TTC while bfing

Hi I am also feeding my DS who is 15 months and wanting to start ttc number 2 in December/January time and no period back yet. It's nice to find some others in the same boat. I work two days a week an hes goes about 10 hours or so on those days without feeding. He does however feed multiple times at night an I think this is the reason my period isn't back yet. I keep going back an forth with the decision as to whether to night wean or not. Often I feel that I'm wrong to want to do it and that he still wants the milk, so I'd be been selfish. Then other times I'm quite positive about it been the right decision. X

Following as in the same boat with my 14 month old and want to start TTC in December!

No period yet (who'd have thought anyone would actually be wishing their period back!?). Started back at work PT 5 months ago so he goes at least 12 hours without feeding 2 days a week, and for 6 weeks he's slept in his own cot without feeding through the night most nights - though he's been feeding from me for the past hour and a half this morning...

I'm getting some PMS symptoms like skin changes, bloating etc so have been convincing myself it's coming soon.

I've done a couple of ovulation tests which have barely shown a line never mind being close to positive. Gonna chuck that in probably cos it'll just drive me mad.

I really want a close age gap for work and financial reasons mainly but don't want to cut down feeds for DS so what will be will be I guess!

Hello! I'm in a similar boat! If you are interested, have a look at Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley which will give you more detail on this - and is an interesting read!

Basically, if you aren't having periods, you aren't ovulating and so you can't get pregnant. Of course, you will probably ovulate before your first post partum period so you can get pregnant but you have no real way of knowing when that will happen unless you make a conscious decision to (for example) night wean etc. Breastfeeding can stop you ovulating but impact it has varies enormously depending on the amount / frequency of feeds and also on the individual! I know people who got their period back while exclusively feeding and others who only fed a couple of times a day but didn't get it back for over 3 years.

There is also a theory that you can increase your calorie intake to shock your body into restarting fertility (basically telling it that you are ok to get pregnant and feed your existing baby because resources are plentiful).

Personally, I spent a year attempting to "TTC" without a period and it was a pain in the neck. I never knew when to test. I never knew if I could relax and have a glass of wine. I was constantly disappointed. I felt incredibly frustrated. My period eventually came back after more than 2 years when I reduced feeds to just one a day, and I was pregnant the next month.

Now I am TTC number 3 and have just reduced feeds to 2x day and increased calorie intake slightly. DC2 is almost 2 years old so I feel that she is ready for this. I wouldn't personally reduce feeds before 12 months and probably not before 18 months but I know most people don't feel the same way. I'm hoping to give it a couple of months to settle and then TTC properly in January.

Like Isodora I also prefer the almost 3 year gap that I ended up with first time and will be aiming for that again. But again that's obviously incredibly personal.

Good luck OP!

Is there a specific reason why you need to ttc then?
I reckon dropping or cutting down night feeds made the difference enough for my periods to resume.
I personally prefer the almost 3 year age gaps that BFing longer term helped create though initially I had wanted closer to 2 years. But I recall being very glad approaching 2yrs that I didn't have a newborn!!!
I didn't need to give up BFing to get pregnant either... but my periods have only returned closer to second birthdays than first.