Absent AF, screwed up ovulation, luteal phase defects? Sign in for the all new ttc while breastfeeding thread! BFPs guaranteed!

[MrsHuxtable]

As if ttc wasn't nerve wrecking enough, we like the extra challenge of getting that BFP while still breastfeeding a baby or toddler. While this isn't an easy endouvour, it certainly isn't impossible as many graduates on the previous threads prove.

I'm posting a link here for any newcomers about fertility while breastfeeding.

kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility/

Am also wonderig if you'd like to have some sort of stats for the tread members. I'll just start myself.

MrsHuxtable, 29, ttc#2 from April, on pp cycle 4, luteal phase defect

Hello, I was hoping someone might be able to answer what is probably a silly question.

Do OPKs work if your period hasn't returned (I'm assuming you can still ovulate without having a period?)? I have a 13 month old who I am still breastfeeding, but no sign of my period yet.

DS is still breastfeeding lots in the night and a couple of times during the day and I'm not sure when this will change. I used the Clearblue fertility monitor when TTC DS and was wondering if it would be worth trying at some point to detect any hormonal changes. Thinking about TTC #2 in a few months..... Does any of this make sense?

Just thought I'd pop in and say hey.

Bfn still for me since I gave up bf. think I've had two cycles now and no luck. Only thing I will say is that my joint niggles have cleared up now and I do actually feel better in myself, but otherwise it's made no impact particularly on TTC so far.

Big hugs to the girls on here. Hope you get your BFPs soon xxxxxx

Oh that's great re. your levels. Fab news xxxx

I have got my first appointment to see a fertility acupuncturist award winning no less on Monday. So least I will feel like I'm doing everything I can. I'm hoping to give myself another 6 months and if nothing doing after that I will approach my GP regarding the way forward. I fully suspect they will have nothing to offer me bar tests but you never know.

Thanks so much for advice :) tested last night (stupid time to test) and BFN but it's not been 14 days yet so we shall see. I'd be very happy if it were to happen now; I'm a teacher so September-ish baby would be ideal timing!

Hi waiting that's good news and thank you for sharing with us. It's so difficult to know what bf does to our hormones!

Hi mister, I'm in the 2ww but last cycle I think it went on about 4 weeks!! So not thinking about it at all this month, am going to focus a bit more in the coming months. I think I need to sort my diet out a bit as it is terrible at the moment and I think for me a good diet and exercise helps because of my previous polycystic ovaries. (Although hormone levels were ok when tested apparently bad diet with lots of sugar can tip it over into the proper PCOS if you are borderline like I was).

So that's why I'm going to focus after christmas so I can enjoy my mince pies

Sebsmummy it is great to hear from you! Sorry to hear about your bfn. A fertility acupuncturist sounds worth a try, I never had acupuncture before, do come back and let us know how it went

Paleandinteresting I tried the clearblue dual hormone opk and didn't find it great - I got ten days of flashing smiley faces then gave up! But I have the rest of the box left so may try again in the new year. But it may work for you, do tell us how it goes! I bf dd 9.5 months mostly at night plus morning and evening cluster feeds. I tried those opks on about my second cycle I think.

Pale - I can't see why OPKs wouldn't work whilst BF, although I guess you might get a positive which didn't actually result in ovulation (your body trying and not quite managing it). But the surge which would cause the ovulation leading to your first post-birth period would show up on an OPK: it just might not be the first positive you get.

Interested to hear about the acupuncture too! I tried reflexology prior to TTC#1 (I came off the pill and didn't get a cycle for 6m so was starting to freak out) and it didn't do much to be honest, but I've heard very good things about acupuncture!

Thanks for the advice re OPKs. Will give it a go and report back if it works. Hoping for lots of BFPs for you all!

Whilst opks haven't helped me conceive, they definitely helped me understand my cycle better. When I was bfing I had a short luteal phase, 9 days I think and would show a post opk on day 16. Since stopping I now have a 12 day LP and had a pos opk on day 12!

I think it's going to take a few more cycles to really pin down what is normal for me, but I can remember pre pregnancy my periods would appear between day 25 and 28. I took absolutely no notice of them though as I spent much of my twenties and early thirties celibate.

Sebsmummy that's intriguing!

Waiting that's interesting about your DSis. I've heard that sort of thing before and have wondered if people get pg naturally whilst undergoing Ivf because they eat more healthily and cut back on smoking, drinking etc.

(I'm a bit fixated on the health thing at the moment can you tell!)

Hope everyone is well and that you all have good weekends

My stats!

31, two DC (3.3 and 9m), TTC#3 in the new year. So far 4 'periods' (tiny spotting but bang on time :) ).

Great news about DH's job waiting, and you never know, maternity cover sometimes leads to something more permanent. Also really good news about your hormone levels, now you can have confidence that nothing is stopping you from getting that bfp!

Cat good thinking about the healthy eating, my diet is quite good in terms of meals but I am a terrible snacker as my coping strategy for getting very little sleep when ds was sleeping so badly was lots of chocolate biscuits! Now that he's sleeping much better I should really cut down. My last 2ww lasted about 6 wks so like you I don't really have a clue when / whether I have ovulated yet this month. I tested last night and got a bfn (not a good time but was going out to meet friends and wanted to know if I should stay off the wine!) Something is definitely up with my hormones as I've had mild period cramps, sore boobs and dizzy spells but may just be cycles sorting themselves out (plus lots of expressing). Must remember to temp after the next AF so that I have a better idea of what's going on!

Pale the only problem I can see with using opks before your period returns is that you wouldn't know when to start using them iyswim so could end up going through a lot of test sticks / missing the positive as from my experience it's hard enough to catch it if you know roughly when to expect it. I'm sure they would work though if you did catch the right time.

I have heard good things about acupuncturists too Sebs, hope it works for you - you'll have to report back and let us know.

Evening all, I lost you! Hope all is well, no time for reading but will try and catch up no bfp here yet... ... I also want one for Christmas!

Hi waiting. How does the rest of your week look? I know what you mean about finding it difficult to find swi moment. Dd always wakes up and dh usually works v late