TTC and still breastfeeding? Thread # 5 - Positive Vibes!

dougal and lots of

CD 26 here. Spotting (which I have been throughout this cycle, since the gynae gave me something to bring on ovulation, unusual for me) increased over the weekend. This morning it looks like it is tipping over into my period. Need to do a test to confirm so I know to stop taking the progesterone supplements.

Feeling very down and pessimistic. Have already retreated to the loos at work to have a weep this morning

Sorry for radio silence. Holiday and Jeffrey, took ages to reset my password and am only now getting back on to all of my regular threads.

AF finally returned 3 months to the day after I stopped taking the pill, then had a second AF last week. Unless it was fluke I've gone straight back to my pre-pregnancy cyle of 33 days.

I'm another one surrounded by pregnant people, and totally understand the "jealous but guilty" feeling!

Hi all. DS is teething and wanting night feeds. I'm giving in at the moment because it gets him back to sleep but feel like I'm going to have a fight on my hands to get him back out of the habit. I'm not really enjoying feeding atm it hurts and he gets so whingy asking for it.

Thought AF was paying a visit today but then seemed to go away. It's not any kind of implantation as nothing has been implanted this month! Be good to have something to put into my period tracking calendar thingy. Can't believe it's coming up to two years since DS was conceived.

Anyway enough ramblings. Happy Friday all.

My friend I though pregnant just announced with a lovely scan pic today. Happy for her as took them a while to conceive #1 but can't help feeling so jealous that it's not me and guilty for feeling that way

That's great your dd is sleeping better espresso, you're right, it can only help those hormones level out. Very positive :)

Thanks for the welcomes, and the sound advice - which is annoying but true - everyone is different. Oh, if only it was do XYZ and BFP happens.

Since I posted, we had an amazing night on Wednesday, when DD slept through the night (nb I know milk isn't a big part of her nutrition now, but she ate an unusually large amount at dinner, and then threw up the bedtime milk as she was overfull! And then slept through - coincidence? Or no emerging hunger in early hours). So, no night feed required! I have cut the wake up one all week (except on the sleep through night, but I felt it was well deserved). This morning she only required it at 05:15, so hopefully we may be moving away from night time milk wakes, which may help my hormone levels further. I'm feeling positive about it all - I'll enjoy this, as I may be feeling down in the dumps in a months' time!

After a nightmare weekend in August when she lifted my top up in public constantly, and was going crazy for it, I became resolute in my decision to cut down, and am happy to do so. I like not wearing tank tops and I'm looking forward to not having a hand down my top/ top lifted up. Very few people know we are still BF-ing (lots of negativity about bf-ing from in-laws), so it would be nice to not have to keep it secret anymore.

That sounds really thorough Dougal, and promising for this month?

Pear will your GP prescribe progesterone supplements?

No AF yet for me, today surely? Did a test on an IC and definitely BFN just before anyone asks if I'm pregnant! I think ov sticks were definitely wrong last month. This month I think we'll just DTD at least every other day between CD10 and CD20 and forget about ov sticks etc.

Pear - I am happy to share. I am a bit behind on paper work and am paying as I go so have not totted up, but what really matters is the pattern they see you in and how much they charge for appointments.

Basically you'll go and see them, they will order blood tests. That is LH, FSH etc on days 2-5 of your cycle (maybe a few others) and then progesterone levels on day 21. I had this done before I saw the gynaecologist on the recommendation of a nurtritionist. Cost £350 for the lot, though I was tested for thyroid function, vitamin D levels and a few other things too as the nutritionist request it.

I took this along to my first gynae appointment (though I saw her when we conceived DD - the mini pill had messed up my cycle so she knew me).

Happily these tests were everything she needed so didn't need to get that done again. Also, good news was that one of them (I can't remember the name, the one that measures the quality of the eggs you have) had improved since I saw her three years ago. So its not true these things always decline. I chalk that up to the nutritionist sorting out what I am eating.

My blood tests show my progesterone levels are not as high as they could be. So my pattern is:

See gynae around day 11 of my cycle. She scans me to see how ovulation is progressing. If it looks like I have / will ovulate she give me something to support that, and progesterone for the second half of the cycle.

This cycle the day 11 scan suggested ovulation wasn't about to happen, so she gave me something to bring that on, then I went back three days later. Scanned again, ovulation confirmed, gave me something to support post ovulation plus a higher does of progesterone for the second half of this cycle.

She charges £250 per appointment, including the scan. She was saying that she was willing to give me 'a recipe' the drugs to self administer for a few cycles so I wouldn't need an appointment with her each cycle, but now it appears I am not ovulating on a regular pattern I think she might be less up for that.

Drugs etc are included. Costs of other tests are not. Eg. if no success this cycle she wants DH to do a sperm test, will be a fee to analyse that, i'd expect about £100.

I've not been billed yet so don't know whether she will charge for both appointments last week, but I assume so.

These are central London prices, might be less outside London or the South East.

When we conceived DD I saw her for two cycles, successful second time. The all in cost of the blood tests and appointments with her was a bit less than £1000.

