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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

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

999 replies

eagle2010 · 28/09/2014 10:33

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

OP posts:
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peardrop2 · 07/10/2014 22:14

Anything - desperately trying not to POAS Blush That's how I'm doing Grin

peardrop2 · 07/10/2014 22:15

Pretty sure I was 11 DPO when I got my first BFP or was is it 10?! Hmm Either way I am not allowed to test until the weekend at the very earliest!!

AnythingNotEverything · 07/10/2014 22:56

I think I was 11DPO with my last bfp too. I think I'm testing every day this week. I'm addicted.

peardrop2 · 07/10/2014 23:44

Anything ~ I looked back at my notes and I was 11DPO. Also says I experienced calypso colour pee, burping and cramps. I haven't experienced any of that this week. It's a bfn :-( Oh well...good to face any disappointment now!!

ispyfispi · 08/10/2014 21:26

Hello again ladies, so interesting reading all your experiences. Hope all you pregnant ladies are well and those of us who aren't yet are not going too crazy?! Madrigals so reassuring you managed to conceive while still night feeding and Gunpowder on catching that first egg! I'm just desperate for a smaller age gap this time and can feel myself getting anxious as my lo approaches 12m. But with no af and lots of night feeding I'm going to be here a good while yet aren't I?!

ispyfispi · 08/10/2014 21:27

Sorry for the bfn pears ??

Original poster
eagle2010 · 08/10/2014 21:38

Well ispy, if it's any consolation I was still feeding loads at night when my AF returned and still doing a few night feeds even now (9 weeks pg today).

I think it seems very different for different women, so you might need to drop some night feeds to kickstart things but they may start up themselves anyway!

How is everyone else doing? anything, I hope that no sickness followed the dodgy nappies.

DS has had a few very runny nappies which may possibly be due to changes in my milk - sometimes he wrinkles up his nose when feeding and looks quizzically at me/my nipple!!!! I wonder if the taste is changing as well.

Now I am about to close my eyes as tiredness is overwhelming me these days. Gone are the lazy pregnancy days of the first time round!

Hope everyone is well, sorry for the BFN pear.

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AnythingNotEverything · 08/10/2014 22:00

Thanks eagle - do keep us updating on the feeding while pregnant. Interested to hear.

Nothing more a&e of the nappies so we live to fight another day. Definitely something not quite right but no vomiting, so that's pretty good.

Pear it's still early to be testing, no?

I got BFN this morning but only 8DPO. I can't help myself Smile

Yzma · 08/10/2014 22:17

Sorry to hear about the BFNs, hopefully you both tested early.

MrsC feeding for 2 years is brilliant Smile

Fispi I feel the same as you! I was congratulating myself on having dropped the first feed last week but this week DD is refusing all food and is just asking for boob all day (and all night) long. Can't see it happening any time soon.

Ladies who have af back - did it take you by surprise or did you feel as though your body was gearing back up to it for a while before?

Hope the pregnancies are going well and that nobody's feeling too sick!

AnythingNotEverything · 08/10/2014 23:28

I got AF back at about 9 months, about 8 weeks after dropping night feeds and a month after dropping to two feeds a day.

Tbh, the day it started was a surprise, but I'd had a few weeks of being in a funny emotional state. I seem to have gone straight back to pretty normal cycles though.

hideandsqueak · 09/10/2014 15:28

Hello can I join in please. I am feeding 11 month old DS and last month AF returned so we have decided to start TTC as I keep on explaining to DH that you never know how long it will take.
Does anyone know if once your period is back you can BF as much as your child desires with no detriment to your fertility or is it still better to night wean? Not that I have had a second period yet so not sure if my cycle will be like before...

Original poster
eagle2010 · 09/10/2014 17:09

Hi, hide, welcome!

I think once your AF is back it's a good sign that your fertility is returning. The KellyMom link (which I may have messed up sorry!) talks about luteal competence which may be affected by BF. So you might ovulate too close to AF for a fertilised egg to be able to implant.

