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

Frazzled when is AF expected for you? It's 20th for me.

Can you ladies help with a quick question? What I do know is that my first postpartum luteal phase on cycle 0 was about three days long. I also know my first pp AF was five days long. I don't know how long my first pp cycle 1 follicular phase will be. Could you all chip in and tell me how long after your first pp period you ovulated, if you were able to tell? Law of averages --- am I in for a short, normal (eg cd14), or long (eg cd22) wait before ovulation, based on your experience?

Austral - I don't think our experience will help as everyone is so individual. Wouldn't it be better just to test? I'm confused why you think we will be the same?

Just heard that someone else I know is pregnant and expecting in the summer. Sigh The only thing that helps is that I really didn't want an August baby and I stand by that decision!

Frazzled - I'm snacking on nuts and milk today

Just took my last IC OPK test (thanks to the lovely pregnancy news pushing me along) and the line still isn't strong

pear it's more wishful thinking on my part! I know everyone is different and i wont know until it happens. but I was browsing the post partum + bf-ing charts on ff, and there seemed to be a definite tendency for first cycles (1-3) to have delayed ovulation. So I was wondering if this 'average' so to speak would be replicated here?
Also trying to decide when to start DTD now, as people seem to start quite early but I have no idea if I will be average generally (is ff has me bang on average at 14/28 because I have no prior history to give) or maybe late like a high percentage of people. Don't want to tire dh (and myself!) out by cd17 dtd eod from cd8-13 and then every day thereafter if there is a good possibility I might only ovulate after cd20!

austral I have read that it is highly dependent on how long pp you are. The longer it's been the more likely you are to ovulate quickly. Plus of course how much, how often etc you are breastfeeding and then finally your own natural cycles.

So very individual but for me I had my first AF on 20th Jan and then ovulated on CD 19 which means this cycle will be in line with my pre pregnancy cycles of around 33 days.

It is also, annoyingly, apparently common to have several cycles with no ovulation while your body's getting back on track.

I recommend temping. It's the only way to verify for sure that you are ovulating (except for an ultrasound).

That's interesting Ruth! Love the scientific factoids.

pear just saw your question above, sorry! I think AF is due around the 20/21st but who knows!

Sorry that was me! It was a really old username. Not sure why it popped up. Think I haven't posted from my iPad in a long time

Another high day on the CBFm for me. If I peak tomorrow then this will be the first cycle of getting correct expected results from the cbfm! That's got to mean something!!!

Hi ladies,

The thread has disappeared from my "I'm on" list, so marking my space. Will read back the thread later.

Had a second scan yesterday and fortunately they confirmed everything has gone. I still got BFP last week though, so my body is taking its time I'll be testing again this Friday and really hoping for BFN!

Hi Carrot Puff. Glad to hear your recovery is moving in the right direction and you will soon be back on he horse (so to speak)

Hi carrot never said this before but xf for a bfn for you! Glad the news is good, so to speak.
Thanks ruth great stuff for reading. Have also read much about short bf luteal phases but foolishly thought they wouldn't apply to me because I would be superwoman of course but this sounds useful on the fp front!
Thanks for the input frazz!
Did an opk last night and it showed a faint line which surprised me a bit! Am now thinking that perhaps DTD tonight would be wise?

The article clearly doesn't mean me as it's been nearly 21 months since delivery and apparently my lp is still wayyyy behind

Got to be l cheerful and happy in a minute whilst being surrounded by 6 pregnant friend expecting dc2...joy

Urgh pear best of luck with that one! I have no advice on how to handle it except imbibing multiple shots of baileys

I had short lp for about 3 cycles when AF came back. Then it just went back to normal. I was still ov'ing on same cd as usual. Except when I got my BFP - I ov'ed much earlier. For some odd reason I seem to get pg on shorter than usual cycles!

austral I have no idea. Also on cycle 2 I think. Not sure if I ov'ed last month or not as wasn't really checking. Did have some egg white/ v watery cm but the one day I peed on a random very out of date opk I found in my drawer it was negative (realise that wasn't a very scientific way of going about it!). Different apps have my predicted ov date a few days apart so could be a long week or so of dtd ahead for me starting tonight...

Btw anyone know if opk really do go out of date?

Ladies that use/used opk with no AF did you do them more then once a day? @ a certain time? Did you ever get a positive? What about the faint line?

Got my 1st pack, and they sent it twice!

elegant I think the older they get the less reliable but not sure about expiration

I'm on cd24 and finally have a peak on the monitor. It's encouraging to see that the monitor is picking up the right surge in the right order but also sad because I know deep down my chance is so tiny being so close to AF arriving We will try Dtd once more today and then our mission will be over. I live in hope!

Rosie ~ when I was TTC DS I didn't have AF so I used the Clearblue smiley sticks every morning until I got a smiley face to tell me I was highly fertile. If you've got the Internet cheapies then I would test late afternoon and then when you start seeing any sort of line test afternoon and evening.

Rosie I think my use of opks were fairly successful in the end even though I didn't conceive on cycle 0 before AF returned. I started off with one a day at between 2pm and 4pm. Once I started getting a faint line I took up the recommendation to do twice a day. Tested at between 11am and 12pm and then again between 7pm and 8pm. The line got steadily darker, bit if I hadn't tested twice a day I probably would have missed the surge! I got an almost positive at 11am on the day but still very clearly not as strong as the control line, and then a positive at 8pm. When I tested at 11am the next morning again the line had already grown much much fainter! So had I not done it twice that day I'd still have been waiting and as it happened by the next day there was no line at all! So I'd definitely recommend twice a day!
My luteal phase was only 4/5 days though, so any fertilised egg didn't stand a chance. But first period since DC was conceived so it worked! Now on cycle 1 proper cd8 and I am taking vit b6 to see if it will help with the lp this time. Ff wants me to DTD tonight (I've started temping this cycle too) buy my temps are at erratic times and i am not sticking the whole 3hr sleep thing as DC wants to bf anytime between 4am and 6am, so who knows.
And having hardly got a pimple all through pregnancy and bf, AF arrives and guess what, a few days later I have spots. Bah!