Irish twins while nursing?

[Meriwether]

Has anyone heard of someone getting pregnant in the first few months while exclusively breastfeeding? My grammy had two sets of Irish twins, but she bottle fed. I always thought this was nearly impossible, but I'm feeling a little curious about this this week.

[Ellyndria]

Sure, I've heard of it. I exclusively breastfed DS on demand, and my cycle returned at 7 weeks anyway, so it would have been totally possible.

[joannqn]

I have a friend who's cycle returns right away every time. She's had 6 kids.

[A home for their hearts]

Yes, you can get pregnant while nursing. It all depends on the age of your baby how frequently you nurse, whether you use pacifiers, bottle feedings, and if your baby has started solids yet. Once you get your period back you are fertile again but I believe you can still get pregnant even before you get your period back. HTH

[swellmomma]

Yes it is possible. My first 2 are irish twins but my first was bottle fed after the first week. That said I exclusively bf my other 3 and my cycle still returned between 4-5 weeks after delivery. If I wasn't being abstinent after they were born I would easily have been pg again no question. Every woman's body is different and some women return to their cycle very quickly even while nursing, and some never have a cycle until they wean.

[hornblower]

One of the moms in my LLL group was living proof. Her babies were 12 mos apart. She was exclusively breastfeeding, co-sleeping, no pacifier.

She ovulated but never menstruated - got pregnant right away.

 

Any woman who wants to rely on breastfeeding has to be really good at seeing signs of ovulation (something like Billings etc). After the 2nd one was born, I know that she chose to use other contraceptive methods.

[MyBlueLobsters]

Yup, BTDT. I was nursing exclusively. I got pregnant when my baby was 6 weeks old. Hadn't had a period either. Imagine my surprise when I started showing again! :tongue_smilie:I was in my 2nd trimester before we knew. My boys are 11 months apart. "Irish twins"

[Perry]

I got pregnant with ds when dd was 10 weeks old, and I was exclusively nursing.

[Lawana]

Yes. My grandmother had a baby, then got pregnant 3 months later while exclusively breastfeeding with no solids. Same thing happened again with second baby. So she had 3 dc born in April of consecutive years. The first 2 are officially Irish twins and the second and third miss by 2 weeks.

[stripe]

I admire anyone who can get pregnant that soon after childbirth for a different reason. Ahem. ;)

[Aggie]

I admire anyone who can get pregnant that soon after childbirth for a different reason. Ahem. ;)

:lol::lol::lol:

 

Through the laughter, I have to say I was in this crowd. ;)

 

Er...I mean getting preg while nursing.:D

[Tidbits of Learning]

Yep, it is definitely possible. The girls are 13 months apart and ds is 15 months behind 2nd dd...finally grew smart and 2nd ds is 4 yrs later.

Edited April 8, 2010 by OpenMinded

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My cycles returned at exactly six weeks with all three of my children, who were nursed exclusively.

 

I got pregnant with #2 when #1 was 4 months old. Not exactly Irish Twins, but close enough for me! When I was 7 months pregnant with #2, #1 abruptly stopped nursing. She made a sour face, and never would return to the breast. I'm guessing that my milk changed due to the pregnancy, but I'll never know. She couldn't tell me, and I didn't taste it to find out. :)

[Momma B]

My grandma had her last 3 sons a year apart each (almost to the day). Apparently she then told Grandpa to sleep in the barn. :)

[CalicoKat]

My sisters are 10 months apart. My mom had a single and then followed up with a set of identical twins. I could never figure out why people were always amazed when they heard my mom had 4 kids in 3 years. I came a respectable two years after the twins.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

I got pg with 2nd dd while exclusively breastfeeding 1stdd. DD1 was 6 months old at the time.

[Laurie4b]

Has anyone heard of someone getting pregnant in the first few months while exclusively breastfeeding? My grammy had two sets of Irish twins, but she bottle fed. I always thought this was nearly impossible, but I'm feeling a little curious about this this week.

 

For me it would have been possible--my period returned in a couple months, so I would have ovulated two weeks before that. Exclusive breastfeeding, no solids, no pacifier, etc. While we didn't get pregnant for about a year, it was certainly possible (and our first pregnancy took 2 years before conception. Our bfing pregnancies took about a year).

[MyThreeSons]

When I was a kid, there was a lady in our neighborhood who ended up with triplets born less than a year after her first son.

[dirty ethel rackham]

It is very possible. Lactation amenorrhea is not a guarantee with exclusive breastfeeding. The time between feedings - especially the length of time the baby sleeps at night can influence whether or not ovulation is suppressed.

[juelle]

I have a neighbour with Irish twins, 11mo apart, and she says that she miscarried before she got pregnant with the second baby!

