TTC and still Breastfeeding? You are not alone - come to our bf-friendly cafe for a chat and some cake!

[MisterSafetyCatchIsNotOn]

Over here all breastfeeding ttcers! Welcome to our thread - a place for us to come for support, information and to talk about the extra challenges of ttc while still breastfeeding (or expressing like myself).

I thought I should go ahead and start the new thread as the old one is about to fill up and I didn't want anyone to get lost (hope that's ok Waiting and that you haven't already done this and I just missed it!)

For anyone who is new to the thread or needs a reminder, here are a few links to some useful websites (thanks Waiting for putting these together)

kellymom.com/bf/normal/ttc-while-bf/

kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility/

www.llli.org/nb/nbmayjune04p114.html

www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Fertility-charting-while-breastfeeding.html

...and the roll call updated where I could from the last one (sorry if I get any wrong, please feel free to correct me)

Catellington, one DD age 10 months, on cycle 4, DD normally feeds 7.30am, 4.30pm, 6.30pm and a couple of times (I think) during the night. Age 33 so need to get a move on if I want to have 4.

Ekk0, bf dd2 and waiting for AF.

KokoLoko, DS1 38 months, DS2 16 months, age 36, no AF still (back at 13 months with DS1). Would like 4 kids in total but right now I'd just like to get going on #3

NotInYourNature cycle 0 with 9 month old, Night weaned bf 5-6 times a day. 28 in constant 2ww

MisterSafety, cycle 3 after 18 month old ds, bf 3 x per day until 17 months when a nasty bug caused him to suddenly give up breastfeeding so expressing to get through the winter, was due to ov this week.

WaitingForPeterWimsey (used to be Blackberry) 1 DS aged 2, on cycle 5 of AF post DS. DS day-weaned but bf all 3-4 times per night. Aged 39 so need to get a move on!

radiatormesh 31, two DC (3.4 and 10m), TTC#3 in the new year. So far 4 'periods' (tiny spotting but bang on time)

TeacupTempset Cycle 1 after 24 1/2 m old dd (hope it's ok to add you teacup!)

mrsdiddlydoo 10 month old ds, AF returned in October. (hope you don't mind me adding you too)

Recent graduates with bfps!

Lelly- 9 weeks pg (is that right?)
Wild - 23 weeks pg
Eggs - 22 weeks pg if I've got that right

If I have missed anyone or there are any updates please let me know!

Hi all

Well DH and I have started SWI: I think we have almost had more sex in the last week than in DC#2's entire life (good thing he was off over Christmas/NY!).

I got some proper EWCM this week too which was very exciting - particularly one bit which had definitely brown/red streaks in (which I've since found out from obsessive googling can be very fertile). Not expecting anything this cycle (since my lining in every other cycle has been nowhere near enough for implantation) but things are clearly moving in the right direction: maybe cutting down to just three feeds a day will be enough for me to get knocked up.. ;)

Happy NY to all!!

Thanks for adding me Mister and for the new thread. This is our 4th cycle ttc no2, but they have been all over the place since AF returned ranging from 35 to 26 days!!

Thanks for adding me!

I am very glad to have finally got my AF back but my goodness it's a shock to the system. Feels like I need a transfusion! (Sorry tmi)

Question. If DD ups her night feeding (growth spurt, illness etc) will this screw up my cycle again?

Yes she is 24 months.

Thanks. Good to know!

Hello, could I possibly join you? I have one dd, 15 months, who still breastfeeds (quite a lot!). Usually 4-5 times a day, and a couple of times during the night, but can be more. AF returned when she was 14 months, and we've started ttc. Next af came on 3rd Jan, giving a cycle length of 34 days, which I was surprised by because when I came off the pill before conceiving dd my cycles were all over the place! 34 days is about normal for me. So we're starting cycle 2, and we'll pay more attention to dates this time!

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all :)

24.5 m to be precise!

Thanks Waiting I am sure she won't increase too much as she is fit ansd well at the moment but she is still a prolific feeder and I want to start ttc without having to deny her too much. Feels like a delicate balance!

Hi everyone, great new thread!

and to you all and hello to a few new names for the new year

No news here I'm afraid except dd started crawling and got her first two teeth all on the same day a couple of weeks ago. In the last few days she seems to have been sleeping better but don't want to speak too soon!

Am on cd23, haven't taken temp for a while as I've been ill with blocked nose etc so don't think temp would be reliable.

