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

Austral I totally know how you feel as I am currently suffering from ov acne which is grim I forgot how the pill covered this all up for me!

I knoo-oooow!

Oh feck! Is there someone clever about b6 on here? So have been taking it for lp lengthening for a few days and noted the difference between DRI and actual intake for lp reasons (massive difference!) but figured it was fine. Checked overdose symptoms in case, but these tend to appear only after longterm use. Today checked the side effects (tmi have a bit of a runny tummy so wondered if it was the b6) and discovered that b6 can be prescribed to women to stop bmilk production eg after still births. I really don't want my milk to go drying up! Anyone with experience of this happening to them?

Austral, surely not? B6 is in pregnacare tablets which I've been on before I conceived DS so I can't see how that would be true.

Yes, I was surprised about it pear, but apparently the dosage for lp extension is 50-100 per day, and recommended normal intake is like 2.8 or something. And my pregnancy vits only have 2.1 in them. Presume for milk stopping it is obviously also at the higher end. That's a huge difference!!!!!!!
Also seems that b6 intake over rdi level is class A and should only be taken in higher quantities than normal during pregnancy if risks outweighs benefits.
I am prepared to take the risk in terms of birth defects etc because they are always so very miniscule (e.g. like with anti-depressants or arthritis meds or heart meds) and so the benefit of getting a bean to stick outweighs the risk IMO of any potential harm as it would be such a miniscule risk, BUT i would rather wait an additional month and see if lp settles by itself than have my milk dry up prematurely! It was heart-breaking enough cutting down ao much in the first place!

Am considering making a gynae appointment to ask about these things if no luck with lp extension this cycle.

Can you make gynae appointments in the UK?

Gp referral. I have a partial bupa thing so I don't have to wait for specialists in case I need it. It only covers appointments (and only a limited number) and not treatment. Originally got bupa after an auto-immune thing completely fucked me up with having to wait for nhs specialist appointment, as I promised myself I wouldn't put myself through that sort of wait again when it is as important as my health. It honestly doesn't cost that much per month presuming you have a bit of disposable cash at the end of each month, and I'm willing to invest in it. IME GPs are willing to refer more easily if they know it isn't nhs time, especially if they agree with you that treatment is beneficial but recognize that others need the nhs appointment more urgently than you. If the bupa doc thinks you need treatment they will refer you back again. IME it alleviates the stress from waiting (and you do of course wait for the bupa people too, but the difference is often a two or three week wait vs a two or three month wait) which can add to your general physical and emotional health.
Sorry for the long irrelevant post!

Have been experiencing so much OV pain left and right in last two days. Not sure if it's normal

Oh no pear. Maybe you'll.get two eggs this go?!

Don't even joke lol

Hah hah! Would be grand though!
DC went seven hours last night! And the same the night before! Amazing as there are teeth growing and stuff!
It feels however as if dc wants to bf less. I wonder if my supply is running low, if it is loss of interest, or just a phase due to my hormones getting back online and the milk tasting different.
Makes me feel a bit sad.

My DS feeds less when he's teething. Could be that?

I think sometimes they feed a bit less when you're coming up to ovulate austral as maybe the milk tastes slightly different - is it nearly that time? Might be a sign to start dtd. Or dc could just be teething. Hope he gets back into the swing of it soon (though 7 hours overnight can only be good for ttc).

Feeling quite sad Have DtD one last time as it is my second day of peaking on the CBFM but I know deep down that potentially AF is due in 7 days We were torn whether to keep trying or give up. Decided we couldn't give up

Aw pear you never know af might shift too? Yes?
Thanks hedgehog I think ovulation due in about four days IF this first cycle is bog standard 14day release. So might indeed be part of it. Didn't drink much again at all this morning. A total of about five minutes and then DC was all like "have to go to the window have to pick that thing up have to chase the cat have to pull your hair have to have to have to" OMFG! I just want to go back to sleep. No wonder we skipped shagging last night it is so relentless

Hello ladies,
Sorry for the radio silence. Have been having a manic time at work and also feeling a bit inexplicably miserable - partly, I think, fuelled by obsessive TTC / googling / stalking threads on Mnet and finding that every minute of the 2ww is dragging oh so painfully by. Anyway, wanted to pop in and see how you are all doing!

Pear well done on keeping the DTD up! It is like an endurance test isn't it! You never know. If your LP was long enough in previous cycles it is less likely that it will be really short this time - more likely that AF (or, better a BFP) will turn up a bit later than expected. Keeping everything crossed for you. I can understand why you feel despondent. Its so hard.

Austral I am pretty sure milk supply can go up and down with hormones so it could be that. If you have cut down recently then it might also be reducing a bit but you could get it back if you started feeding more again (which I realise you don't want to do). The balancing act again. I have started noticing that I have a LOT less milk for DD when she has her one feed of the day now. It's a bit painful and they just feel empty. I feel sad too, but if it means I can get another lovely baby then it will all be worth it. It's just really difficult to have to pick like that! FX for ov in 4 days!!!

Evening

The tww is really dragging here. 6dpo, AF due on 21st. All these figures are approximations mind!

pear and frazzled I think we were all (vaguely) cycle buddies iirc? Anyone one else too? Any symptoms to manically compare?

Let's keep one another sane and abstain from early poas syndrome! pleeeaaase!

Hi Mary,

Yes, I am 6dpo too! No symptoms as of yet but then I don't think it would have implanted yet so wouldn't be anything (also the month I got my BFP with DD was characterised by a significant LACK of symptoms - that was the only symptom. No PMS).

Anyhoo, the only weirdness I have had - and I have no idea what this is... is a teeny tiny barely there smudge of brown blood smaller than a 5p piece first thing in the morning when I wiped on 3, 4 and 5 dpo. Nothing for the rest of those days. Nothing else. WTF was that?! Leftover from ovulations?!? Too early for implantation at those dates and almost nothing anyway.

only another 8 days until I can legitimately POAS... but totally will be doing an IC early

Not sure what that would be frazzled. At least it has now stopped. You're right implantation bleed would usually be a few days later - around 9dpo is average I think?

I really want to avoid wasting ££ on hpt this month. I tested 3 times last month - it was our first cycle and we hadn't even dtd much at all, let alone on the relevant days If I was obsessed then, what will I be like this month?!

Oh, and same here about the lack of symptoms last time. I just had a hunch that AF wasn't going to arrive so I poas ONCE one day before AF was due and got a bfp. Why can't it always be that easy?!

I know. The whole TTC thing is frustrating. That would be great!

I really mustn't test early. Last time I tested the day before AF was due and got BFN and then tested again on the day AF was due and lo and behold BFP that turned into DD.

Get some IC tests Mary then at least you're not spending loads of money. I have a tonne of them because I was TTC for 12 months with no AF so had to just keep testing to check what was going on.

Fingers crossed for this month.

Good idea. Do you get the IC from Amazon? I bought some IC opks off there but very foolishly thought I wouldn't be neurotic enough to need lots of hpts!

Yes I got mine from Amazon. You don't have to buy loads but they are much cheaper!!

Thank you