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

Did someone mention cake?

Hello eagle! 48 days isn't too long to conceive. Cycles can be a bit all over the place for a few months once AF returns so I wouldn't worry. How long did your cycle use to be before DS?

Bees, hope you're getting support in RL. Please just be kind to yourself.

Mister, how did the test go? I'm guessing if you did manage to have the test then they'll probably take a little while to come back. What are your plans for the TWW? Do you have the willpower to resist testing? Also, those freaky long cycles kind of put a spin to counting the days.

MrsD, I was also taken aback at getting a smiley on day 11. It was weird because it went straight to non-flashing smiley but then the next day it went to flashing. Then when it went back to static smiley it stayed like that for two days (like the instructions said it should). I thought maybe a minor glitch?

How bad pathetic is this... This month I had some sticks left over from last month so I had both the new and old sticks going at the same time "just for comparison". I don't know much about whether those things have a memory, but the new stick gave a flashing smiley the day before the old stick but both gave me a static smiley on the same day. No idea what that's all about.

So now on my TWW. So pleased that my mobile MN is allowing me to post again. It was boring for the last few days. Also, just experienced my TENTH CONSECUTIVE night of uninterrupted sleep (touch wood and cross fingers etc) so feeling amazing. I've not had a string of nights like that since the start of 2012.

In answer to Eagle's post, I think my cycle length really settled down after the first 2 or 3. Averaging about 30 days now which is similar to before pg. But all is really quite different from before. AF and CM are totally different experiences for me now.

Thanks zoo, I suppose I'm only on cycle 2 - I can't count my first AF becuase it was so light and only lasted for 48 hours!

Patience is not my strong suit but I guess I'll just have to be a bit patient now.

A 31 day cycle was normal for me before getting pg.

Oh and I'm 33 but within touching distance of being 34.

mrsdiddly, I just saw your reply now!

I'm hoping things settle down a bit - we've just started to experiment with DH settling DS once in the night and it's going fabulously! He now sleeps 7.30ish to 2ish before looking for a feed so I'm hoping that helps with fertility too.

Hi everyone I'm still here, lying low seeing what happens this month. Just to recap, I've a 21 month old DD, TTC number 2 for 3 months now. I actually stopped BF about 3 weeks ago, around the time of AF, and have been trying to dtd at least every other day since then. My body is changing back to 'normal' but I've still had no EWCM. I'm now getting random hot flushes/moods like PMT and so I think we've had no luck this month and AF will be on its way in the next week I'll keep you updated though.

Good luck everyone.

Rose what changes, and what are you defining as normal? Don't think I can recall what is normal for me. BFing is my normal.

Hi zoo, basically much smaller tits.

ha Zoo I'm almost scared to try another stick in case it confuses me. Plus we're worn out. Was a bit strange going from nothing to full on static smiley. Maybe I should have started using them earlier in the month. The cheapies have done nothing for me.

eagle I'm sure they'll get closer to 31 days each cycle. We're age twins! 33 here too.

Sounds like I'm doomed. I'm still BF once a day and my tits are already smaller than when I started.

lol Mrs.

mrsdiddly, 1980 was a good year! I'm in denial that I'll be 34 in Sept. I thought I'd have all my kids by 30 :)

Hopefully things will be more normal as the cycles go on. I felt wretched last month before AF - in fact I wondered if I was pg cause I was dizzy, nauseous and exhausted. But must just have been my body gearing up again.

I am also hoping my boobs go back to some semblance of normal. I started out with 2 the same (36C), was 40G when DS was born and now 1 boob is about 36E and the other a 36FF

Hi everyone. Not sure if anyone remembers me, I have dropped off this thread a few times as I was trying to be all cool about things and pretend to myself I wasn't really disparate to have baby number two!!!

Anyway I thought i would just pop in to say I just got a BFP!!!

I am still bf DD who is 16 months, was starting to think I would have to at least nightwean to get pg. she still feeds every couple of hours at night. I am 34.

This month I did think might be lucky because I had different symptoms from usual. I had blood in my cm on and off for about five days mid cycle.

I am now feeling quite nervous as I want everything to be ok, but am going to try to keep my brain occupied with work as much as possible and stay positive

Good luck everyone!!!

