Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

TTC and still Breastfeeding? You are not alone - come to our BF-friendly cafe for a chat and some cake!

999 replies

eagle2010 · 28/09/2014 10:33

Over here all breastfeeding TTCers! Welcome to our thread - a place for us to come for support, information and to talk about the extra challenges of TTC while still breastfeeding.

Seeing as I filled up the old thread I thought I should start the new one!

For anyone who is new to the thread or needs a reminder, here are a few links to some useful websites (thanks Waiting for putting these together). I hope I've worked the links properly.

kellymom.com/bf/normal/ttc-while-bf/

kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility/

www.llli.org/nb/nbmayjune04p114.html

www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Fertility-charting-while-breastfeeding.html

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
RosieRue52 · 05/02/2015 11:52

Congrats HIDE wonderful news! Im sorry about the nausea but that is a good sign for a sticky bean! I wish you a borning pregnancy Smile

FRAZZLED, PEAR FX for you ladies! Your next Wink

Welcome FEATHER & HEATTY Cake

MARY, how are you?! [Hmmm]

Hope all you ladies are having a wonderful day!

HettySunshine · 05/02/2015 10:39

Hi ladies, I'm sorry to gate crash your thread but I have a dd aged 16.5 months who I still bf at night and I got my first af today so I guess we are officially ttc!

I'm a bit clueless, and the last of my mummy friends to be bf, so hoping for a bit of advice along the way. Smile

Feathernest · 05/02/2015 09:56

Congratulations, what brilliant news Hide! Twins wow, I didn't know that was a possible side effect. This feels like a lucky thread, I'm so glad I joined!

I have a clear blue monitor I bought when I was getting desperate last time I'll have to dig out. Can I just ask, Opk is ovulation prediction kit, is that right? What is it people are using and do you find it helpful keeping track of things?

frazzledtofun · 05/02/2015 09:27

Trying to although DH is out tonight so not sure if that is going to happen.

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 09:24

Frazzled ~ I'm on cd18. Are you Dtd EOD too?

frazzledtofun · 05/02/2015 08:50

Ooh Hide - did you ovulate twice...? eek!!

I would love be terrified to have twins.

Pear my FMU has been quite weak too. I have been drinking quite a lot of water overnight because I had a bit of a sore throat so kept waking up needing a drink. I have been thinking that it could be that too.

BUT BUT BUT I did always have longish cycles of between 30-35 days so if I ovulate on CD 20 or 21 (Sunday or Monday) it will still be vaguely within the normal run of things. AND if the first cycle is often a really long one I guess I just need to be patient. I am really not very good at that.
I just got really confused because of all the EWCM I had the other day. Hmm. What CD are you on Pear? Today I am CD 17.

hideandsqueak · 05/02/2015 08:31

Thank you austral! I am keeping my fx this one sticks and I see all you lovely ladies in an antenatal thread soon.

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 08:29

Frazzled ~ how dark has your FMU been recently? Weirdly mine is always dark but this week it's much weaker. DS has been waking up an hour earlier but I can't see how that would have an effect. Maybe it's because I have a cold?! But that's weird. I'm just wondering whether this is having an effect on my cbfm results. Or I just need to be patient and wait until cd20 to get a stupid peak Hmm

hideandsqueak · 05/02/2015 08:27

Thanks frazzled! Just told DH that your risk of multiples is increased if you conceive when BF and he looked a little ill.

Pear I had two positive OPKs one on cd14and one on cd17which was very confusing and ewcm on both days so DTD those two dates that week but also maybe once or twice earlier on in the cycle. They were both quite dark lines but 3 days apart?!

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 08:21

Hide ~ did you get strong lines on both your OPks? I need to know all your tips now Smile

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 08:19

Yes hide you're 4 weeks. It just sounds so weird when only yesterday you didn't know if you were or not.

frazzledtofun · 05/02/2015 08:08

Wow Hide that's great news! (Though not about the nausea... Multiples perhaps...? Wink). So there is hope!! And without weaning Pear (though I am thinking the same thing).

Austral I would probably POAS anyway just to see...
And yes will do another OPK tonight. It's got to happen sometime, right??

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 08:06

Hide -How many times did you Dtd?

hideandsqueak · 05/02/2015 08:06

Thanks pear. I reckon it will be you next!

I thought I was 4 weeks cos my last AF was 6th jan and that's how they work it out? I think I ovulated on the 23rd. Does that mean that really I am less?

australopithecus · 05/02/2015 08:04

Oh hide how brilliant brilliant for you! Fantastic news! Stick little bf bean!!! Smile
frazzled I forgot you did the whole shebang of temps and things! That'll probably tell you all you need I'm sure. No harm peeing on a ic opk at 8pm though?
Actually really glad you mentioned about the potential for bf to fuck up shorten the luteal phase. A five day lp is almost non-existent as a phase in itself but yes I'll be disappointed but still pleased to have made headway. And can start ttc again sooner. I also didn't have ib with dc1 so no idea. Still no proper flow and no leaking; only visible when wiping.
Tum-te-TumHmm

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 08:00

Yay hide!!! That is amazing! Woohoo! I'm so envious Envy but also happy for you and that the thread is no longer dry Smile 4 week? Does that mean you didn't ov when you thought?

