TTC while breastfeeding - Part 2

New thread here!

See you all there!

Halo yes maybe a new thread would seem a bit less scary- I lurked for ages before posting on this one
Br44 can I recommend 'taking charge if your fertility' by Toni weschler. It's a fab book explaining all about your cycle, changes to look out for etc but very easy to understand. I bought it when TTC no 3 and was shocked about all the stuff I didn't know!!

Thank god for that, I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to re-mortgage to keep myself in pg tests!!

Very sorry to hear about your AF. It's interesting about the bf/lp thing though. I really need to do a bit more homework on this. Because I conceived my ds very soon after coming off the pill I'm not as well informed on the ins and outs of conception as I should be so threads like this are massively informative or me. If you did start a new thread I'd happily join.

I know exactly what you mean about weaning. At nearly 20 months I know my DS would be fine (eventually...) without bf but it's been such an integral part of my life with him so far that I am not ready to bring it to an abrupt end. But then we get a week like this last week and I have to face the fact that without me being very proactive he is not going to miraculously stop himself with no frustration or heartache. But that's another story!

Taking in to consideration what you said about my nausea I dragged DP in from the garden for a quick session before his sausage and mash. We'll see!

thinking I was wondering whether a new thread would help? I am never sure about posting on threads with 100 plus posts.

AF is here. 9 day LP. Not great, but better.

BR44 My DDs feeding is quite regular although we drop feeds every now and again (tonight she didn't ask for a bedtime feed) but I posted the other day on another thread about feeling a bit emotional. I've also had sore boobs since well before ovulation (maybe as my hormones tried to make it happen for a week?) I put this down to extended breastfeeding and hormones as I didn't feel like this when DD was 6 months old. The nausea could be a sign of ovulation? I'm thinking about going to the doctors but i am worried they will just tell me to wean (which I kind of am, but very gently)

BTW in case you didn't know Ebay is the place for OPKs or amazon, very cheap and they usually throw in some cheapie pg tests. POAS's is addictive!

Thanks haloflo and hello Thinkingof4. I didn't realise that about the LP at all. I guess the only way to know this is to be sure when you've ovulated (which I am not at all) so an OPK is probably a good idea.

I don't really know where I am in terms of my cycle and we have only started seriously 'trying' in the past 2 months. It's time to get organised!! I think I ovulated last week, purely based on EWCM and a digging sensation in the left side of my abdomen, but I know I need to be a tad more scientific...

My DS has been feeding like a newborn since a nasty bout of sickness and diahorrea struck last week. As a result I have been left feeling like a lead balloon. I am literally dragging myself around the house and have constant nausea. It was so extreme yesterday that I did a HPT but it was a bfn as of course I knew it would be (it's only 3 weeks since last appearance of AF). Anyone else experienced this when their child's feeding pattern goes beserk?
It's horrible.

Hi halo
Good news re longer lp, sets you up better for next cycle

This thread has gone very quiet, where is everyone?

Hi br44! I agree with haloflo on that one

thinking A February baby sounds good to me!

So far no AF, positive OPK was last saturday so 9 days ago and counting. On one hand great, a longer LP, on the other I'm away next week and didn't really want it then!!

BR44 Welcome! I'm not sure what impact the frequent feeding would have had but bf'ing can not only delay conception by delaying ovulation but by shortening your luteal phase (LP) which is the gap between ovulation and your period. If its less than 12 days (I think?) then you might have problems getting pg.

Do you chart or use OPKs?

Hello all. I have not posted on this thread before but I hope you won't mind me dropping in and asking what might be a stupid question...?

I understand the impact of BF on TTC in as much as it delays the return of AF, but does it continue to affect the likelihood of conception once your periods are back?

I am BF my 19 mo DS. AF started again when he was 14 mo, and I have had 4 cycles since then, getting slightly more regular each time. On average I feed him early morning, at bedtime and once at night, but in the last month he has been unwell quite a few times so BF has significantly increased. DP and I have been SWI this week as all the signs point to this being my fertile time, but I'm wondering if my mammoth BF sessions will affect our chances of conceiving? Or, as long as you're ovulating, does it make no difference at all?

Feel a bit silly asking this as I'm sure I should know my body better than this, but hey ho!

Hi all
Well AF finally appeared last night (almost exactly when fertility friend predicted!) so I'm quite pleased really, as it kind of confirms that I did ovulate when I thought! Shortish luteal phase of 9-10 days so hoping this will improve next cycle
Actually a February baby is better than January for me anyway as I already have ds1 birthday in January

whenshewasbad Sorry about AF, 11 days isn't too bad. My first luteal phase was 7/8 days. Hopefully your next one will be longer.

thinkingof4 Fingers crossed for the weekend.

kurly Pop back and let us know of any news!

In news here I had a positive OPK on Saturday but circumstance meant we DTD 6 days before and not after so no chance this month! Oh well, I am pleased to be ovulating at CD20 instead of CD40 something. Definatly a sign that things are getting back to normal. I hope this luteal phase is a bit longer and then we can get going again next cycle (with hopefully a chance of conceiving)

Sorry about AF but maybe next month will be better
I think I ovd but am only about 9dpo so will wait till weekend and if no AF will poas
Not feeling any different though so may all be in my head

thinking

No problem not testing. Af arrived on Sat, which would give me a short ish luteal phase of 11 days. Think my body is still getting back to normal, so am looking at return of af as positive.

