Pregnancy tests: Are pregnancy tests accurate while nursing?
My son is now eight months old, I'm breasfeeding and I've not yet restarted my period. How long after sex will a pregnancy test tell me if I'm pregnant? I took one four weeks after unprotected sex, and it was negative. Will breastfeeding affect the results?
Question:Debbi Donovan
Debbi Donovan is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, as well as a retired La Leche League Leader. For more than a decade, Debbi... Read more
Breasfeeding should not affect a pregnancy test. If you became pregnant and took the test four weeks after making love, the test should have been positive. Most urine pregnancy tests are accurate by the time your period would be due (or two weeks after conception).
It is not uncommon for nursing mothers to remain period-free well into their baby's second year of life -- especially when still nursing frequently, both day and night. Frequent feeds at your breast can suppress ovulation and delay the return of your menstrual cycle.
Do you feel pregnant? Symptoms of pregnancy are usually not different for nursing moms, though they may experience increased nipple tenderness, beginning as early as two weeks after conception.
If you feel like you're pregnant, and home urine tests are negative, it would be wise to visit your health care provider. Pregnancy tests, including the blood tests, are not infallible. I have worked with several women who were positive they were pregnant, though urine and blood tests indicated otherwise ... and the tests did turn out to be wrong. Best wishes!
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