Any tips for getting pregnant whilst breastfeeding?

[highheelsandequations]

DD is 7.5 months, I have PCOS and it took us a while to get pg with her. We've decided to start trying for a 2nd, but I'm still BF (periods haven't returned yet) and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. I'm thinking it's probably going to take quite a while again as between the PCOS and BF I don't know if I'm going to ovulate any time soon. Any hints or tips for how to maximise my chances?

Have you read the info on kellymom here and here I would love to start TTC DC2 soon so have been reading up on it!

This is a good summary though:-

"Many moms can conceive without deliberately changing their toddler's nursing patterns. There is no "magic" threshold of breastfeeding that will allow you to conceive every mother is different. Some moms need to stretch out nursing frequency and/or shorten nursing sessions to make it easier to conceive babies naturally do this themselves as they get older, so one of your options is simply to wait a bit. "

TCOYF has a section on TTC which states keep an eye on your cervical mucus as it should go stretchy when you are ovulating. You can temp but I seem to remember that involving not waking up in the night?

The biggest trigger for return of periods in my friends seems to be babies going longer at night - so you could try waiting for that to happen (if she is still waking lots for feeding in the night). As she gets a bit older you could also try gentle ways to night wean.

No one gets what they want do they? I am bitter because my periods did come back quickly - despite DD2 waking every two bloody hours.

Have a look at Toni Weschler book 'taking charge of your fertility'. You can chart your cycle, when it starts again, and see exactly the best times to have sex to get pregnant. B/f mums, on average, take around 14mths to get their cycle back. Time between feeds at night seems to be what affects things most. A young child who feeds a lot, especially at night, may be telling your body that they're not ready to share mum with a sibling just. It can be a fine line balancing your needs for another child and your childs need for just you.

No tips I'm afraid, but an anecdote about a friend this happened to.... she had a 18mo DD, exclusively BF and still BFing. Friend's periods hadn't come back. She lay on her bed one day for a rest, folded her hands across her stomach and was extremely surprised to feel a kick! One hurried visit to the clinic later, it appeared she was 18 weeks pregnant.

So I guess in some cases it doesn't matter if periods come back or not! I would think from the evidence above that you might just need to BD regularly and see what happens.... good luck :)

I night weaned at 22 months, got a period and was pregnant shortly after. Still kept feeding, just not hourly at night

I agree with previous posts about night weaning being a large factor. I night weaned at 11 months, my period returned the following month and it was my only period before getting pregnant. I continued to breast feed three to four times during the day despite night weaning and well into the pregnancy too, although didn't fancy tandem feeding so stopped before no 2 turned up.

I'm in the same boat. DD is 11 mo now and I'd really prefer for her to wean naturally, rather than drop her feeds for her. But I do want to get pg asap.

How often is your LO feeding? Is she making it through the night yet? I think an increase in my DD's ability to sleep through, along with shorter feeds, led to AF returning last month. But it hasn't shown up yet this month, so I think my body is still adjusting. No idea how long it will take for periods to be regular again.

There's a TTC while BFing thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1106374-TTC-while-breastfeeding-Part-2?reverse=1 Come on over if you want some moral support. Good luck! :)

Thanks for the responses, I guess I just need to give it time but I'm impatient! I think I also want to feel like we're trying in case it does take lots of attempts again :)

Halo looked at the kellymom stuff a while back but will refresh my memory :) Think you're right about temping not being effective with night wakings.

I have TCOYF and can remember from last time the signs to watch out for.

eversomuch we're feeding about every 3-4 hours in the day. Until very recently we were feeding every 2-3 hours all night but (fingers crossed) we seem to be back down to just one or night feeds between 11 and 6 (unless I've learnt to sleep through it ). Thanks for the invite, will pop over to the conception boards :)

Thanks for all the good luck (and for not saying I'm insane!) :)