TTC whilst breastfeeding. Tips, advice and support

Actually I just looked back at fertility friend, and I had anything from 6 days up to 11 days of ewcm per month. And the 11 day month was the month I conceived. So it doesn't necessarily rule you out this month!

Hmmm possibly. Do you temp, or is it too difficult with getting up in the night?
If it helps, I had ten days of it one month (when tracking pre-baby). I don't know if I was having trouble ovulating, but that cycle was normal length so seems unlikely. I just assumed I overproduced oestrogen for whatever reason. I do have pcos which can cause too much oestrogen, but it's controlled and asymptomatic really.
That probably isn't helpful! 😆

Ugh I've now had 8 days of copious ewcm and don't know what to think. Think it must mean I'm not ovulating. I'm CD 24 of a normally 31 day cycle 🤷‍♀️

@Porridgeaddiction yes grapefruit juice is amazing for ewcm - I was told to drink it after a miscarriage and it certainly worked in that regard! I quite like grapefruit juice, and made a few cocktails with it also 😋

@Orangio thank you. Hopefully it's that. I'm a bit worried it means I'm gearing up to ovulate a lot and then not. What a waste of sex - have tried to do every day of fertile window so far 🤣

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 pretty sure when I tracked cm pre-baby I got the odd day without ewcm in the middle of a spell of it - maybe it just didn't come out that day but stayed lurking inside 😆 Sounds promising that you had a few days of it anyway, seems like your hormones getting back on track.

@Porridgeaddiction that sounds very hopeful too!

This is exactly what happened to me when I first ovulated. Got my period a couple of weeks later 🤞🏻🤞🏻

@Mc3209 that sounds lovely!

@Porridgeaddiction sounding very positive!

@Orangio the not testing seems good. Horrible having to do tests and having them blank.

I had four days of ewcm, assumed I ovulated as it dried up yesterday, but then had the ewcm again today. Don't know if that means I didn't ovulate. Tired of having sex though 😫 Think I'll need to temp when I get back home

Thank you for your reply. I’ve never been so anxiously awaiting my period to come 😆. Fingers crossed we both start cycling soon and don’t have to stop bfing!

@Porridgeaddiction Bath must have been lovely! I keep meaning to go there, but didn't get around to that yet. I am all the way up north, I will manage at some point.

Hi @Tandora welcome 🤗
Yeah, pretty normal. It can take on average 3 months for cycles to even out after stopping breastfeeding altogether, so whilst you are breastfeeding it can be all over the shop.

I hope I won't end up being one of thos women who need to stop breastfeeding altogether to get periods back!

hi all, can I join? I’m breastfeeding my 9 monther and want to start ttc asap (38 so time is not on my side). I had a period in July and was really happy that my cycles had returned. Seemed about right as my baby was 7months with DD1 my period returned at 6 months. However, I am now on CD 39 and no sign of period 😫 and no sign of ovulation. I’m sure I’m not preg as only DTD once since last period and I’ve been peeing on ovulation sticks regularly and no sign of a positive. Is it normal for menstruation to return and then stop again when breastfeeding?

Oh I like your thinking @Orangio . I was lucky not to get much MS with my previous pregnancy at all. I am terrible for symptom spotting though, every little twinge is a possible pregnancy these days 😂

Oh, I haven't been doing tests actually. In previous pregs my MS starts at week 5, which is a perfect time to stop my two glasses of wine per week 😁 So once I puke I'll do a test! I think once a month is perfect though if you are doing them - week 4-5 is when what you eat and drink etc starts to pass over to the baby.
Sounds like your holiday was great! Nothing wrong with hiking in the rain 😂

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 it was lovely, thank you! We managed to do some hiking, although weather was a bit pants, cool and drizzly. Now came back to work to a mountain of admin 😑 I want to go back on holiday.

Ladies who are still waiting for cycles to return but not using any contraception, how often do you do pregnancy tests? I am doing roughly once a month, just in case. I hate seeing those BFNs though, so discouraging.

How is everyone doing?

@Orangio yes very fragile it seems!

@Mc3209 did you have a nice holiday?

How's everyone else?

Well men are designed very poorly it seems!

@Orangio how kind of DS 🤣 it's tough isn't it, ours is still in our room. So it's quick and quiet. Hopefully there is more EWCM to come - you could be one of those who get pregnant before the first period.

Haha yup apparently the study was on multiple sperm samples of Finnish men. It only came up because we are staying at another place with a sauna in the property. Fine for me apparently, not for him!

Really?! I had no idea saunas were bad. So much to think about eh! Although, don't some Scandinavian countries absolutely go to town on saunas all the time, and they are reproducing pretty well, so 🤷

It wasn't much ewcm to be fair, but we did successfully BD, so at least we seized the slim possibility of fertility! DS was generous and didn't start shouting for milk until afterwards! It's a nightmare though eh.. you're just getting to the good bit, but it's hard not to have half your mind thinking "don't wake up don't wake up"

@Porridgeaddiction ah no, that's rubbish, both the interrupted moments, and husband asking if you're pregnant 😫 Hopefully any kind of jelly belly will be worth it, especially with the mood swings!

@Orangio ewcm v exciting! Sounds promising! No not temping, just no sign of ewcm unfortunately.

Although I'm wondering if chances are ruined for me anyway as we were staying in a spa hotel last week and my partner had a few saunas, and I read today it damages sperm count and morphology for up to three months 😬