TTC while breastfeeding - Part 2

[silkenladder]

This is the place to come to share the frustrations of ttc while still nursing.

Many of us are sleep-deprived, some of us don't even know if we're ovulating and none of us know whether taking agnus castus is a good idea or not. We all just want to do the best by the children we already have, but would really like to be pregnant again. Quickly.

Part 1 had plenty of graduates . Here's hoping Part 2 will be equally successful and supportive!

Hi thinking

Hope it is not af. If it was ovulation we will be testing for a BFP at the same time. Am not too optimistic about it this month. Have a feeling I will need a few months for hormones to level out.

Still am pleased it looks like body is working again and am happy about that.

Hoping af stays away for you

Happy weekend everyone!

Start of babymaking week here in kurlydom and I've come home from school with no voice and a horrible sore throat - grrr! Already got lots of ewcm even though I'm not meant to ovulate til next Wed, so hopefully will fit some deed-doing in before then... Work is über-stressful at the moment so hope that won't affect my cycle.

Down to just one or two feeds a day now and my boobs are starting to learn not to get too full in between, which is a nice change.

Off to catch up on the rest of the thread now and see where everyone is up to...

Hi all, sounds like there is a bit of hope that things are getting going for a few of us! I've had more ewcm today so a bit unsure what is going on but it's a good sign that something is happening. Ds3 had a good long sleep last night unlike the night before where he barely slept. I have to say the unpredictability of each night is getting a bit wearing, I just would like a rough idea of what was going to happen each night

No AF as yet so maybe that was ovulation? For those of you who's periods have come back did you get odd crampy days in weeks before AF actually appeared?

Hi whenshewasbad
What dpo are you? When are you planning to test? Still no AF here but feeling crampy again today so I'm convinced AF is not far away.

Kurly
Hope you are feeling better! Good luck with this cycle

thinkingof4 Unless your body keeps trying to ovulate and making you crampy? I think was really crampy before my first AF but nothing before this last one. As I had such a short luteal phase it could have been ovulation though? I wasn't really keeping notes then - sorry.

kurly Happy baby making weekend to you! I hope you aren't feeling too rough.

fraktal Maybe test every couple of weeks or 21 days after DTD - just so you know your dates? Its easy to because obsessed though so if once a month works just do that!

highheels Hopefully your body won't make you wait too long - maybe after 12 months you could night/day wean or even leave her for a day to see if that triggers your fertility.

Not sure whats going on here. CD13, no line on ov tests but had sore nipples again. Maybe because DD is teething and won't leave them alone for a minute at night ? One molar looks nearly all through. Only 3 more to go

DD is 13 mo today - I wouldn't have believed one year ago today i'd still be feeding, those early days seem so distant now.

Halo you may be right. I've had 4 days of ewcm! Surely something happening?! Have you any yet? Sounds like your dd is doing well with teeth! My ds still only has 4 (11 months) but I'm sure he's working on more. Time really flies doesn't it

hi there, so many abbreviations here for me to learn!! I have encouraging news! Am still bf 19 mo DD1 and still no sign of period but had a positive POAS yday!!! Am so happy. Was planning to try a few more months like this and would have weaned DD1 otherwise to get the period going again. Luckily it wasn't necessary. So it is possible!! So with dc2 I might end up enjoying 3-4 years without period, I love it! good luck everyone!

Ooh congrats sanam tell us more. Any signs of your ovulation? How many feeds does your DD have a day?

Wishing you a happy and healthy next 8 months!

Haloflo, yes I did have the impression at one point that I might be ovulating - it was about 5 weeks ago. I had a bit of stomach cramps and generally felt a bit as if these were period pains. So i thought maybe this is ovulating and maybe about two weeks later would be a good time ttc actively. We tried and it seems to have worked!!!

I feed DD early morning 6am and then for bedtime 7pm bc I work full-time but usually 1-2 time more during the night, also on weekends i often feed her once more around noon for naptime (bottle refuser) so on average still 3-4 times per 24h really.

Thanks for replying saman I feed DD in a similar pattern except sometimes a couple more night feeds so there is hope! Congratulations again.

Welcome maples as far as I understand it 13/14 mo is the average for your periods to come if you practise ecological breastfeeding. So feeding on demand 24 hours a day, no dummys, no bottles and you co sleep. My AF returned when DD was 10.5 mo - i'd been back at work (3 days pw) about 6 weeks when I got my first AF, it took 7 weeks til I got my second though.

To trigger their return there is lots of good info on kellymom here and here but basically the best way to trigger your fertility to return is to have a break - either by cutting feeds or by skipping a day or two's worth of feeds. As your DS is young your best bet is to cut down on feeds (particually at night - sorry) I haven't managed to nightwean but have weaned during the day completely so as to keep every day the same when i'm at work. I hope you are recovering from your op ok.

thinkingof4 how are things? Hope you've been busy in case you were ovulating! Tbh i've no idea what is happening. I thought I had some EWCM but maybe not - all OPKs are negative. I did feel sick and have the sore nips the other day so DTD just in case. Can I ask a personal q? How do you get "couple time" when you have 3 children? DD has an annoying habit of waking at the wrong moment and quickies are no good to me, it takes a while for me to swtich off my "mother" side.

