Are GPS generally this uninformed about fertility issues? Read for a laugh!

[blueberry23]

Just been advised by a GP that the fact I'm breastfeeding has absolutely nothing to do with my cycle being short and the fact I keep having chemical pregnancies (7/8 day luteal phase).

In fact she didn't even know what a luteal phase was and when I said I was having chemical pregnancies she said 'meaning?' And had no idea what it it was.

And she said 'why are you feeding a 15 month old child that child should be weaned from the breast' honestly I just gave up at that point

She followed up by saying - if you want to get pregnant have sex during ovulation' - ohhhh sure I didn't think of that. Must be where we are going wrong!

Are GPs generally this uninformed about fertility issues? I'm mind blown. First contact I've made after 6 months of TTC and two chem pregnancies. I've asked her to send me for a blood test and told her what I need to be tested for

Ridiculous!

The mind boggles.

I think unless you're willing to pay for a private consultation, it's not reasonable to expect an already strained NHS to look in great detail into why you can't conceive, when you know that bf disrupts your cycle and could just be this. I get its frustrating and you don't want to stop whilst ttc, but that's nature. YABU.

Breast feeding does reduce your chances of conceiving so it’s obvious that’s the first thing she’d pick up on.
There’s no point her referring you if you are still BF.

Before MN I’d have no idea of the difference between a miscarriage and chemical pregnancy and many women don’t like the term chemical pregnancy so I understand why it’s not commonly used in medical language.

Many women also have chemical pregnancies without even realising. So that + breastfeeding wouldn’t worry me at all. Sometimes our bodies just need to recover from the previous baby longer than we’d want.

I think it’s unreasonable to expect a GP to have an in-depth knowledge of every medical issue. That’s why there are specialist doctors that GP’s refer you too.

Yes, I had to tell my GP which medication to prescribe me in order to bring on a bleed 😂 To be fair to her though, she did take it upon herself to liaise with a gynae friend of hers about what I'd suggested. I suppose they are literally 'general' practitioners? But yes, annoying to have to justify yourself when you do actually know better!

Yes, cycles returned to normal fairly quickly once I stopped @blueberry23. I guess the situation varies from person to person though, but breastfeeding definitely has an impact. It can be hard to stop bf, I know. I wouldn't have only I wanted to give ttc a chance and, as I said, I felt I was out of time (I was older than you are).

My sister in law was refused contraceptives as the doctor told her she didn’t need them as she was breastfeeding. I went back with her - she walked out confused and blamed the fact English was a second language- and he repeated himself slowly and added he was doctor not me. We went family planning.

My GP told me I couldn't get pregnant whilst breastfeeding, despite having a regular cycle and regular ovulation. I understand it impacts fertility, but widely known many women have been breastfeeding and still got pregnant.

Something to bear in mind when trying to conceive whilst breastfeeding is that your risk of twins increases to around 1 in 7. I conceived whilst breastfeeding my 2 year old x

I’m amazed at this. I was lectured on using contraception before I left the hospital after having both kids.

but the BF point still stands. Could be massively impacting fertility so OP needs to
try dropping that first.

I would be OK with a GP looking up things they don't know. But they shouldn't guess. My current GP is great. They don't know a lot about ADHD or ASD (child was diagnosed a couple of years ago). But they wrote notes on what I'd found out and next time someone asks, they'll know of services they can point them to. That's the right attitude!

I was surprised when I experienced infertility how little my GP knew (different practice, ages before Covid). It's such a common issue.

But if I’ve understood the OP correctly, the GP was saying that BFing has absolutely nothing to do with her short luteal phase and chemical pregnancies? I.e. the GP didn’t pick up on it?

I am finding GPs very lethargic and uninterested these days.

My SILs GPs are the same OP, she was having trouble conceiving as she kept having super heavy periods every month, the GP was convinced that she was having miscarriages and didn't entertain the fact that it could be early menopause as she was only 37, when in fact it was, a quick question about her family history would have told him everything he needed to know, her mother went through it at 41 as did her sister, but no, she was too young.....it's staggering really.

@MissChanandlerBong80 yes you are correct.

She said breastfeeding does not impact your cycle.

Great start to the conversation

@OakAshBeech ahh I'm sorry you had to stop before you were ready. It does feel emotional to stop. My little one has never taken a bottle so I feel like I don't know how to parent without a boob!

Some studies link a return to ovulation after a baby to an increase in calories eaten to balance out those being used to make breast milk. Here are a couple of links. The first is a bit twee and the second is an academic paper on the same topic.
www.thealphaparent.com/how-to-get-pregnant-whilst-breastfeeding/

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3305908/

Thanks @blueberry23, it worked out okay though and DS got a new little sibling😊
I guess I just wished I had started a family earlier really, and had more time to wait and see how things went if I continued bf, rather than feeling compelled to stop.

Just to say I am still breastfeeding my nearly 2 year old, ttc for several months with no luck. Got tested and the issue is with my partner, nor me, and breastfeeding is not affecting ovulation. I think people may sometimes assume bf is preventing pregnancy when actually there's a whole other problem they don't know about.

I breastfed DC1 until he was over 2. We started TTC number 2 when he was 2 and I had 2 chemical pregnancies. As soon as I stopped feeding I got one that stuck. I'm absolutely convinced it was the breastfeeding causing the issue, my periods were really irregular and very light.

I agree. I wouldn't even think you could call it fertility issues after only six months when you're breastfeeding as well.

At least the Gp agreed to the blood test. After 20 months TTC child 2, the Gp said if we wanted any tests we had to go private as they don’t fund fertility treatment of already have a child.

When I was pregnant mine argued with me black and blue that because I had hypothyroidism we needed to reduce my thyroxine. That is the opposite what you're meant to do and its dangerous advice as could cause a miscarriage. She was getting it mixed up with hyperthyroidism. When I told her she was wrong she was incredibly patronising and refused to up my thyroxine. This was at a time before everyone had internet on their phones so I couldn't prove her wrong so I had to leave in a rage with her refusing to up my dose. I later saw another GP and complained to the surgery. I did end up miscarrying and when my TSH was checked the levels were too high. I've never known if this was the actual reason for my miscarriage but I've never forgiven the fucking idiot all the same. I wonder how long she was giving out that advice.

@worriedparent12 Doctors do learn this, but it’s one block out of many and as training goes on unless specialising in gyn this kind of stuff gets unremembered! Tbh I think because of the internet people intensely research their own conditions and know a lot about it, but sometimes they just don’t know how to contextualise.

‘Chemical pregnancy’ isn’t really a medical term. I’m not totally sure what you wanted from the GP? If you know already that bf can affect cycles and you think yours are too short then surely that’s your first thing to consider changing?