can't get pregnant. Remember, ovulation occurs before you get your period. It's possible for you to ovulate and then get pregnant before you ever see your period.
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Can I get pregnant while I'm nursing? The simple answer is that you can get pregnant while nursing. However, many moms experience a time of delayed fertility during breastfeeding. This is very common and is referred to in many places as the Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM) of contraception.
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It usually takes between one and three months for a woman to begin to ovulate and for her cycle to return to normal after stopping breastfeeding.
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Most women did not begin ovulating until at least 6 weeks after childbirth, but a few ovulated sooner. Usually, women who are not breastfeeding ovulate sooner after giving birth than women who do breastfeed. However, a woman's first ovulation cycle might occur before she gets her first postpartum period.
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The first few days: Your breast milk coming in The hormones will get you on track with starting to produce milk. Around day three after your baby's birth, your breast milk 'comes in' and your breasts may start to feel noticeably firmer and fuller.
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Usually, women who are not breastfeeding ovulate sooner after giving birth than women who do breastfeed. However, a woman's first ovulation cycle might occur before she gets her first postpartum period. This means that it is possible for a woman to get pregnant before menstruation begins again.
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Lactation is the process of producing breast milk. For women who are pregnant or recently gave birth, lactation is normal. Hormones signal the mammary glands in your body to start producing milk to feed the baby. But it's also possible for women who have never been pregnant — and even men — to lactate.
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Yes, it's absolutely possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding, despite the fact that breastfeeding does suppress ovulation. And as mentioned above, it's actually possible to get pregnant even before you get your first periods after the delivery.
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If you are breastfeeding, you may ovulate as early as 10 weeks after giving birth. Your period would then start two weeks later, around 12 weeks after giving birth. Or it may be over a year before you start ovulating again, and your periods return.
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Breastfed babies have fewer infections and hospitalizations than formula-fed infants. During breastfeeding, antibodies and other germ-fighting factors pass from a mother to her baby and strengthen the immune system. This helps lower a baby's chances of getting many infections, including: ear infections.