Page 3 | TTC whilst breastfeeding - cycle 4

ThatNimbleOP · 2025-01-01T20:01:23+00:00

Hello, Is there anyone who’d like to join me… Currently on cycle 4, CD11. Still breastfeeding my nearly 2 year old and co-sleeping, wondering if it’s having an effect on fertility as we conceived in a blink of an eye the first time…trying not to overthink it all. Anyone welcome to join, don’t have to be breastfeeding, just any support welcome! Thought last month was the month but here we are again… :/

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 04/07/2025 22:25

@OneKookyPinkShaker they look positive to me? All my negatives have been stark white!! Think if there's any colour in it, it's positive?

Did your period come back then and can you remind us your background and story i.e how long have you tried for etc. :)

All helpful!

OP posts:

Mountainview8 · 04/07/2025 15:51

@OneKookyPinkShaker the second one looks positive! Did the line come up in the recommended time?

OneKookyPinkShaker · 04/07/2025 11:53

Sorry to hear about loses. I'm three weeks into night weaning. Feeling all over hormonally took the attached tests and really unsure if positive or just unlucky with two evap lines!

Have been stuck in the house due to sickness bug hitting the family so haven't got any better tests yet!

Samsi17 · 29/06/2025 14:44

Thank you.
They just found my hcg numbers around 700 and should be higher, I know 100% I've had a loss with how much I've been bleeding, but I've to go back on Tues to get bloods repeated.
I'm in Scotland and they dont class it as recurrent until it's 3, they say the odds are still in my favour and just bad luck at this point....

Mountainview8 · 29/06/2025 13:56

@Samsi17 sorry to hear that. I hope the blood tests can help find some answers.

Samsi17 · 28/06/2025 17:17

ThatNimbleOP · 28/06/2025 15:53

@Samsi17 it's before 5 weeks so actually it's classed as a miscarriage. I just know they start investigating after 2+...

Let us know what blood tests reveal. Did you have any miscarriages with before your first child?

Ah OK thanks.
No, nothing at all. It took a while but these are my first miscarriages....

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 28/06/2025 15:53

@Samsi17 it's before 5 weeks so actually it's classed as a miscarriage. I just know they start investigating after 2+...

Let us know what blood tests reveal. Did you have any miscarriages with before your first child?

OP posts:

Samsi17 · 28/06/2025 15:38

ThatNimbleOP · 28/06/2025 13:33

@Samsi17 i'm so so sorry to hear this! I hope you find some peace today with what's happened. Would this be classed as a chemical again and if so, can you get any help from the doctors?

@MixedBananas bananas, welcome and thank you for your insight. That's new info about the prolactin levels. I'm 9 months into trying but only 3-4 cycles "properly" trying and one very faint line in that time. We're looking to wean in July, daughter is 2.5.

Thank you.
I don't know, I'm to go in for blood tests tomorrow but I know I've lost it.
I don't really understand the difference between a chemical and an early miscarriage?

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 28/06/2025 13:33

@Samsi17 i'm so so sorry to hear this! I hope you find some peace today with what's happened. Would this be classed as a chemical again and if so, can you get any help from the doctors?

@MixedBananas bananas, welcome and thank you for your insight. That's new info about the prolactin levels. I'm 9 months into trying but only 3-4 cycles "properly" trying and one very faint line in that time. We're looking to wean in July, daughter is 2.5.

OP posts:

MixedBananas · 28/06/2025 07:15

Morning ladies. Congrats to all those who got BFPs.

A little about me. Have 2 DC 3yrs and 10months. Wanting to TTC earlier due to my age 39. But still nursing DC2 day and night and teething badly, 5 teeth and counting so that has uped nursing even more. In the day maybe 4 solid feeds and at night around 3/4 2 at for feeds and the others are all comfort. He is a big foodie and loves to eat so he is happy with not nursing as much in the day he can often to 5 hours without a feed.

My period returned after 7weeks, 6 weeks PP bleeding 6 days off then my period returned! No break for me. But they were erratic 47 days then 21 days..last 3 months hwve been 32/33 days so fingers crossed.

With DS2 is was unable to conceive him until he was fully weaned! And then it took 2 cycles to get my BFP.
I assume that even despite ovulating prolactin lowered the progesterone which is needed after implantation to sustain the featus and embryo until the Placenta forms. So even if there was conception Prolactin inhibited implantation. It sucks, I guess high levels of Prolactin are to be expected in some people. I know a few friends who confirmed this and were unable to conceive until fully weaned. I really don't want to wean until at least 18months like with DS1. 😒

Samsi17 · 28/06/2025 06:41

Strongbrewplease · 21/06/2025 22:24

Haven't been here for a while, congrats @BGxxx and @Samsi17 fingers crossed for both of you!!

No exciting news on my side, we're now on cycle 7 and with my DD it was this cycle that I fell pregnant so trying not to think about that...
Cd20 with no ovulation in sight yet, sigh.

