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

Heaty ~ welcome Hope this is your month! My DS is 20 months and I still bf at 7am & 7pm (AF returned at 14 months)

Feather ~ I use the cheap Internet ovulation strips and I have a clear blue fertility monitor. I like testing so that I can get a clearer picture on what's going on. I also look for body changes and try Dtd EOD. That's my approach to TTC so far. Next month I will drop the 7pm feed.

Frazzled - nearly OPK (cheap Internet ovulation test) testing time!!

Welcome Hetty.

Thanks Rosie - fingers crossed!!

Feather I just bought a CB digital (one that has smiley faces) and also have some FR and internet cheapie OPKs (yes it means ovulation predictor kit). I am also temping and checking cervical mucus and cervical position (when I can) to confirm what is going on. This is my first proper cycle since DD was born as I only just got my first AF two weeks ago. I am using the OPKs to help me figure out what is going on. it's been nearly 3 years since my last AF and I am pretty desperate to get on with DC 2 so am hoping this will speed things up. However, so far no ovulation has been detected.

Pear funny you should say that I just did a FR OPK and almost no test line at all. Very conclusive negative. Admittedly I have had a couple of cups of peppermint tea this afternoon but haven't been drinking gallons of water or peeing every 10 mins. I think things just aren't happening yet... sigh. Let me know what yours says!!!

Frazzled - the line has gone faint again I wasted two tests too because I just couldn't believe it. I've only got one test left now. I'll save that for when my cbfm has actually said something. Depressing

It is depressing isn't it!! It's like I can't even reach the first hurdle towards a BFP! It feels so elusive. Like it will never happen! ??

Fingers crossed for some high fertility action tomorrow!!

In the meantime my friends Ben and Jerry may need to come to the rescue... Better than a glass of wine anyway, right?

Feather I have not had AF and DS still feeds frequently during the day so I'm just trying to gear up for TTC. I'm just taking my temp. (Most mornings), watching the panty department. based on some suspicious cramping, & ewcm these past couples weeks I'm going to get some ic just to find out possible ovulation.

In other news- I have not 1 but 2 friends that have confided in me on their very early-on pregnancies (all last week) & it's making me have baby fever! Both are close friends that I would love to go through the process with. But I'm pretty sure BFP isn't in the cards for at least a cpl months, so in the mean time I'm trying to not be a jealous Jenny and stay positive.
Glad you have you ladies to confide in

Glad to have you ladies

Hallo new peoples! Just popping in to say hi then going back to feeling miserable.

Join the club Austral! I take it the bleeding got heavier?

Rosie know exactly how you feel. It can be hard when you hear about BFPs. I have at least 7 friends (who I can think of off the top of my head) who have all not only got pregnant but actually had their babies while we have been TTC (admittedly 12 months of that was without AF and therefore without ovulation). And several of those have an older DC who is younger than my DD. It can be hard.

OPKs can be really helpful to at least let you know if you are in the running although it's hard to know when to test when you don't have an AF!

I really hate the phrase "and do you know what, we weren't even TRYING!" lucky sods!

I think I read up thread about conceive plus (really sorry if it was somewhere else) and saw it in Lloyds Pharmacy today reduced from £15 to £4 if anyone else is looking for it. No idea if it's any good but thought for that price I'd give it a go...

Hi all Big congrats to hide that's great news for you and also really encouraging for the rest of us!

Nothing exciting to add: cd11 here so about to start the dtd' athon. I think I ov around cd12-14, athough opks have all been -ve so far. I really struggle to limit my fluid intake though, so I hope I'm not diluting the results. . .

OMG. We spent £15 on conceive plus at the weekend in Lloyds. Even more depressed now

Indeed frazzled. Still not very heavy but certainly looks and feels like a period so I'm counting it as AF.
Really, really thought I had it on cycle 0 there! Very sad today.
So, to summarise because I guess it it worth knowing it "worked" to some extent.
Bf 10month old on demand a gazzilion times a day, not sleeping through either. Cut down drastically within one week to two max three feeds a day, no night feeds. (Excepting a couple of caving ins here and there.) DP initially did bottles for night feeds and that really helped as boob was obviously not available, fwiw.
Used opks for about two weeks, once I got a faint positive for three days started using opks twice a day. Line got stronger but didn't overtake control line until about five days in and then got one of near equal strength on 30th of jan so counting that as surge.
DTD about 12 times out of 15 days.
Light pink bleeding on the 4th of Feb, heavier and redder by evening of 5th of Feb. Guess this was the shortest luteal phase in the history of womanhood so implantation was impossible! Bugger and feckit.
So, managed to kickstart fertility through drastic reduction at first go. Caught cycle 0 ovulation but no luck on sticking a bfp. However, af is here and we hope it will be a bfp this month. Going to take b6 to help lengthen luteal phase (presuming it works?), but of course no idea currently what this cycle will look like.
Thus this is Cd3. First AF since DC was conceived. Wow.