Sorry desperate not disparate!

Oh and I should say we started ttc in September when my AF returned when dd was almost 7 months.

Woop woop! That is brilliant news Cat. Happy congratulations! Hope you have a lovely boring pregnancy. Thank you for coming back to share your news! How are you feeling? Have you noticed any changes with BF? BFP from other BF mums always cheers me up and gives me hope.

Who's going to be next? Got to find a way to occupy myself the 2ww...

I don't think I noticed anything yet....DD was like a vampire last night, feeding every hour, but I'm never sure if it is teething or something. I was reading on Kellymom that supply drops on average midway through pregnancy, but some people experience a drop much sooner. I must admit I am a bit daunted about the prospect of either weaning DD or tandem nursing.

Anyway I am trying not to get excited but have already started a mega to do list - just moved house so have a whole new nursery to paint. Was just thinking about deconstructing the cot (even though it was hardly ever used) and donating other stuff, but will hang onto it now!

Just to add a bit more about what I did beforehand although obviously it is impossible to know what has helped...

I went on a mega health drive, and stuck to it probably 70% of the time. Not just for fertility but for general health as well as I was having lots of minor symptoms, really bad spots, lethargy, aches etc. I cut right back on coffee - probably used to have 2 or 3 strong coffees a day, now probably one small one a couple of times a week. This is mainly because I'd been reading about the effects of coffee on homocysteine levels (sorry I'm only an armchair nutritionist). Had a fruit concoction in my 'nutribullet' every day, always a mixture of baby spinach and omega seed mix, plus different fruits depending on what I had. More water, eating salads, generally increasing portions of fruit and veg to over 10 a day ideally. Also I had concerns that as I work indoors during the day my Vitamin D levels were low so for the last few weeks I have tried to be outside for at least an hour a day with no sunscreen. Tried to eat salmon / mackerel twice a week, chicken, red meat maybe once a week. Carried on with a glass of wine until my last just before my BFP last night!!!
Then DTD every two or three days (some one day intervals) from day 9 until day 21.
We were also on holiday at Centerparcs during that time, not sure if that helped!!!!

Also DH did a long bike ride recently and had been training, so his fitness has also improved lots and we are generally healthier!!! Maybe this worked or maybe it is just pot luck, who knows!

Congratulations cat that's super news! Hope that all goes well for you during your pregnancy.

Thanks for the info about generally trying to be healthier. I was super fit and healthy when we conceived DS but that's all gone to crap now. DS hasn't been a great sleeper so sugar has been getting me through the day. He has improved wildly in the last 2 weeks so now is the time to try to get healthy again.

We also live with DH's parents which brings its own stresses and isn't conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

Sounds like you've lots to keep busy with too. I've heard from other BF mums that supply tends to dip in the second trimester and some babies will self wean then but others will dry suck all the way till the new baby's milk comes in! Tandem nursing is a tall order IMO.

Cat thank you for the extra info! Sod the fitness I'm going to be pestering for a holiday!

No really, we do need to be fitter. We have a relatively healthy diet, but I really struggle finding time to do exercise. I was super fit when we conceived DS and on a health binge second time round, despite the result. I find it so hard resisting cold beer on hot days. We've bought a bike seat for DS in the hope of some summer cycle rides. They still count if you come home via a pub right?

I think I'm too stressed to get a BFP right now. Takes it toll on you this TTC lark sometimes.

eagle I definitely couldn't survive at my DH's parents. How do you manage TTC whilst being there?

Well, mrsdiddly, only time will tell! We've just started TTC but I think it'll be a bit halfhearted until we've found our own place. We have to be very old fashioned about DTD :)

Living with the ILs is a pain in the backside TBH. My MIL has 6 children, she had 4 in 4 years, so she doesn't understand when I say I'm tired! She didn't BF either so she doesn't really get that I want to keep going until (ideally) DS self weans.

What age is your DS now? Does he still feed a lot? My guy has really cut down in the last few weeks.

Wow Cat. Congrats to you and DH. It's lovely to hear that things might not happen straight away but they do/can happen. Hoping for more good news soon.

Haha Rose. That's not a problem I've had really. And yikes to poor mis-shapen Eagle!

