Can you get pregnant immediately after giving birth?

Can you get pregnant immediately after giving birth?

Contrary to popular belief, a woman can already get pregnant 3 weeks after giving birth , even if she is breastfeeding and her period has not yet returned.  Therefore, to avoid an unexpected pregnancy, it is essential to use effective contraception .

In any case, remember that it is always advisable to wait about 30-40 days before resuming sexual intercourse after childbirth.

Can you get pregnant before the foreman?

Many women wonder if,  after a pregnancy, it is possible to get pregnant before menstruation resumes , i.e. the so-called foreman . As we have already anticipated, the answer is yes .

The reason is simple: while for some women the first cycle after childbirth is anovulatory (ie sterile), for others it is accompanied by ovulation , which precedes the return of menstruation by about 2 weeks. This means that conception can occur if you have sex in the fertile period of the cycle .

Since every woman is different and it is impossible to establish if and when ovulation will occur before the delivery head , couples who have resumed sexual activity and do not wish to become pregnant must therefore adopt an effective method of contraception .

Can you get pregnant while breastfeeding?

Although breastfeeding has the effect of inhibiting fertility after childbirth,  it is still possible to become pregnant while breastfeeding . Let’s see together why.

On the one hand, it is true that  prolactin (the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk) has the effect of delaying ovulation and  delaying the return of menstruation .

In  exclusively breastfeeding women , therefore, delivery foreman is likely to occur several months and even more than a year after the birth of the baby.

In the case of mixed breastfeeding , on the other hand, menstruation could occur after 3-6 months , even if much depends on the levels of prolactin produced and other subjective factors, which vary from woman to woman.

Lastly, for non-breastfeeding mothers , the cycle could start again around 45-90 days after giving birth , even if shorter times are possible.

On the other hand, predicting when ovulation will occur after childbirth is practically impossible and therefore, in the absence of precautions during sexual activity, it is possible to become pregnant even while breastfeeding .

To avoid the risk of pregnancy, unless one decides to abstain from intercourse , it is therefore important to rely on valid contraceptives compatible with breastfeeding .

In addition to the condom or spiral, there are special hormonal contraceptives that can also be taken while breastfeeding , such as the minipill ( which contains only progesterone) . If you are interested in knowing all the options available to you, consult your gynecologist .

How long should you wait after giving birth to get pregnant?

Here is another important question for those who want another baby right away and are wondering if there are waiting times to respect. Of course, a lot depends on your health, the progress of your previous pregnancy and the type of birth you had.

In general, it is recommended that you wait at least  6 months after giving birth to become pregnant with a second child, because pregnancy before this deadline increases the likelihood of complications, such as low birth weight and premature birth .

The ideal would be to wait at least 18 months , to allow the body to recover optimally and reduce the risks of a too close pregnancy.

For these reasons, if you are planning a new  pregnancy after childbirth , the advice is to talk to your  trusted gynecologist , to establish the most suitable timing for your specific situation.