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

[eagle2010]

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.

Seeing as I filled up the old thread I thought I should start the new one!

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). I hope I've worked the links properly.

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

How blegh mary. Solidarity.

My friend thinks my IC OPK sticks detected a surge and then I will have another one later on but I deffo didn't ovulate because the two lines need to be as strong as each other and even though on Saturday the second line was strong it wasn't exactly the same strength. Or she thinks my cbfm missed it and I ovulated over the weekend. Hope to god that isn't true as I only started Dtd on Sat when I spotted the surge Oh well I shall continue on my EOD mission just incase. Why does it have to be so bloody complicating

Mary that's odd. Have you done a test just to make sure?

Yes Mary that sounds odd! Poas?!

'tis odd indeed I even have stomach cramps.

Just done an opk (negative) as they can pick up a bfp, apparently. Tbh, AF usually disappears and reappears once, just not normally twice.

Sorry to dripfeed but dd plonked herself down a little too heavily on my lap about 10 days ago; I had stomach cramps overnight and then AF appeared (early) a couple of days after. Maybe just coincidence. ...

Mary are you thinking maybe a mc then? Hope that's not the case for you

I'm really not sure. I was obsessively testing up until AF arrived and only ever got bfns, so I doubt it. I really hope not anyway. Maybe it just triggered an early AF and that's why it's been an odd one.

I've also recently cut down another of dd's feed, so this may account for a strange cycle.

I had a really weird AF last cycle that came a week early and was stop starty. Never had that before so figured BF must do odd things to our cycles sometimes.

I met a lady at work today Who is a midwife and she said she became pregnant whilst breastfeeding by accident and tandem fed until they were 3. Sounds lovely!

Is anyone else worried about their milk drying up when we all get our BFP?

Hide I'm more worried about it becoming incredibly painful!

For us it would be a good excuse to wean dd - she's 2.3 now so more than ready I think. As lovely as tandem nursing sounds I don't think I could manage it. DD cluster fed so much in the first few weeks. I just hope that, if dd does wean, then she doesn't start to ask again, or get jealous, when she sees her younger sibling feeding.

Sounds odd Mary. I'm only on first 'proper' af (few days weird bleeding at Christmas before that) so not worked out what the new normal is going to be yet. Only 16 months here but only bf once a day now with cows milk in between so think I'd probably try to wean if did get bfp in any case to avoid the potential jealousy situation...hopefully if there's enough time passed it wouldn't be an issue?

There was a really cool photo I saw of someone's expressed milk towards the end of pregnancy - one breast was producing colostrum and the other one normal milk. Bodies are pretty clever really! Her dc had started refusing the colostrum boob fairly early in pregnancy.

Hide ~ have you tested?

Mary ~ remind me how many Af's you've had since dc1? It's taken my body months to return to a normal cycle with normal length AF. 6months in fact quite scary when I count back! Just as well I started tracking 3 months before serious TTC took place.

I hardly have any milk left but DS still manages to get two feeds. I call them comfort feeds. I will definitely be weaning him soon. I said I'll continue until he turns 2 and that is fast approaching now that he's 20 mths! I have sort of been waiting for a BFP to do it for me as I'm convinced I'll dry up!

Hello everyone,

Speaking of odd AF, did any of you have warning before it returned? I have had cramps for two day now

I have used BM in DC's eye, to notice I difference I had use a cpl times a day for several days.

Yes Hide have you tested?

Mary a friend of mine recently had 6 days of positive OPKs then it stopped and a week later had a BFP so I would recommend taking a PT in a cpl days to be sure

Good night to all

Notice a difference

Morning all! I have zero experience of AFs after pregnancy yet so can't help anybody at all! Am also hoping I won't need to. Would be just grand if I managed to skip them altogether for another 15months or so.
Terrible night and morning. DCs teething has gone from level 5 to level 9 and now we are all three of us in agony because of it. Poor note doesn't want to eat or drink anything and it looks like even the ibuprofen isn't helping today. Occasional moments where everything is hunky dorey and you think it is all over now but two minutes later we are back at screaming and tears flowing and snottiness. exhausted

I've also been comfort feeding even though DC is only taking a little bit until calming down or starting to chomp down on my nipple. But I am very very worried that the increase in bf sessions yesterday and today so far might scupper implantation if I did manage to get fertilised these last five days at some point. That it might send word back to hormone central that I can't feed two babies right now so ditch any plans for lining that uterus comfortably.
What's your favorite teething tips?

mary meant to ask how would an opk pick up a pregnancy?
at that midwife.