[Carrie12345]

My girls are a year, a month, and a day apart. ;)

[shalom22]

I admire anyone who can get pregnant that soon after childbirth for a different reason. Ahem. ;)

 

 

Me too. After my ds was born, I was in so much pain and discomfort I wouldn't let my dh near me for 3 months. ;) But then I immedialely got pg and I have irish twins. My two are four days short of being exactly one year apart. I saw a pattern developing so I quit after dd.

[HeathenMom]

Irish twin mom here!

 

my daughter was 4 months old and only nursing when i got pregnant with my youngest. they are 12 months and 25 days apart.

[fairfarmhand]

It happens all the time. Ask your ob/gyn how many pregnancy checks they have to do at the post partum exam.

[woolybear]

I've never heard the expression "Irish twins" before.:001_smile:

 

I get the general idea, but can someone give me a more exact definition please?

 

Thanks, Woolybear

[Susan in KY]

can someone give me a more exact definition please?

 

 

Irish twins are siblings born within a year of each other.

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Not all people of Irish descent appreciate the phrase. Its right up there with "Paddy Wagon."

[BritAnnia]

My sister's first two children are just 10 months apart. Both were surprise pregnancies, the first happened when she was on the pill and the second so soon after giving birth/while nursing.

[Susan in KY]

No doubt. I never heard it until I had a set of my own, and it gave me more than one moment of pause (being part Irish myself!). :001_smile:

[Kathleen in VA]

Here's a definition from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-irish-twins.htm:

 

The term “Irish twins†is used to describe two children born to the same mother within 12 months of each other or born in the same calendar year. Given that it is a somewhat derogatory term, it is generally not used in print or in polite society.

 

I had to look it up since I had never heard the term before either.

[Meriwether]

Thanks for all the replies. I think.:tongue_smilie: I really expected everyone to say, "No. That's not very likely." After my others were born, I didn't resume menstruation until 5 mos., 7 mos., and 8 mos. I rather thought I would follow that pattern. Baby girl, born in Jan., didn't gain weight the first three weeks. The hospital asked me to pump and give her a bottle after nursing several times a day. That got her weight up, but it put us on a very irregular schedule. Due to a couple other indicators, I'm thinking that might not have been a good idea. I'm not going to panic but taking prenatals can't hurt. I ought to take them while nursing anyhow.

[Medieval Mom]

I've never heard the expression "Irish twins" before.:001_smile:

 

I get the general idea, but can someone give me a more exact definition please?

 

Thanks, Woolybear

 

I hadn't, either. Here's a working definition... :blink:

 

I don't think I'll be incorporating this phrase into my speech... :leaving:

[Meriwether]

Not all people of Irish descent appreciate the phrase. Its right up there with "Paddy Wagon."

 

I didn't mean any offense. It's a lot shorter to say than twins born less than a year apart. I guess I never thought having children close together was considered a bad thing. Tiring, yes. Not a great thing in my case (if I am pg), because Dh only wanted 4 children and we already have four.

[talexand]

I'm an Irish twin! My sister and I were born in the same calendar year. She was born Jan. 2 and I was born Dec. 15. My mom was breastfeeding too. I loved that my sister was so close in age. We are still very close.

[Carrie12345]

I didn't mean any offense. It's a lot shorter to say than twins born less than a year apart. I guess I never thought having children close together was considered a bad thing. Tiring, yes. Not a great thing in my case (if I am pg), because Dh only wanted 4 children and we already have four.

 

My very-Irish family happens to love the term. Then again, we love to drink, too. :tongue_smilie:

[Tangerine]

I um...resumed fertility at 8 and 6 weeks with my 2 while exclusively nursing. I was displeased. :glare:

[AuntieM]

Yup. A good friend learned she was pregnant again when her first was appx 6 months old. Two months after that, she learned that she was indeed expecting twins.

 

The way my doctor explained it, sometimes, when a woman's body has been on an egg-ejecting hiatus (such as during pregnancy and perhaps while nursing), and then things kick back into gear, the ovaries may each release an egg the same month that first returning cycle or two.

 

That was one explanation for my twins. I wasn't nursing, but had completely stopped ovulating due to another issue (Depo-Provera shot, which was only supposed to last 3 months.... totally shut me down!).

[Rhonda in TX]

Absolutely. A friend of mine got pregnant when her baby was 5 months old. She had not resumed her cycle yet and her baby refused to take a bottle at all, so she had never had any type of formula - just breastfeeding. Not quite Irish twins, but pretty close.

[Melissa in Australia]

my mother got pregnant a few weeks after having her 5ht baby. she refused to acknowledge it, and went to the doctor complaining she was exhausted. she was already 4 months along with twins. they were born 5 months after. it was like having triplets.

she found out after she had the twins, that she had actually got pregnant while pregnant. one was one month prem.

[amsunshine]

Yes, mine are Irish twins. DD8 was 9 1/2 mos old, and I was still nursing, when I got pregnant with DD7.