I'm pretty sure that during my 2nd PP cycle I ovulated only 9 days before AF. But by the next cycle I was able to conceive.

Hope that helps a bit but the more I read about people's experiences the more I see that it is so variable between woman and woman! Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
eagle2010 · 09/10/2014 17:11

Oh and fwiw, DS was still feeding about 2/3 times a night when I got pregnant. However there was usually a stretch of about 5 hours at the beginning of the night when he wasn't feeding and due to returning to work there was a similar stretch during the day.

OP posts:
peardrop2 · 09/10/2014 19:52

Yes, too early to be testing but I'm already seeing signs that AF is on her way even though she's not due for another 11 days Hmm

peardrop2 · 09/10/2014 19:54

Forgot how annoying the 2ww is!! I've hurt my back from carrying DS but I don't want to risk taking Ibroprofen just in case even though I know feel I'm not pregnant Hmm

peardrop2 · 09/10/2014 20:15

How does everyone feel about the possibility of a July/August baby? It's been bugging me :-( My nephew is an August baby and he really struggles being the youngest in the class. I'm also not keen that dc2 would start school just when he had turned 4 Shock

hideandsqueak · 09/10/2014 20:49

Thanks eagle. That is really helpful and I think I understand it a bit now. I guess it makes sense that everyone is difference... I think my AF was triggered as DS only feeds in the morning, bedtime and then 2/3 times at night so am sometimes going 12 hours in the day. The thought of night weaning makes me feel exhausted...

hideandsqueak · 09/10/2014 20:51

Peardrop my DS is born in November and I keep on wishing he had been born in July/August so we could have a BBQ/garden party for his birthdays and hire bouncy castles etc

Guess that's the only positive to the more annoying school year thing though I do think they catch up eventually? I know some very clever summer born people!

YokoUhOh · 09/10/2014 20:56

Hi ladies, I've dropped in on this thread before but DS is now 23mo and no periods! He goes 12 hours in the day without boob but feeds rather a lot at night. I'm one of those unlucky people who's going to have to wean completely in order to get things going, aren't i?

peardrop2 · 09/10/2014 21:20

I think I just feel sad that both my babies will start school at age 4 Sad However, the reality is dc2 will be so happy to join dc1 as they love their independence at that age don't they! I'll just have to have another baby Grin

peardrop2 · 09/10/2014 21:22

Yoko - I read somewhere that it's the night feeding that influences AF the most. Not sure if that's true though as I feed twice a day 7am & 7pm and AF returned at 14months. How many times are you feeding at night?

YokoUhOh · 09/10/2014 21:28

Hi pear I honestly couldn't tell you! I co-sleep and sometimes feel like it's going on all night. Have tried Jay Gordon but it never feels like the right time.

AnythingNotEverything · 09/10/2014 21:31

Pear I'm easy about the month of birth to be honest. I think most kids struggle with one aspect of school or another, and a decent teacher recognises the age spread in their class. I know some very clever, high achieving summer babies.

DD is an October baby and so we may have months of her being ready for school but not able to attend plus an extra year's childcare to pay for.

And I'm aiming for a June baby this month based on the NHS calculator anyway ...

Yzma · 09/10/2014 21:55

The summer borns do catch up though it can affect them in reception and Y1, but the teachers will be aware of children who need a bit more time and/or support. DD is a late June baby so I hope she'll be OK.

Today we managed to go for two 5-hour stretches with no feeds - amazing for us! I hope we can keep it up, though she's now asleep in my lap feeding away... There's no way we can night wean or stop co-sleeping yet though.

Was thinking about getting some ovulation sticks but have never used them or attempted to track fertility before - what's the best way to start?

peardrop2 · 09/10/2014 22:24

Yoko - IMO your AF won't return until you decrease those night feeds. How on earth are you coping?! I couldn't handle it if DS woke up in the night now. I'm in for a massive shock with dc2!!