Encouraging fertility when breastfeeding

[Nosleeptillbedtime]

I have been breastfeeding for a year and would like to continue but I also want another child and am pretty damn old reproductively. My periods have not returned ( unlike bloody every other bf mum I know!). Has anyone got any tips on encouraging fertility return when breastfeeding?

Are you still feeding at night? When I looked into this, that was the key factor. If memory serves, kellymom website was quite useful.

And just so you don't feel alone, no period here either, dd3 is 9 months.

How old? I was positively ancient (42) but still got pregant first time while bf. I found that dropping one feed was the trigger for my periods returning, as they did at about 12m. I hadn't dropped the feed for that reason, it just happened. So you may well find the same, that one feed less makes the difference. I fed all through my pregnancy with no problems, other than possibly a slight dip in supply at the beginning and generally feeling knackered! Good luck.

I was feeding at night, probably twice, if that helps.

Thanks, he does feed once at night, between one and three pm. I will be 41 next month and also have irregular periods due to pcos. So these factors together are a worry regarding conception.

Definitely reducing night feeds in particular, my cycle came back at 5 months this time round after a week or two of DS2 sleeping a longer stretch than usual.

Anecdata: I've also heard from others that taking an iron supplement has helped bring their cycle back.

Thanks, I will start again with my iron supplements!

Possibly this story won't help!

I have high prolactin which suppressed the rest of my hormones hence needed pro Lactin suppressant tablets to conceive DD, now age 15 months.

I am still feeding but only evening and morning and my periods have not come back. My pro Lactin now is about 975, at its highest pre conception it was about 2400; normal is 200-500, and I stabilised at 375 then got up duffed .

My deduction is that for me, I will have to stop feeding, test again, and possibly get back on the suppressants to get my cycle back to have a shot at another one. How friendly is your gp? Could you ask for a pro Lactin test just to see where you are?

Good luck

Thanks adagio that is helpful. I will go and see my gp about this.

There was a group on here 5m or so ago of mums trying to conceive while breastfeeding. I don't have a link but will paste below a section I saved at the time. After night weaning and taking supplements my periods returned and I got pregnant after 6m, but miscarried so an trying again now but still breastfeeding. Good luck. Paste:

Conception

Hello to all the newcomers!
The link above gives some great information on fertility while breastfeeding.

Basically the 3 obstacles are:

1. not having periods yet (means no ovulation yet and only a tiny minority of women manage to catch that first egg)

2. having periods but not ovulating yet (the only way to know for sure is temping as OPK only show the hormone surge but not if you then go on to ovulate, breastfeeders can have surges because our body tries to release an egg but then there's too much prolaction in our body and it doesn't happen)

3. having periods and ovulating but after ovulation the luteal phase is too short to sustain a pregnancy (very common in breastfeeders, the consensus seems to be that you LP needs to be a minimum of 10 days to give the egg a chance to implant. If AF turns up earlier than that, it would just flush the egg out)

There's things to do to try and rectify it but many come with risks.

Vit B6 --> possible drop in milk supply
Vitex --> ossible drop in milk supply
Raspberry Leaf Tea
Natural Progesterone Cream
Night weaning / weaning
Waiting for things to improve naturally

Anyway, I'm drinking the tea and taking the Vit B6 but only at a tiny dose of 50mg so maybe that's why it's not helped so far.

This thread has been running for years and when I first thought about ttc while breastfeeding, I started going through the old threads. There's so much helpful information on there.

B6
Progesterone cream
Angus cactus
Lp less than 12 days can be problematic

Thanks painty, I have just found the thread and about to join.
Victoria, really sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I really hope things work out or you soon. And thanks so much for taking the time to post that information. It is really helpful!