Congratulations sanam that's fab news! Gives the rest of us hope too!

haloflo hah, couple time, good question! Well I suppose you just have to take the chance when you can. On the day I think I might have ovulated we dtd at 4am after a middle of the night feed for ds3. It helps a lot that he is in his own room now.
In fact last night he slept from 9pm till 6am, his best ever.
So I suppose be aware of when your fertile times and take the chance, whatever the time of day (or night!)

whenshewasbad how many DPO do you think you are? Any symptom spotting yet

Hi maples hope his thread can be useful to you

Thinking

Hi so sorry am only just getting back to you. Have been offline since Sunday.

Got a positive opk on Monday (10 days ago). Had a sore crampy back on Tues night the day after the positive opk, never had ovulation pain before so am not convinced that was what it was.

Will be testing on Tuesday or Wednesday (if I can be super patient). Trying not to symptom spot too much.

Hi all,

Well, by definition, I guess I'm going to have to leave this thread. We are still TTC but have weaned DS off the breast completely. Not sure if we've DTD enough this cycle to give him a sibling but next cycle won't have any breastfeeding hormones to blame it on so we might be a bit luckier...

You've all been lovely and I really hope you get BFPs soon.
:)

Well good luck kurly
I hadn't realised you were planning to wean completely.

I reckon with my extended 2ww I can't test till end of week so I'll probably wait till weekend but I'm certainly not feeling pregnant at all

whenshewasbad
have you manage to hold off testing so far?

thinking

No problem not testing. Af arrived on Sat, which would give me a short ish luteal phase of 11 days. Think my body is still getting back to normal, so am looking at return of af as positive.

Do you think you ovulated in April? Will you be testing soon?

Sorry about AF but maybe next month will be better
I think I ovd but am only about 9dpo so will wait till weekend and if no AF will poas
Not feeling any different though so may all be in my head

whenshewasbad Sorry about AF, 11 days isn't too bad. My first luteal phase was 7/8 days. Hopefully your next one will be longer.

thinkingof4 Fingers crossed for the weekend.

kurly Pop back and let us know of any news!

In news here I had a positive OPK on Saturday but circumstance meant we DTD 6 days before and not after so no chance this month! Oh well, I am pleased to be ovulating at CD20 instead of CD40 something. Definatly a sign that things are getting back to normal. I hope this luteal phase is a bit longer and then we can get going again next cycle (with hopefully a chance of conceiving)

Hi all
Well AF finally appeared last night (almost exactly when fertility friend predicted!) so I'm quite pleased really, as it kind of confirms that I did ovulate when I thought! Shortish luteal phase of 9-10 days so hoping this will improve next cycle
Actually a February baby is better than January for me anyway as I already have ds1 birthday in January

Hello all. I have not posted on this thread before but I hope you won't mind me dropping in and asking what might be a stupid question...?

I understand the impact of BF on TTC in as much as it delays the return of AF, but does it continue to affect the likelihood of conception once your periods are back?

I am BF my 19 mo DS. AF started again when he was 14 mo, and I have had 4 cycles since then, getting slightly more regular each time. On average I feed him early morning, at bedtime and once at night, but in the last month he has been unwell quite a few times so BF has significantly increased. DP and I have been SWI this week as all the signs point to this being my fertile time, but I'm wondering if my mammoth BF sessions will affect our chances of conceiving? Or, as long as you're ovulating, does it make no difference at all?

Feel a bit silly asking this as I'm sure I should know my body better than this, but hey ho!

thinking A February baby sounds good to me!

So far no AF, positive OPK was last saturday so 9 days ago and counting. On one hand great, a longer LP, on the other I'm away next week and didn't really want it then!!

BR44 Welcome! I'm not sure what impact the frequent feeding would have had but bf'ing can not only delay conception by delaying ovulation but by shortening your luteal phase (LP) which is the gap between ovulation and your period. If its less than 12 days (I think?) then you might have problems getting pg.

Do you chart or use OPKs?

Hi halo
Good news re longer lp, sets you up better for next cycle

This thread has gone very quiet, where is everyone?

Hi br44! I agree with haloflo on that one

Thanks haloflo and hello Thinkingof4. I didn't realise that about the LP at all. I guess the only way to know this is to be sure when you've ovulated (which I am not at all) so an OPK is probably a good idea.

I don't really know where I am in terms of my cycle and we have only started seriously 'trying' in the past 2 months. It's time to get organised!! I think I ovulated last week, purely based on EWCM and a digging sensation in the left side of my abdomen, but I know I need to be a tad more scientific...

My DS has been feeding like a newborn since a nasty bout of sickness and diahorrea struck last week. As a result I have been left feeling like a lead balloon. I am literally dragging myself around the house and have constant nausea. It was so extreme yesterday that I did a HPT but it was a bfn as of course I knew it would be (it's only 3 weeks since last appearance of AF). Anyone else experienced this when their child's feeding pattern goes beserk?
It's horrible.