Hi teacup we have definitely been through spells of much more nursing for teething, holidays etc and it doesn't seem to have affected my cycle. I'm on my fourth cycle now I think and each cycle gets a few days shorter ( ie getting back towards my usual which was 28 days pre preg)

mister I'm really impressed at your stats update! Just saw it, you knew better than me where I'm up to!

Haha cat, I just stole from Waiting's last stats list and added a month, not stalking you I promise.

No real news for me either, cd21 today but I don't know if I've ovulated as I haven't been temping. Not noticed much EWCM. Lots of swi this month thanks to holidays though so really hoping I have!

Welcome Orchid! That sounds encouraging that your cycle is a normal length already, my AF returned at a similar time but I had to wait 2 months for the second one.

Oh dear Waiting, hope the plumbing gets sorted, some friends also came home to find burst pipes after the cold weather, not a nice homecoming! Hurray for AF showing up though, new year new start for all of us. Let's hope those bfps roll in sooner rather than later.

Hello,

I am trying to conceive number 2 and still breastfeeding. DD is 15 months and my periods came back at 1 year (to the day!) I had my coil out last month, have had one period, and am in the middle of having a LOT of sex right now Thankfully DD is sleeping better than she used to…

I can't face charting ovulation or anything (and I don't do preg tests early - will wait till AT LEAST a week after period is late!) So I'm just going with sex every day or every other day - I hope it will work as it's only month one but I'm already feeling worryingly obsessed (enjoying the sex though).

So my last period was 21 December and they have been reasonably regular since re-starting (between 25 and 30 days). If I'm having regular periods do you reckon I'm definitely fertile again? I really don't want to start mucking about charting…

Oh and I am 34 and DD feeds bedtime and morning now.

Would be great to have some like minded people to talk to. No one knows I'm TTC except DP obviously. I want to talk about it! But I can't face people watching me hopefully...

Radiator I just re-read what you posted about the brown/red streaked EWCM being very fertile, didn't know that so thanks for sharing. I had EWCM like that last month, thinking back probably about 2 weeks before AF so it was most likely a sign of ovulation. As I was due to ovulate the week before I didn't pay much attention just thought it could be implantation or something and ignored it. I'm kicking myself now as I know I don't always ovulate so now thinking what a missed opportunity (it was a week later than I expected and work was really busy so we hardly swi at all that week).

Think we will try to go for a strategy of swi at least every other day from now on as you suggested Waiting, life gets in the way so often but I'll make it a new year's resolution! It is now 6 months since we decided to start trying for number 2 (although at the time AF had not returned) - hopefully we'll get there before another 6 months has passed. It's on my mind a lot just now as a good friend is due to have her first next week and I went to her baby shower yesterday, just made me more excited about the idea of another lovely newborn!

Hi weebairn, nice to have you with us, can I offer you some ? Sounds like you need to keep your energy up with all that sex as well as breastfeeding. I'm also keeping it to myself (and dh) that we are ttc as I can't face the questions, but dh doesn't really like to talk about it so this is a great place to get it out of my system.

Waiting, really hoping for a less stressful year for you and your DH, and a bfp of course!

Ooh if there is cake can I join? DD is 15 months and feeds by the minute day and night.

Still no AF for me, probably because my body thinks I am still feeding a starving newborn! Does anyone else's older baby still feed lots?

Hi everyone, thanks for your welcome :)

I'm not temping at the moment either, as I'm woken by dd every morning so no time to stay in bed and take a temperature!

Thanks for posting that link, Waiting, it was really interesting.

Is anyone else worried about milk supply once they get pregnant? Dd loves her milk so much I don't want to take it away!

Hi medium orchid I know what you mean about the temping being difficult. I've tried it for a couple of cycles and although I think a pattern sort of emerged there are quite a few random readings which I think could be because of frequent night wakings plus I can't ever be sure exactly what time dd will get up. So not sure whether it is that suitable for me, I think from now on we will follow weebairn's method and just have lots of sex and ignore the chart !

will have to muster up the energy somehow !

Also medium. I have been reading about milk supply in pg including some posts from the grads from the previous thread.

I am a bit worried as dd is 10 months and I really want us to get to a year at least before weaning, but I guess the pessimist in me thinks that I won't get pg till then anyway

From what I read there isn't much can be done about dwindling supply in pg, ie more feeding etc won't necessarily help. But not all women experience any loss of supply or it isn't enough to stop them carrying on bf. I guess we won't know till it happens.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1689139-Absent-AF-screwed-up-ovulation-luteal-phase-defects-Sign-in-for-the-all-new-ttc-while-breastfeeding-thread-BFPs-guaranteed?pg=36

See eggsnbeans halfway down