TTC and still breastfeeding? Thread #4: Pull up a chair for some support from others on the journey!

[Augusthomotherium]

Yes, we know all about how emotional and hard it can be! All the pros and cons, all about missing Aunty Flo's and wtf cycles with no ovulation, all about children being cute and pointy. No matter if you are five months or twenty months down the breastfeeding timeline, if you're ttc again, this is the thread to join! Welcome!

Ava - no you can poas in a cup and it will wait until your delivery arrives

Um. To continue my laid back attitude on this 2ww I have had a glass of wine in the evening sunshine in my garden. My last glass for a long long time

Eww stewed wee for up to 4 hours though, eek, better warn DH first, lol!

Glad you're enjoying yourself, Pear, and great positive attitude

Forgot to mention that one of my colleagues surprised me today with a 12week scan pic I am so happy for him and his wife, this will be their first. He was so excited, bless him, and I couldn't help but hope that I'll be doing the same to him in around 10 weeks time...x

Another BFN 12dpo so this feels pretty definitive now.

Wax...it's not over until the pink lady shows up!! How many dpo do you normally have in previous cycles?

Hard to say really as I'd not been plotting ov until now. But my cycles are usually 33-36 days roughly, and this is cd 31 x

Sorry about the bfn Wax x

My bbt has fallen today. I've been charting long enough now to know that this means AF will arrive today or tomorrow - 3 days late as I ov'd 3 days late, just like I feared I'm so cross with myself for getting my hopes up, again, and I bet wouldn't have bat an eyelid at my stupid 'symptoms' if it wasn't for the 2ww,nowhere everything is magnified I am so done with all of this now and glad I went on the see saw and enjoyed myself on Wednesday, and glad we're taking a ttc break - hating this monthly disappointment déjà vu

I've missed the 2-2.5 age gap I wanted by a long shot, I'm going to be older than 35 when I have DC 2 (which wasn't my 'plan') and I made my peace with that last month - so, whatever, it sucks, but whenever it happens now it happens. I can't keep driving myself crazy and getting my hopes up every month. Going to keep cutting down DDs boob drinks and try again in August.... For a 3 year gap, which is 'ideal' in terms of 'ecological' bf'ing anyway

Hope everyone else is okay x

where not 'nowhere'

Sorry about the bfn wax .

Ava it seems like its the right time for you to take a break from ttc. It does stress you out when you've been trying for a long time .

Still got my fx for both of you though!

I'm sorry it wasn't your month Ava. Don't worry about 'ideal' age gaps. I first wanted to try for dc2 18 months ago, which would have meant an age gap of 2 years. However I had to wait a year for dh to be on board with the idea. We will now have an age gap of just over three years and I'm not disappointed at all. Dd has come on do much with her talking and understanding since she turned two and I have been able to devote my full attention to this. Hopefully we will have her fully settled into nursery before dc2 arrives so she won't feel pushed out. She is also a great little helper -mostly! That's not to say that there is anything wrong with a smaller gap, it's just that I am actually quite glad the way it has turned out.

Thanks Trinpy x

Thanks, and I do agree May, I was just saying yesterday on here how I can't imagine having had a smaller gap now - as DD is going to be a great big sister/helper, she'll be in nursery three mornings a week from September, and it'll be nice to not have to change 2 lots of nappies etc etc - I just hope it happens for us before too long lovely to hear from you again, hope everything's us going well with you x

AF has yet to show..... x

Sorry for the temp drop Ava, I hope tomorrow's is back up though, your symptoms definitely looked like pregnancy to me. In a way I guess temping is good when you understand your cycles and don't have to be surprised by AF. Don't suppose you could post your chart? I'm new to temping so been looking at loads trying to understand it a bit better.

Sorry for the BFN Wax, hope AF stays away though, you've still time for a BFP!

Ava - every month I'm amazed by your ability to hold it together! If I don't get a bfp this month...well I just can't imagine how I'm going to handle it Maybe that's why I'm in complete denial that I'm on the 2ww!

My mum asked me today whether I regretted bf for so long. Such a hard question to answer. Of coarse my answer is no but still! She does make laugh because she also was surprised when I said I felt bf was delaying things now...she's the one who told me I wouldn't fall pregnant unless I stopped lol She then said she reckons it will take me another 3 months of TTC. Thanks mother!! She also wants to know the moment I fall pregnant....hmmm we will see about that!!

All this suspense is killing me, it must be so difficult for all you ladies waiting for answers.