Cd 19 - cbfm showing nothing.

Austria - that's really positive that you've managed to cut down so much in such a short space of time and that AF has appeared before the 14 average mark. I think once AF has left you will feel much brighter about it all and get right back on that horse so to speak

Yes Austral I know how you feel. It is disappointing not to be one of those who get a BFP before AF comes back BUT on the plus side it is much more likely to fall pregnant and much easier to negotiate TTC when you have a cycle to work with. Trust me on this. I have done over a year TTC with no AF. It's stressful. At least things are gearing up and I am sure next month will be your month!!

pear so bizarre. And so annoying!!
Well, this morning I got a solid smiley face. But I never got a flashing one to indicate high fertility - just like you got last cycle. Trying not to worry that it means my hormones aren't as strong as they need to be...? Perhaps you will have peak tomorrow? I will do a regular test this pm to confirm what's going on...

Obvs will DTD as much as possible today (this evening) just in case.

Oh and Austral as you reduce feeds I am sure luteal phase will lengthen! And I would def POAS just to double triple check but then I am a POAS addict...

That's good frazzled. At least one of us is ovulating. No doubt I will go straight to peak tomorrow like last month but that's not a good thing as that is not normal Have you got one of the new cbfm then? I didn't realise they have smiley faces on them, not heard of flashing smiley faces. I just have a bar. 1 bar = no fertility, 2 bar = high and 3 bar = peak. Good luck tonight. We will be dtd too to keep up with EOD, so boring when you don't have a positive stick to help with enthusiasm!!

Yes they have a smiley face for peak and a flashing smiley face for high fertility. Dr Google has told me it is not uncommon to go straight to peak from low fertility and it looks like some people have conceived that cycle so all is not lost. Plus if FMU was diluted the last couple of days I think that might have influenced things. Feel impatient to DTD but can't do it until after DD is in bed tonight. Luckily we did manage to DTD yesterday too so am hoping that will be enough!

def good to DTD just in case Pear!

I am temping so that will confirm if and when I actually ovulate as it is possible to have the hormonal surge but not actually ovulate...

Thanks guys! Support is so helpful!
I was laughing at frazzled's suggestion of poas because my first thought was "I'm not pregnant I've got a period" followed by "maybe frazzled is right, I should do it, I might just be one of those miraculous people who have a period-like thing but somehow still remain pregnant" followed by "aaaaaargh stop thinking you're special and just go and buy a full box of tampons damnit" (I've been scratching around cupboards and handbags for random tampons since yesterday in the hope it was just a slightly heavier implantation bleed. But I've seen the error of my ways, and will have loo-ooots of coffee today to cheer me up!)

Frazzled - Ahhh I see, interesting...have been wondering what the new version does. Live in hope eh! That's all we can do The only sign I've got is that I'm constipated. It's not normal constipation, it seems to happen around OV time and around AF time. I read that this happens to some. Never experienced it until I fell pregnant with DS. Apparently something to do with progesterone levels and how my body copes. Joy! At least it could be a sign!

austral - makes sure you have that weekend glass of wine! Could be your last

Great thread, and you guys should be able to answer some of my questions and confusions! I have a 5 month old (5 months on Sunday) and got my AF back 2 weeks ago so am thinking its possible I might ovulate this weekend, assuming my cycles are steady. Is that reasonable to expect that considering I always had clockwork cycles and I am only bf'ing now 2pm, 5pm and through the night (usually 2-3 times). Or are cycles usually haywire until you completely stop breastfeeding?

Hi drof! I am so dead jealous of you right now! My plan (ha!) was to have #2 ASAP after dc1. As soon as my period came back (ha!). Which is why I decided at 10months to do the drastic cutting down thing when I realized that well, as for some people on this thread, it might not come back by itself even if I waited two years!
As far as I know regarding your question, some people can has really normal cycles and full fertility while bfing. Very individual. But I think quite often a first cycle can also either be anovulatory or multiovulatory. Some people seem to end up with really long cycles. It is common for bfeeding women to have short luteal phases that, even if they ovulated and conceived won't be able to sustain an implantation. Of course, we all believe that we will fall pregnant immediately without trouble! grumbles and goes in search of tampons