Woohoo, congratulations cat!! Of course I remember you, I think you joined the thread about the same time as me. All the best for your pregnancy and thanks for sharing your strategy, I massively cut down on caffeinated drinks this cycle (from 1 strong coffee and 2+ teas a day to just the odd cup of tea a few times a week) and I ovulated on day 21 (previously ranged from day 28 - 48) so seems to have made a difference for me too. BFN this morning though and AF due tomorrow so it hasn't quite done the trick yet.

I had my GP follow up today after my blood tests and I did definitely ovulate this month but she thinks I have PCOS and is going to refer me to the fertility clinic . I am supposed to try to eat a low GI diet (I really love my pasta and bread so not looking forward to that) but she also told me I can't lose any weight as I am only just above the underweight category. I'm not really sure that I can do both as I struggle to maintain weight as it is! Any ideas for a high calorie low GI diet??

mrsd hooray for the peak smiley! Pub on the way back from cycle ride is the law in summer no? Oh and on the subject of boobs, mine went really small but have got bigger again a few months after stopping bf, bigger than pre-DS I think, so there is still hope!

Hello eagle and hope you find your own place soon, have to say I would find living with my ILs really stressful!

Congratulations cat!

AF coming along for me today I think . We tried really hard this month and am a bit despondent.

It's a relief to know for sure that you ovulated Mister. That's the thing with TTC. It's all massively unknown. Great that you've got a gp taking action. Not sure what PCOS is really but I see it mentioned quite a bit round here. I actually had gestational diabetes so had to exist on low GI for a few months. I found that pasta actually worked for me and my sugar levels. I practically loved on it so it's lucky I'm partial to it. But I had the "advantage" of having a glucose monitor to tell me whether I was doing anything beneficial or not. How will you know if you're getting it right? Just go by what the GI tables say?

Rose I totally get your despondent feeling. I was just thinking today that I don't feel any different whatsoever so I shouldn't get hopes up for this month etc and it really made me peeved. Bah humbug, 1 August already and another month without success.

Sorry to hear about the PCOS, mister, I've a few friends with it and it's just one more thing to throw into the tricky mix of getting that BFP!

I'm trying not to notice how I'm feeling (if that makes sense) because I have another 12 days approx to go judging by the EWCM and the last 2 cycles.

Do you ladies recommend investing in OPKs? DS was kind of a very lucky surprise so I haven't charted or temped before.

zoo it stands for polycystic ovarian syndrome, where the ovaries produce lots of small cysts that don't mature enough to release an egg (hence my irregular cycles). It's linked to insulin resistance which is why they suggest a low GI diet, the body produces extra insulin to compensate which triggers an imbalance in the hormones produced by the ovaries (too much testosterone and LH). Something like that anyway. Interesting that pasta worked for you, I thought pasta was on the definite no list (sad as I love it!) I haven't been given a glucose monitor or any dietary advice really, just told to eat 'low GI' and am researching googling obsessively what that means but it will all be a bit of a guess so any tips would be gratefully received! I think mainly cut down a lot on bread, potatoes and pasta which I eat loads of at the moment, maybe a bit of the wholemeal / wholegrain varieties, try to keep out the cakes / biscuits chocolate which I was doing anyway and increase fresh veg, pulses, protein. Exercise is supposed to help too so I should really follow through on my ambition to cycle to work given the lovely weather especially.

rosepetal we are AF twins this month, mine started on Friday. I was expecting it due to the negative tests and am pleased that I had a much more 'normal' length cycle (34 days with luteal phase exactly 14 days, much shorter than anything else since DS!) but always a bit disappointing nevertheless. I find it's always particularly difficult when you've tried really hard and done everything 'right' because you're not sure what else to do next time to increase your chances, but even with all that a lot is down to pure luck so there is still a good chance it will work out this month.

Good luck for your 2ww eagle, hope it doesn't drag too much! I used opks last month and was surprised to find them quite useful so will do the same this month. I didn't spot much ewcm and wouldn't have known ovulation was imminent without them, but then I have irregular cycles, I imagine they're not so much use if your ovulation is very predictable anyway. I find temping helpful too for confirming I have ov'd and keeping track in the tww (although it can cause me to become a bit obsessive!)