I am convinced I will now have to wean next month Hmm

hideandsqueak · 05/02/2015 07:54

Good morning. Got BFP on the CB test and an IC this morning. Still really faint on the IC so don't see how they can be as sensitive as they claim to be.

Still a bit in shock to be honest and nausea seems to have arrived at 4+1 which I'm sure can't even be possible!

I really thought I was going to have to wean. Fingers crossed for everyone else this cycle.

frazzledtofun · 05/02/2015 07:22

Hi Austral the CB digi ovulation test is supposed to see oestrogen rise as well as LH so it can tell when you are getting ready to have the surge which is why you get the high fertility days before the peak days which indicate the surge. However, I didn't trust it so also have done FR OPKs the last two afternoons and on both the second line was barely visible so a definite negative. I have been temping and temps have been very consistently low so no temp spike and no missed ovulation. This is either going to be a mammoth long cycle or an anovulatory cycle - neither of which are rare when breastfeeding... Sigh.

Your bleeding does sound a bit weird. That said breastfeeding can do all kinds of craziness to your cycle including making your luteal phase shorter so it is possible that you have had an early AF. I got my AF 10 dpo (or after I thought I might have had an almost surge of LH). I have never had implantation bleeding so no idea how heavy it can be but perhaps do an IC test tomorrow just to be sure?

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 07:17

Austral ~ it does sound like AF Hmm like you say though at least you know you're at the start of your cycle!

Hide ~ any news?

peardrop2 · 05/02/2015 07:15

Frazzled - cd18 and nothing on my cbfm too!!! Looks like I'll peak at cd20 again. Grrrrr what's this all about Hmm

australopithecus · 05/02/2015 07:07

frazzled do an opk twice a day once you start seeing a faint line. 11am/12pm and 7/8pm. You might miss a surge otherwise as they can be as short as 8-12hrs only!

Here I stopped bleeding last night and also had nothing g early this mornkng so was feeling positive about it being early implantation, but just went to the loo and noticed it came back and is darker now when I wiped. Confused glad I didn't waste a pt this morning
If it is AF I'm confused about why I had an lh surge and then a period a week later, but if it is AF at least I know I am vaguely back on the money!

frazzledtofun · 05/02/2015 06:18

Another day another negative CB OPK.

Pear I am totally dreading doing the OPK each day. It's just depressing! That said I don't regret not weaning sooner I just wish I hadn't TTC while feeding so much. Even now I am wondering if we should wait until DD is completely weaned...

peardrop2 · 04/02/2015 22:48

Frazzled - it's so hard not to stress about it isn't it! I doubt bf has anything to do with not getting highs and suddenly getting peaks. Unfortunately my body is just taking forever to return to normal. I started off on a 39 day cycle and each month it has reduced 2 days. Last month was 30 days so I'm expecting this month to finally be 28days! I do think that if I had weaned earlier then it wouldn't be taking so long but I don't regret not weaning earlier. However, if we're meant to get two high days and 2 peak days then something is not right as I haven't had a high day yet. I'm dreading staring at the cbfm waiting for the bar to go up in the morning! Oh well. At least I am Dtd EOD and that is happening...could be failing at that too and my second line looked stronger again this afternoon so something is happening!

frazzledtofun · 04/02/2015 20:58

Ooh fingers crossed Hide. I think the internet cheapie can be a bit hit or miss so hold fire and use fmu tomorrow. Perhaps pee into a pot and then you can dip the CB AND another IC?!

Austral definitely sounds like something is happening. I literally spent an entire year TTC while feeding and waiting for AF (or a BFP) to show up and she only came once I cut down to one feed a day (from on demand) a few weeks ago. I feel like I wasted a year stressing about potentially being pregnant and feeling upset about not being pregnant. Sad. Really not up for another year of that so if nothing happens soon I will be weaning DD completely Sad.

Pear that's interesting that you went straight to peak last time. Perhaps that is a breastfeeding thing? I am hoping that might happen to me as I can't see how there is time for me to have 3-4 days of high fertility before a peak now... Hmm. Hopefully we will both be high fertility tomorrow. Although for me most of my signs have disappeared again. Perhaps stress has postponed ovulation as it has been quite a fraught week and I am shattered. In fact I am sitting in bed with my laptop about to go to sleep and it isn't even 9 o'clock!

hideandsqueak · 04/02/2015 19:48

Ok thank you guys! Going to wait until morning and I guess what will be will be.. Tomorrow is the first official day AF is late anyway...