Can Breastfeeding Cause A Positive Pregnancy Test?

February 12, 2023 by Marjorie R. Rogers, MA (English), Certified Consultant

It is possible for breastfeeding to cause a positive pregnancy test. This is because the hormone that is responsible for producing milk, prolactin, can also interfere with ovulation. In addition, if a woman is not menstruating regularly, her body may produce less of the hormone that pregnant women need to sustain a pregnancy (hCG).

It’s a common question that many women have – can breastfeeding cause a positive pregnancy test? The answer is yes, it is possible. Breastfeeding can suppress ovulation which can in turn lead to a false positive pregnancy test.

However, it’s important to remember that this is not the most common reason for a false positive test. If you are breastfeeding and think you may be pregnant, it’s best to speak with your doctor to get a definitive answer.

Credit: www.breastfeedingbasics.com

Do Pregnancy Tests Work While Breastfeeding?

Pregnancy tests work by detecting the hormone hCG in your urine or blood. This hormone is only present when you are pregnant. However, if you are breastfeeding, you may have trace amounts of hCG in your body from the pregnancy and this could potentially give a false positive result on a pregnancy test.

If you are breastfeeding and get a positive result on a pregnancy test, it is best to follow up with a doctor to confirm the results.

Can You Get a False Positive If Breastfeeding?

There are a few ways that a woman could get a false positive when breastfeeding. The first way is if she has recently had a baby and is still producing high levels of the hormone prolactin. This can cause her to test positive for pregnancy even though she is not actually pregnant.

Another way a woman could get a false positive while breastfeeding is if she is taking certain medications, such as anti-depressants or birth control pills. These medications can also cause high levels of prolactin and lead to false positives on pregnancy tests. Finally, some home pregnancy tests are not sensitive enough to pick up low levels of hCG, which can occur in early pregnancy or in women who have irregular cycles.

This can also result in false positives.

What are the Early Signs of Pregnancy in a Breastfeeding Mother?

It is not uncommon for a breastfeeding mother to wonder if she is pregnant, especially if her periods have become irregular or stopped altogether. While missing a period is the most common sign of pregnancy, it is not the only one. There are other early signs of pregnancy that a breastfeeding mother may experience.

One of the earliest signs of pregnancy can be a change in the breasts. The breasts may feel fuller, heavier or more tender than usual. The areola (the dark area around the nipple) may also darken and enlarge.

You may notice these changes as early as one or two weeks after conception. Another early sign of pregnancy can be fatigue. Many women report feeling exhausted, even before they miss their first period.

This fatigue is often caused by an increase in the hormone progesterone, which starts to rise soon after conception occurs. Other early signs and symptoms of pregnancy can include nausea (often referred to as “morning sickness”), frequent urination, constipation and mood swings. These symptoms usually start around the fourth week of pregnancy and continue into the second trimester (13-27 weeks).

What Can Trigger Positive Pregnancy Test?

There are a few things that can trigger a positive pregnancy test. If you have recently been pregnant, are taking certain medications or have been exposed to high levels of hCG, you may get a false-positive result. However, if none of these apply to you and you’re experiencing symptoms like nausea, fatigue and missed periods, it’s likely that you are indeed pregnant.

The only way to be sure is to visit your doctor for a confirmatory blood test.

Can a pregnancy test be wrong if you are breastfeeding?

Does Breastfeeding Affect Pregnancy Test

A pregnancy test measures the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your blood or urine. HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. If you’re breastfeeding, you may wonder if this could affect the results of a pregnancy test.

The short answer is that it’s unlikely to have any impact on the accuracy of the test. Here’s what you need to know about how breastfeeding can affect a pregnancy test. Can Breastfeeding Affect a Pregnancy Test?

Breastfeeding can sometimes suppress ovulation, which means that there’s no egg released from the ovary for fertilization. This can make it more difficult to become pregnant while breastfeeding. However, even though breastfeeding may suppress ovulation, it doesn’t always do so consistently.

Conclusion

There are a few things that can cause a positive pregnancy test when you’re not actually pregnant, and one of them is breastfeeding. When you breastfeed, your body produces a hormone called prolactin, which can interfere with ovulation and prevent your periods from returning. This means that there’s a small chance that you could get a false positive pregnancy test if you breastfeed.