Do you think you ovulated in April? Will you be testing soon?

Well good luck kurly
I hadn't realised you were planning to wean completely.

I reckon with my extended 2ww I can't test till end of week so I'll probably wait till weekend but I'm certainly not feeling pregnant at all

whenshewasbad
have you manage to hold off testing so far?

Hi all,

Well, by definition, I guess I'm going to have to leave this thread. We are still TTC but have weaned DS off the breast completely. Not sure if we've DTD enough this cycle to give him a sibling but next cycle won't have any breastfeeding hormones to blame it on so we might be a bit luckier...

You've all been lovely and I really hope you get BFPs soon.
:)

Thinking

Hi so sorry am only just getting back to you. Have been offline since Sunday.

Got a positive opk on Monday (10 days ago). Had a sore crampy back on Tues night the day after the positive opk, never had ovulation pain before so am not convinced that was what it was.

Will be testing on Tuesday or Wednesday (if I can be super patient). Trying not to symptom spot too much.

Congratulations sanam that's fab news! Gives the rest of us hope too!

haloflo hah, couple time, good question! Well I suppose you just have to take the chance when you can. On the day I think I might have ovulated we dtd at 4am after a middle of the night feed for ds3. It helps a lot that he is in his own room now.
In fact last night he slept from 9pm till 6am, his best ever.
So I suppose be aware of when your fertile times and take the chance, whatever the time of day (or night!)

whenshewasbad how many DPO do you think you are? Any symptom spotting yet

Hi maples hope his thread can be useful to you

Thanks for replying saman I feed DD in a similar pattern except sometimes a couple more night feeds so there is hope! Congratulations again.

Welcome maples as far as I understand it 13/14 mo is the average for your periods to come if you practise ecological breastfeeding. So feeding on demand 24 hours a day, no dummys, no bottles and you co sleep. My AF returned when DD was 10.5 mo - i'd been back at work (3 days pw) about 6 weeks when I got my first AF, it took 7 weeks til I got my second though.

To trigger their return there is lots of good info on kellymom here and here but basically the best way to trigger your fertility to return is to have a break - either by cutting feeds or by skipping a day or two's worth of feeds. As your DS is young your best bet is to cut down on feeds (particually at night - sorry) I haven't managed to nightwean but have weaned during the day completely so as to keep every day the same when i'm at work. I hope you are recovering from your op ok.

thinkingof4 how are things? Hope you've been busy in case you were ovulating! Tbh i've no idea what is happening. I thought I had some EWCM but maybe not - all OPKs are negative. I did feel sick and have the sore nips the other day so DTD just in case. Can I ask a personal q? How do you get "couple time" when you have 3 children? DD has an annoying habit of waking at the wrong moment and quickies are no good to me, it takes a while for me to swtich off my "mother" side.

Haloflo, yes I did have the impression at one point that I might be ovulating - it was about 5 weeks ago. I had a bit of stomach cramps and generally felt a bit as if these were period pains. So i thought maybe this is ovulating and maybe about two weeks later would be a good time ttc actively. We tried and it seems to have worked!!!

I feed DD early morning 6am and then for bedtime 7pm bc I work full-time but usually 1-2 time more during the night, also on weekends i often feed her once more around noon for naptime (bottle refuser) so on average still 3-4 times per 24h really.

Ooh congrats sanam tell us more. Any signs of your ovulation? How many feeds does your DD have a day?

Wishing you a happy and healthy next 8 months!

hi there, so many abbreviations here for me to learn!! I have encouraging news! Am still bf 19 mo DD1 and still no sign of period but had a positive POAS yday!!! Am so happy. Was planning to try a few more months like this and would have weaned DD1 otherwise to get the period going again. Luckily it wasn't necessary. So it is possible!! So with dc2 I might end up enjoying 3-4 years without period, I love it! good luck everyone!

Halo you may be right. I've had 4 days of ewcm! Surely something happening?! Have you any yet? Sounds like your dd is doing well with teeth! My ds still only has 4 (11 months) but I'm sure he's working on more. Time really flies doesn't it

thinkingof4 Unless your body keeps trying to ovulate and making you crampy? I think was really crampy before my first AF but nothing before this last one. As I had such a short luteal phase it could have been ovulation though? I wasn't really keeping notes then - sorry.

kurly Happy baby making weekend to you! I hope you aren't feeling too rough.

fraktal Maybe test every couple of weeks or 21 days after DTD - just so you know your dates? Its easy to because obsessed though so if once a month works just do that!

highheels Hopefully your body won't make you wait too long - maybe after 12 months you could night/day wean or even leave her for a day to see if that triggers your fertility.

Not sure whats going on here. CD13, no line on ov tests but had sore nipples again. Maybe because DD is teething and won't leave them alone for a minute at night ? One molar looks nearly all through. Only 3 more to go

DD is 13 mo today - I wouldn't have believed one year ago today i'd still be feeding, those early days seem so distant now.