If we don't have success this cycle I think I will park the gynae for a cycle or two while I focus on DD stopping feeding.

I felt like we were really close and if only my progesterone levels were higher I'd have a BFP.

If it doesn't turn out that way it seems a bit silly to continue spend at this level while I'm still BF.

Didn't check before posting, I hope that makes sense with the typos!

*pregnant not at
*+ve not +be

Don't encourage my crazy Pear!! I'm almost certainly not at from my chart I'm either 15dpo or 19dpo so would have had a +be by now, I'm testing daily with ICs (because I'm crazily holding out hope)

So hard being surrounded by babies and pregnancy announcements. I suspect another of my antenatal group is expecting, though not announced. Funny as I was the one who wanted to ttc asap and everyone thought I was crazy and looks like I'll probably be the last one to conceive no2 haha (laughing so I don't cry!)

Hi Dougal crossing my fingers that this is your month. It must be good to know something is being done to help fix your issues. I wonder if my NHS GYN will be as good, dh and I have already talked about going private too. he's 41 and doesn't feel he has all the time in the world, I know everything works longer for men but its more the age factor, doesn't want to be too old raising school kids.

pear, sorry for the disappointing results, will your GP be more helpful now can see theres not regular OV? hopefully you'll get more tests.

Still no AF here, don't think I could have OV'd after all! [sigh]

Hello all,

sorry for the long silence, and all round to those where AF has recently arrived. Pear, i hear you on taking a break, i am thinking about that too.

I was trying to update the day of the site hack, and then got locked out, v busy at work, been on holiday (which was great!) etc. Should be v busy at work right now, but still.

I've gone down the private gynae route. I have not fessed up that i am still BFing, just asked the Breast Feeding network if what i'm being prescribed is ok.

Last cycle she boosted by ovulation, i had really good EWCM, she confirmed ovulation with a scan, well timed DTD, she proscribed progesterone to treat my spotting in luteal phase. So less of that. Felt v positive, but AF arrived on day 27.

This month she thought i hadn't yet ovulated on day 12 (which would be usual for me) so gave me something to boost that. Had LH surge day 14, gynea confirmed ovulation day 15. Well timed DTD and i'm on a higher dose of progesterone. not such noticable EWCM this cycle though.

Also on holiday i cut down breast feeding a lot, ditching the morning feed, and as i wasn't at work, no welcome home feed. I've managed to make this stick now we're home and it really is one feed a day now, at bedtime.

I can see a path to stopping entirely now (which before seemed to hard on DD). If no success this cycle i will probably take a break for a cycle or two. Gynae is not cheap! Some days i can imagine stopping, other days my heart breaks for DD. She still asks for boobs most mornings, although she is accepting when i say no.

I will be away one night for work this week, so we will see how that goes. I think DH doing bedtimes for a good few days might be necessary if i stop entirely. Although, all other feeds she has skipped herself a few times before I've stopped them. That has not happened when I'm putting her to bed yet.

It's hard, i so wanted her to stop on her own timetable. But i'm starting to think it is time to focus on the big picture priority of giving DD a sibling, which i will be fabulous for her.

Still no AF here, I woke up after having a vivid dream about being preggo and going for 12 week scan, I thought it was a sign so POAS but BFN :(
Im actually going a bit crazy ttc! I was so hoping my cycle was back on track but I'm guessing its not. Still have over a month until my gyno appointment too.

pear and elle and enjoy your wine and chocolate. Gutted for you. leamice hope AF decides not to show!

Sorry for AF Pear, gutted for you :(

And sorry for your bfn elle has AF showed or are you still technically in the 2ww?

I had BFns too, no AF yet but my temp has dropped back down today so expecting to show up soon... though it may not because my ov is speculation really lol!

Hi Espresso, welcome :) I hope everything settles down for you without cutting down. I cut down and stopped and had no effect on my cycles but since found that my ovaries are polycystic so probably stopped for nothing. Its a hard decision to make, but i was planning to slowly cut out feeds until i got an improvement in cycles. I know you've said you have tried but i think the night one is one of the best to lose first as will give you a long stretch without hormone fluctuations. TBH though, all of us on here have seen some get bfp without cutting down, some cut down a little, others a lot and some have to stop completely, seems completely different for everyone.

Well done Peardrop. Best of luck for Wednesday

Welcome Espresso. Our feeding schedule is similar to yours. Seeing as I'm not pregnant yet (though only TTC 1 month) I can't comment on the effectiveness.. I'm going to try for maybe 3 months and then reassess and perhaps be more proactive about weaning. I'm 34.

Tested again on Sunday and BFN so I'm out this month. I know that the odds are against getting pregnant first month trying, but we managed it twice before so I think I was secretly harbouring a notion that we'd manage again.. oh well! Trying to think of positive practical reasons why next month would be better.

Hi Espresso, I have just come off the pill and am currently feeding at morning, nap time and bedtime; it doesn't sound like you're doing that many feeds, not like you're feeding constantly through the night? Hopefully like ispy said your cycles will sort themselves quickly