[Mrs Mungo]

Has anyone heard of someone getting pregnant in the first few months while exclusively breastfeeding? My grammy had two sets of Irish twins, but she bottle fed. I always thought this was nearly impossible, but I'm feeling a little curious about this this week.

 

Yes, it's possible. It's more likely that your cycle will return if: you are carrying extra weight (because you'll have more estrogen in your body), you supplement, you use pacifiers, baby sleeps through the night, you feed on a schedule and/or you start solids early.

 

FWIW, I didn't start ovulating again until my babies were 15 months old. It was like clockwork with each of them.

[JFSinIL]

My neighbor. Her kids are 11.5 months apart. She found out nursing was NOT a sure form of birth control ;-)

[elizabeth]

I've never heard the expression "Irish twins" before.:001_smile:

 

I get the general idea, but can someone give me a more exact definition please?

 

Thanks, Woolybear

 

I am not suggesting it was used this way by the OP but it is a highly perjorative, degrading term. It was used to mock the large Irish Catholic families as ignorant of birth control practices and their assumed inability to abstain while breastfeeding. I am gobsmacked that this has not been mentioned yet.

[usetoschool]

Thanks for all the replies. I think.:tongue_smilie: ... Due to a couple other indicators, I'm thinking that might not have been a good idea. I'm not going to panic but taking prenatals can't hurt. I ought to take them while nursing anyhow.

 

Did we slide right past this and forget to congratulate you? Maybe?

[Medieval Mom]

I am not suggesting it was used this way by the OP but it is a highly perjorative, degrading term. It was used to mock the large Irish Catholic families as ignorant of birth control practices and their assumed inability to abstain while breastfeeding. I am gobsmacked that this has not been mentioned yet.

 

Don't worry. Some of us did mention it ;)

 

To the OP:Before I was discharged from the hospital, my nurse warned against assuming nursing would prevent pregnancy. She said, "You wouldn't BELIEVE how many mothers come in to their postpartum checkup pregnant." ;)

 

Are congratulations in order? :party: :)

[Dina in Oklahoma]

My grandma had her last 3 sons a year apart each (almost to the day). Apparently she then told Grandpa to sleep in the barn. :)

 

 

Too funny!:lol::lol::lol:

[Joanne]

It all depends on the age of your baby how frequently you nurse, whether you use pacifiers, bottle feedings, and if your baby has started solids yet.

 

While I believe this was the biological design, I believe the modern life has compromised it. Hormones in meat, excess fat, artificial lighting and other factors accelerate the return of fertility.

[Renee in NC]

I am not suggesting it was used this way by the OP but it is a highly perjorative, degrading term. It was used to mock the large Irish Catholic families as ignorant of birth control practices and their assumed inability to abstain while breastfeeding. I am gobsmacked that this has not been mentioned yet.

 

I guess I don't see it as being offensive. I am a Catholic mother who doesn't use artificial bc (with Irish heritage) and I have a large family. I have gotten pregnant while nursing, but never had 2 babies in less than a year.

 

Maybe at one time in the past it was considered offensive, but does anyone really use it that way anymore? LOTS of things used to be offensive/not said in public that are in common usage now.

[AFwife Claire]

Thanks for all the replies. I think.:tongue_smilie: I really expected everyone to say, "No. That's not very likely." After my others were born, I didn't resume menstruation until 5 mos., 7 mos., and 8 mos. I rather thought I would follow that pattern. Baby girl, born in Jan., didn't gain weight the first three weeks. The hospital asked me to pump and give her a bottle after nursing several times a day. That got her weight up, but it put us on a very irregular schedule. Due to a couple other indicators, I'm thinking that might not have been a good idea. I'm not going to panic but taking prenatals can't hurt. I ought to take them while nursing anyhow.

 

Ah, yes, I remember that feeling! I got pregnant with my 6th child when #5 was 4 months old. Although people always said you can get pregnant while nursing, I personally had never been remotely fertile until my kids were eating lots of solid food, like around 9 months! I had 4 other post-partum experiences to draw upon! So when I started feeling this tinge of nauseua throughout the day, being incredibly emotional, and finally having to pee in the middle of the night, I just sort of wrote it off. "I am definitely having some sort of hormonal crisis, but I can't be pregnant . . . " Even as I was peeing on the stick, all I could think was, "Why am I wasting a perfectly good test? I'm not pregnant!" And then there were 2 lines, LOL.

 

And you know what? It was fine! My 2 were 13 months apart, and they are such buddies! So don't be afraid to take that test! : )

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I had never met anyone else with kids 10 months apart. 11, yes. But not 10. My dad is 10 months younger than his brother. It's weird. For two months of the year, they have the same age. They were technically in the same school year, but the brothers who ran the school held my dad back one year. It was ok though, because he ended up being among the oldest of his class instead of the youngest.