Sorry you're feeling down Ava. I've gone from feeling bitter when seeing seeing people with tiny age gaps to actually feeling slightly smug about natural spacing. Focus on the positives! It must be enormously frustrating though to know you're ovulating and dtd at the right time and still getting BFNs.

So I'm on day 13 of flashing smileys. Is that a record? Is there a prize?! Obviously I realise this is a huge waste of sticks but I'm only on cd21 and I've heard some of you say you've ov'd later than this. My cycles used to be around 28-30days but just incase they've increased I'll keep going for a few more days

ISPY - I got 13 high days before my peak reading on day 14. Really hope your peak arrives soon!!

ispy I was the one further down the thread who said I always ovulate around cd 28-29. I had this before becoming pregnant with ds as well because my hormones never settled down after coming off the pill to ttc. In fact, it's just occurred to me that I haven't had a 'normal' 29 day cycle for over 6 years [shock which is when I went on the contraceptive pill after meeting dh. The 'trinpy cycle', as I am now naming it, is when you keep getting nearly positive opks/flashing smileys, maybe some ewcm, but your hormones don't get it together enough to ovulate, so they try again after another 2 weeks - giving you a 4 week long follicular phase. Trinpy cycles are very long and boring and cost you a small fortune in opks but, on the plus side, if you become pregnant on one then you do get an extra scan at 10 weeks .

Anyway, still no positive opk for me .

pear I hope it doesn't take you another 3 months to fall pregnant! Did your mum bf?

Trinpy is best not!! And yes she bf all 5 children approx 6 months each. I love the name "Trinpy cycle" lol

Thanks Lea, I think it may be too late for an implantation dip, but we'll see tomorrow, I guess check your inbox

Pear, I'm doing my very best to hold it together and I keep trying to focus on the positives. God knows how it'll affect me when/if AF arrives though

How long after DM stopped bf'ing you/your sister and your brother did she conceive? She thought you were pg a few months back, so I wouldn't worry too much - I think it'll definitely happen sooner than that for you

ISpy, I'd been preparing myself for the likelihood of a 3-3.5 gap for a while, as we're bf'ing for as long as DD 'needs'....I'm hoping it won't be for too much longer, but I sure am glad I've given my body sufficient time to recover, especially since reading about tiny gaps shortening a woman's life expectancy! I love the idea of natural child spacing and I trust that, as long as I keep giving it my best shot, as soon as my body is ready to nourish a new baby, we will conceive, whether I'm still providing DD with milk or not x

And I think the record on here is 14 days??? Good luck x

Trinpy, at the risk of sounding like Phil Dunphy here, definitely trademark that - 'The Trinpy Cycle (TM)' then bring out a book recommended by MN and make your millions

Hope you get your positive soon x

Ha! I'm definitely going to write that book Ava! This time next year I'll be a millionaire .

My dm used to be an archivist and she said when you look at the age gaps between siblings in the past you can see natural spacing (most likely) as the result of breastfeeding. It's really interesting how it acts as a natural birth control to give your body time to recover between pregnancies (although completely infuriating when you're desperate to conceive again!).

Well I'm really hoping for a Trinpy Cycle then ???? although I'm expecting to break the record, sadly. Really hope you get your +ive soon Trin....

Definitely, Del Trin

Still no sign here.........

Another BFN! I'm ok about it now - am over the disappointment. The original 'plan' was to not even start ttc until Xmas, and I can see advantages to not feeling sick for a few more months and just enjoying our new home, settling DD at the CM etc. So onto next month!

Oh sorry Wax. I'm sure you'll get your bfp soon enough. It's great not to stress over it too much though.

Well 14th flashy for me

So sorry Wax, great positive attitude to have though x

Fx you get your static tomorrow then, iSpy x

Well, I'm really confused I know that temping isn't an exact science as lots of external factors can affect readings, I just use it as a (sometimes) very handy retrospective guide. I allow myself a 2.5 hour temping window as it's impossible for us to be too rigid with temping at the same time each day due to night wakings with DD. Anyway, I took my temp at the start of the window and it was lower than yesterday, but as one of my nostrils was (randomly) blocked I think I might have been breathing through my mouth in my sleep? I went back to sleep for another 2 hours and it went up .3 degrees Fahrenheit (still lower than the other day, but higher than yesterday) I'll make a note of both temps in my chart, but as AF still isn't here, I'll try to think positively - and keep you guys updated x