I think night weaning is on the horizon for us over the next couple of months. DD is such a bad sleeper and she seems to just want it for comfort which is waking her up 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thank you. Unfortunately I've woken up bleeding again, only made it to 5 weeks 4 days.... :(

Mountainview8 · 24/06/2025 15:23

Thanks @ThatNimbleOPMy periods came back at 6 months, they were irregular(always have been) and i had 5 periods in the last 7 months. We were just seeing what happened really, but then last month I felt more ready so got out the ovulation sticks.

The last month I was feeding upto 4 times a night, but usually 2-3 times.

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 24/06/2025 13:56

@Mountainview8 congrats! That's great news...oh interesting, thought nightfeeds can prevent. Let us know how long you were TTC, when your periods came back etc.

I've looked back at our months trying and tbh feel only 3-4 cycles we gave it a good shot. So going to try harder now 😞

OP posts:

Mountainview8 · 24/06/2025 08:53

I've just got a BFP! The first month using ovulation sticks again and it worked. I'm now to just breastfeeding if my 12 month old wakes at night, we've been gradually doing fewer feeds, but it's the night time ones that will be the hardest to stop.

Strongbrewplease · 21/06/2025 22:24

Haven't been here for a while, congrats @BGxxx and @Samsi17 fingers crossed for both of you!!

No exciting news on my side, we're now on cycle 7 and with my DD it was this cycle that I fell pregnant so trying not to think about that...
Cd20 with no ovulation in sight yet, sigh.

I think night weaning is on the horizon for us over the next couple of months. DD is such a bad sleeper and she seems to just want it for comfort which is waking her up 🤦🏼‍♀️

january1244 · 19/06/2025 16:24

@BGxxxcongratulations, that’s fantastic news! Very exciting.

@ThatNimbleOPyes my periods were regular and a normal heaviness. This one has just been horrendous, heavy and long and (tmi sorry) brownish clots.

I stopped feeding with my second after an unexpected medical procedure which meant I couldn’t feed for 48 hours. She was a bottle refuser and I was so worried. Actually I just removed myself for the nights by going out and said ‘all done’ when she wanted breast in the day and just gave her a bottle instead. Within 2-3 days she was taking a bottle and feeding herself. It was surprisingly easy so I didn’t bother reintroducing the breast afterwards

Samsi17 · 19/06/2025 12:54

ThatNimbleOP · 19/06/2025 09:19

@Samsi17 wow!! Congratulations, you're getting more BFPs then all of us put together :D Fingers crossed for a sticky bean.

@january1244 fascinating! I tried night weaning the other day but she was so distressed; just couldn't do it. We're still in temporary housing until our house purchase is complete, that alongside my partner being off for the summer, hoping to be all done by end of August! I'm reading up about gentle weaning techniques though, don't offer, don't refuse?

Really interesting about your period...were they lighter then normal then?

@OneKookyPinkShaker this woman's website is fascinating https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/ you could also try la leche league helpline, i found them very helpful at the beginning of breastfeeding and heck maybe i should call them now as well!

Thank you. Very nervous but we'll see.
Ive only stopped breastfeeding since March so its amazing really how quickly it happened after

BGxxx · 19/06/2025 11:56

BB3Hopefully · 19/06/2025 09:54

It can definitely lead to sub-fertility, and late ovulation and short luteal phase are the classic signs. Prolactin inhibits LH production, which depresses ovulation, and it also inhibits progesterone, which "weakens" the luteal phase (progesterone builds up your lining) even if you do ovulate. I've been finding that My cycles have regularised to 29 days since January when they came back, but I'm ovulating at different times, it started off around CD22, and it's moved earlier and earlier each month; most recently I o'd on CD15. This signals to me that my body is figuring out the balance, and it's moving towards fertility rather than subfertility. My LH is peaking at a fairly normal time, and my Luteal phase is getting longer and longer (meaning my progesterone levels are balancing out and not being as inhibited by the prolactin). When I conceived my 2nd while breastfeeding I was seeing the same pattern, but my cycle normalised much quicker than it is this time around! My first was only nursing maybe twice per day and a few times overnight, whereas my second is boob-obsessed and would sit and nurse all day if I let him.

That definitely sounds like what was happening to me. I did find it quite fustrating that other people’s cycles were back to normal when breastfeeding and mine was so messed up

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 19/06/2025 10:53

Maybe that's why some women can/can't conceive whilst breastfeeding, we all have different endometriums!

OP posts:

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 19/06/2025 10:52

Oh congrats as well then @BGxxx !!

@BB3Hopefully interesting! Also found this from when i originally posted, way back in Jan lol 😥

From another poster:

With my first son I conceived on my first cycle so I naively thought the same would happen again the next time round.
We TTC number two whilst I was still breastfeeding my first son and to be honest I didn’t think it would cause any problems as you hear of women getting pregnant all the time whilst breastfeeding.
My periods had been back for over 18 months at this point (breastfeeding hadn’t stopped them unfortunately) and my cycles were regular so I assumed I was just as fertile as I had been when TTC number 1.
However, after 10 months (so about 11
cycles) of negative pregnancy tests I went to see my GP.
She told me that the act of breastfeeding can affect conception in some women, not because it affects ovulation or fertility, but because of the hormonal effect it can have on the endometrium wall. She explained that for some women, the hormones produced alongside breastfeeding can cause the endometrium wall to be thinner and/or of a lesser quality than usual, and as a result it cannot maintain a pregnancy.
She said that for all of the 11 cycles I had been TTC I could have conceived each and every time, but that if the endometrium wall wasn’t of a good enough quality to allow the fertilised egg to embed within it then pregnancy could not occur. She said if this were the case then the fertilised eggs would come to nothing and I would be having my periods as normal.
She came from a background of gynaecology so I trusted what she said and she seemed to know her stuff.
Anyhow, after thinking about it for a few weeks I decided to stop breastfeeding and then much to my happiness, I got a positive pregnancy test 6 weeks later.

