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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Breastfeeding and fertility - any experts/advice out there?

129 replies

alittleteapot · 02/01/2009 19:49

I'm still bfing 18mo dd. Af took ages to come back but I'm now on my 4th or 5th period. We are ttc but no luck yet.

I know it's early days but a) we got pg with dd straight away; b) I'm 38; and c) I've read that just because you've got your periods back doesn't mean your ovulating, I'm wondering if I should get checked that I am ovulating and all is fine. (This is not so much an oh no not pg yet thing, more a given all the circs I might as well be thorough and sure.) The other option is to wean but that's going to be HARD and it would be nice to know I don't need to.

Are the over-the-counter ovulation kits reliable? Is it worth talking to my gp? Anyone had any experience of all this?

Thanks

OP posts:
Grendle · 25/02/2009 23:00

Good news Mawbroon fingers crossed for you.

Vlc -are we in synch then? I'm due on Sunday, so am waiting to see if our slackness on the contraceptive front this month has had any effect! Somehow I doubt it though.

vlc · 26/02/2009 00:48

well, folks, I actually had a vvv faint positive test yesterday.

But. I think this may be a chemical pg. I've done 3 more tests (I know, I know) and the line is getting fainter, if anything, in fact it's only visible to the desperate eye. So I think this one is on its way out. I fully expect tomorrow's test to be negative.

I haven't even told DH yet, because I was planning to show him a 'proper' positive test with a flourish, and now that seems unlikely. I had a few very secret smiley hours yesterday, and now I'm trying to forget I did.

I'm preparing myself for AF and will order a basal thermometer and other gubbins for next month. Will start taking this TTC lark more seriously.

Sorry for the downer. Still, the magic thread managed to summon back my periods the day after I first posted on it, and then I think I conceived on my next cycle. So, there's hope yet.

Grendle · 26/02/2009 09:16

Oh no . I hope you're mistaken and that it all turns out OK for you.

I have raging PMT today, so just waiting for the inevitable now.

Original poster
alittleteapot · 26/02/2009 21:12

fingers crossed for you vic - i suppose worse case scenario at least you know you can conceive again and quickly; best case - I've heard that a v faint positive is still a positive - let us know.

I've got a ridiculously big bump I'm beginning to think I might be a month further on. I know at least two people who had a period so assumed not pg but later found out they were a month more pregnant than they were!

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 26/02/2009 21:14

vlc, keeping fingers crossed you are wrong

vlc · 26/02/2009 22:33

thanks ladies. I'm still getting the faintest of faint lines, but they really are barely there. So that's 3 days of this now, but I'm expecting them to disappear very soon.

Anyway, as you say alittleteapot, at least I know I can conceive. Thanks for the crossed fingers eveyone.

Original poster
alittleteapot · 26/02/2009 23:55

when is/was your period due vic?

OP posts:
vlc · 27/02/2009 00:32

Really hard to say alt- I used to have short cycles of 23 / 24 days, and indeed my very first cycle last month was 23 days. Then this cycle I thought I was ov at around cd9, which would be normal for me, but then I had some surprise EWCM again at cd15 and 16, so may have ov then instead.

So, based on a 'normal' cycle, I'd be due last Thursday or Friday, but based on the surprise late EWCM, perhaps it could have only been due on Wednesday. That would have made it a very long cycle for me, but let's face it, I've only just got AF back, I expect it to be temperamental.

Today (Friday) is CD32. I'd be expecting a major line by now if this was a viable pg.
The waiting sucks.

Ready4anothercoffee · 27/02/2009 01:20

oooh, a magic thread! please let it work or me too, dd2 is 1 today, we are ttc-ing for dc4 but not yet had AF.

CantSleepWontSleep · 27/02/2009 06:41

best of luck for today's test vlc, and bags of luck to mawbroon and all others who need it.

Original poster
alittleteapot · 27/02/2009 09:58

Bear in mind there was another bfing mum on here who didn't get AF back and then one day discovered she was about sixteen weeks pg!

Good luck all, fingers and toes crossed.

OP posts:
GreenMonkies · 27/02/2009 10:07

I charted with www.fertilityfriend.com and got pg with DD2 whilst still nursing DD1 (who was 2 by then). I was 37 at the time.

Good luck!!

vlc · 27/02/2009 21:18

tonight's test was -ve. Game over. Just a matter of waiting for AF to make an appearance, then we'll start over. There's no reason not to TTC as soon as this is over, is there? This early on hardly counts as mc, I would think. Any thoughts anyone?

CantSleepWontSleep · 27/02/2009 21:26

Sorry vlc .

Absolutely no reason not to try again straight away.

vlc · 27/02/2009 21:32

ta CSWS. Jolly good, as soon as it's over we'll get back to it .

I've never had a mc, but apparently I'm at high risk of them. I'm thankful that at least things have happened so early that I can handle this and move on.

Grendle · 27/02/2009 21:48

Sorry to hear that vlc . Best of luck for next month.

Grendle · 01/03/2009 22:05

Just peed on a stick and got a positive. Wish me luck and thank you magic thread .

Very early days...

mawbroon · 01/03/2009 22:25

vlc, sorry it's not happened for you this month.

Congratulations Grendle

I peed on a stick today as well. But it is far too early. I have no idea what on earth I was thinking of!!

vlc · 01/03/2009 23:39

Bleeding started today, so I can move on now. Let's call this CD1. I ordered a stack of TTC stuff from ebay to focus myself on the next cycle.

Mawbroon, I've got everything crossed for you.

Grendle, that's amazing, congratulations! Wonderful news!

Grendle · 02/03/2009 00:26

That's really sweet of you vlc. I've been where you are now , take care of yourself.

CantSleepWontSleep · 02/03/2009 06:31

congratulations grendle. Good luck.

mawbroon · 02/03/2009 10:47

I'm on CD 20 today and have just notice the teensy weensiest bit of blood. It is far too early for pre-period spotting (which I've had a lot of since bf) so I am getting myself all convinced that it's implantation.

This happens every bloody month. I talk myself into being pg

Bettymum · 02/03/2009 11:15

Congratulations Grendle, hope all goes well!
Am going to order some ovulation testing sticks since temping makes it look like I may not be ovulating at all . Don't want to stop BFing yet but would like to start TTC again. We shall see what the sticks say!

mawbroon · 02/03/2009 11:17

Bettymum, you need to remember that the sticks only detect a surge in hormones preceding ovulation. They don't actually confirm whether you ovulated or not, so your body could be trying hard to ovulate (giving you a positive on the sticks) but then never actually reach a high enough hormone level before tailing off again and giving you a negative.

If you are confident that you are temping correctly, I would be more inclined to believe the temping than ov sticks tbh.

Have you read Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of your Fertility?

Bettymum · 02/03/2009 11:21

Hi Mawbroon,
Fingers crossed for you this month. I haven't read that book but have seen it mentioned a number of times now so think I will try and get hold of it as so many people have recommended it. Interesting point about the hormones/ovulating, I didn't realise that. Right, will go and see if I can get that book from the library! Thanks.