Morning all!

Getting a bit worried as no sign of ovulation at all (no CM, negative OPK, firm and low cervix etc) but now on CD 15. I had hoped I would be hearing up to ovulate by Thursday but CBFM is not even saying high fertility yet. As this is my first cycle since DD was born I am wondering if it's going to be a weird one. Will I even ovulate? Will it be a mammoth long cycle. Do I need to wean completely? If things don't get on track by March then I am going to wean. She is 25 months now so I think it's ok.

Anyway, enough about me!

austral I totally know how you feel!!! It's so frustrating and confusing isn't it! Perhaps try not to worry this week and give DC what he needs and then start afresh when he is feeling a bit better? Sounds like this is making you all feel really stressed out. I know how it feels to be really torn between the child you have and longing for a child you want.

Rosie I only just got my first AF and had no warning other than a bit of bloating or cramps at all which is great as pre-DD my AFs were agony.

In other news we have woken up to a very snowy scene! Despite the fact we are in central London!! DD is very excited.

Rosie ~ I had cramps for 2 days before AF returned. I think that's very normal. It didn't happen the month after.

Frazzled ~ are you me? Sounds so similar to my week! Are you Dtd anyway? Last month I didn't ov until cd20 so I guess I'm going to ovulate late again. Looks like we will have a potential early November baby

Frazzles - Oh yeah I forgot about the potential halooween baby Not that I care anymore!!!

I'm full of cold but I don't want to take any medicine in case it interferes with OV I know it probably wouldn't buy I just can't take any chances. DH is looking after DS this morning so I can get some rest. Feeling super lucky to have that!

I'm thinking if I don't get a BFP this cycle then I need to seriously consider dropping the 7pm feed I've read that stopping night weaning can have a big effect on hormone levels so that is the feed I will probably have to drop first. So sad. I'd much rather drop the morning one now. However, if I don't plan to bf whilst I'm pregnant then maybe it's time as he will be 21 months at the end of Feb. It's sad that some of us have this problem. I really thought that ovulating was enough but now that I've read that a lady was tracking and ovulating but didn't fall pregnant until she dropped a feed...I'm now having second thoughts

Austral apparently the opks can't distinguish between LH and hCG. They're not as sensitive as a hpt though, but I was too stingy to use my expensive high street hpt. I figured that I would be far enough along for it to show on an ic opk.
Teething is awful - are they molars this time? They are the worst. We had weeks of stinky nappies, sore bottoms and grumpy tantrums. You have my sympathy.

Pear, AF returned when dd was around 8 months, so around 19 months ago and has been pretty regular from the onset really.

This site explains using opk as a hpt although can't be 100% sure of everything we read online!

Pear yes, i think we may be the same person. Although I am not feeling ill, just absolutely knackered and terrified that this will affect ovulation as I have been told that diet, sleep and alcohol (as well as stress, illness etc.) around ovulation can postpone it or even nix it completely for that cycle. Clearly the stress of this is making that more likely. So stupid!
I was feeling really quietly confident the other day and somehow really sure that this would be our month. Now I am wondering if I will ever ovulate again. Bonkers. Can't wait to NOT be TTC anymore and getting a little bit of my brain back.

I have heard that the night feed is key too, but I don't think 7pm would really count as "night" because it isn't interrupting your sleep. I think that's the crucial part. I think at this point the main thing is how long and how often they feed. Plus just luck of the draw with your biology. So, perhaps if you would rather drop the morning feed then do that instead and then see how you go?

Either way - let's be positive about our BFP for a lovely November baby!!!

Mary that is really interesting. I had heard that before but didn't know how reliable it was. At least I can be sure that I have definitely not ovulated AND am not pregnant!

I have read that it doesn't matter what time of day the feed is that you drop and I have also read the opposite and that night feeds are the worst of impacting negatively on fertility. Therefore I don't know what to think!

AF due tomorrow but a BFN for me today so suspect I am out for feb!