OP posts:

BB3Hopefully · 19/06/2025 09:54

It can definitely lead to sub-fertility, and late ovulation and short luteal phase are the classic signs. Prolactin inhibits LH production, which depresses ovulation, and it also inhibits progesterone, which "weakens" the luteal phase (progesterone builds up your lining) even if you do ovulate. I've been finding that My cycles have regularised to 29 days since January when they came back, but I'm ovulating at different times, it started off around CD22, and it's moved earlier and earlier each month; most recently I o'd on CD15. This signals to me that my body is figuring out the balance, and it's moving towards fertility rather than subfertility. My LH is peaking at a fairly normal time, and my Luteal phase is getting longer and longer (meaning my progesterone levels are balancing out and not being as inhibited by the prolactin). When I conceived my 2nd while breastfeeding I was seeing the same pattern, but my cycle normalised much quicker than it is this time around! My first was only nursing maybe twice per day and a few times overnight, whereas my second is boob-obsessed and would sit and nurse all day if I let him.

BGxxx · 19/06/2025 09:34

ThatNimbleOP · 19/06/2025 09:24

@BGxxx wow, keep these anecdotes coming...this is all so interesting. So it has to be more about a suboptimal lining then the process of ovulation itself then...so we could in theory be fertilising eggs each month but implantation is just void.

I think this fits because some months i've really "felt" pregnant and "felt" implantation. I also had a faint line in January which fizzled to nothing...followed by a longer cycle (37 day) the following month which can also be a sign of a chemical.

I've started taking L-arginine to try and build my womb lining up, only been couple of weeks though so don't expect a result anytime soon.

I don’t think it helped I was ovulating so late in my cycle too. I’m not sure if that then effects the hormones after implantation? Either way my lining must of been so thin, and was shedding so early!!

I stopped feeding in Feb after the ectopic, had 2 periods which were more typical, like 4 days long and just a normal amount of bleeding. I concieved on the 2nd cycle trying and am 8 weeks at the moment. I have found life a bit easier with my toddler now I’m not feeding anymore which is actually a bit sad 🤣 I hated when people would say she’d sleep better if you didn’t breastfed or she’d be happier to be with other people if I stopped but it has actually been true! I wouldn’t of stopped if it wasn’t for the ectopic though

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 19/06/2025 09:24

@BGxxx wow, keep these anecdotes coming...this is all so interesting. So it has to be more about a suboptimal lining then the process of ovulation itself then...so we could in theory be fertilising eggs each month but implantation is just void.

I think this fits because some months i've really "felt" pregnant and "felt" implantation. I also had a faint line in January which fizzled to nothing...followed by a longer cycle (37 day) the following month which can also be a sign of a chemical.

I've started taking L-arginine to try and build my womb lining up, only been couple of weeks though so don't expect a result anytime soon.

OP posts:

Original poster

ThatNimbleOP · 19/06/2025 09:19

@Samsi17 wow!! Congratulations, you're getting more BFPs then all of us put together :D Fingers crossed for a sticky bean.

@january1244 fascinating! I tried night weaning the other day but she was so distressed; just couldn't do it. We're still in temporary housing until our house purchase is complete, that alongside my partner being off for the summer, hoping to be all done by end of August! I'm reading up about gentle weaning techniques though, don't offer, don't refuse?

Really interesting about your period...were they lighter then normal then?

@OneKookyPinkShaker this woman's website is fascinating https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/ you could also try la leche league helpline, i found them very helpful at the beginning of breastfeeding and heck maybe i should call them now as well!

Home | Carol Smyth IBCLC & CBT

An International Certified Lactation Consultant located in Northern Ireland providing quality breastfeeding support, breastfeeding classes, parental workshops and professional education.

https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk

OP posts:

BGxxx · 19/06/2025 09:03

january1244 · 19/06/2025 08:24

@ThatNimbleOPyes I was told the same, and nearly all the research I did suggested I’d be sub fertile breastfeeding. It’s why I didn’t really worry about it (my fertility) last time until I stopped, and then I was pregnant the next month.

Ive just fully weaned my daughter now and my period after that has been horrific, extremely heavy, and not nice. I’m wondering if my lining was sub-optimum and now it’s clearing out all the old not good stuff. I’ve been having regular periods for well over a year (they came back at 3 months).

@OneKookyPinkShakerhopefully they will! It’s so individual.

My periods when breastfeeding were super light too, they’d hardly last a day of actual bleeding! My luteal phase was so short too