TTC while Breastfeeding (or recently weaned!!) regular cycles and baby dust this way!

[expatvet]

Hi guys... here we are, shiny new thread for all those TTC while breast-feeding or recently weaned (for pumpkin and I!!)

come on over!

I think if you're getting regular cycles then chances are you're ovulating, whether or not you're breastfeeding.

It's been a while since I posted on here as I was getting very despondent about having BFNs month after month but I'm happy to say I got a BFP this morning.

Lines are faint and it's early days but at least I know I can conceive

Ah congrats writerWannabe. There is not much to report here. Hence the radio silence. You give me hope though .

I'm guessing stopping the breast feeding was the answer for me. I'm glad it's led to a BFP though because when I stopped BF'ing DS I felt really guilty when he was asking for it and I kept saying no but at least now I feel it was all justified x

Hi just wanted to ask, JaneEyreWasaSellout, how are you getting on? I followed your lead and went on the pill to try and kickstart my period, planning to take it for a couple of months and then come off it and hope for the best! Just wondered did it work for you in bringing back your period/ovulation etc? Hope you're doing well!

Just popping in to say hi to you ladies and wish you all the best for a BFP soon.

Congratulations on your BFP writer that's fab news

Still BFing here (17 weeks) but quite keen to stop now as it's bloody sore!

Happy New Year to everyone on the thread. This is to BFP for everyone in 2017! How are you all doing?

I'm in a bit of limbo at the moment. Have taken a number of pregnancy tests. First three were showing a very faint line after the 5 minute deadline was up (say around 7-10 minute). Then I bought another type of test and again very faint line on day and even fainter the next day (but within the 5 minutes). So I guess I just have to wait and see what is happening. Cannot talk to anyone about it (except DH, who is tired of hearing about it )!

Sounds really promising Abrahamkin! Good luck really hope your tests keep getting stronger positives! Are you still feeding? I'm really trying to cut down but finding it hard, my 17 month old is still v attached to BF, she signs for milk a lot. Sometimes she's happy enough with a snack or drink or I can distract her with a book but other times she just gets upset and then I always give in and feed her. I don't want her to be sad!

It sounds promising that there is SOMETHING, but worried about whether the tests not really being clear a few days after I was expecting AF and not getting stronger means it won't work out.

I am still feeding as much as my 22 mo DS asks for (mostly he just wants to cuddle though rather than feed nowadays, so feeding is just a couple of sucks, expect at night when he might feed for a minute or so).

I'll keep everything crossed for you that it all works out! Could you try a digital test maybe? I only got a faint positive on a normal test with my LG so I got a digital one, might give you a clearer answer?

I'm not in the UK. Everything is closed here today! So have to wait to buy a new test tomorrow for testing Tuesday morning. Keeping my fingers crossed that the result will be clearer.

Hi ladies can I join?

DD2 is ebf (although only three months at the moment). I would like another small gap for baby no.3 so we aren't using any contraception. last time despite trying expressing, dummies, mixed feeding etc etc the only thing that brought back my ovulation/AF was stopping BF completely at 6 months.

Has anyone out there found they had to wean completely to get pregnant on one occasion but then that wasn't the case the next time? (Clutching at straws here).

Other issue is that DD2 is a complete and utter bottle refuser. I would like to have her weaned by six months if it looks like I won't ovulate again without doing so, but not sure how to crack it as she is very very stubborn!

I have not really done what you are looking for but must say that I didn't get AF till my DS was around 10-11 mo. Even if I was back at work part time from 7 months. So by 6 months I am assuming I did not have my ovulation back. I think I should be ovulating now while still breastfeeding, but we are now around 22 months in.

Hi Angharad I really hope you will be able to keep bf and still ovulate! I have no idea if it will work but I am trying something which someone on here recommended which is go on the pill, then come off it again to hopefully 'kickstart' ovulation, fingers crossed! Abrahamkin best of luck if you're testing again tomorrow! :)

Well. AF arrived yesterday evening. SO I'm out for this cycle. I feel sure that there was fertilisation (weakly positive tests, symptoms etc) but that implantation didn't occur (symptoms waned). Hopefully it is not the BF that is stopping the implantation, as have had a number of longer cycles since I started TTC than before, though all with negative tests.

Onwards and upwards I guess

Ah I'm so sorry to hear that, hope you're ok. Like you say it seems very positive that u got some promising tests so hopefully that's a good sign it will all fall into place next time.

Thank you Abraham and dolphin - I am going to research the pill method, I've never heard of that before!
So sorry the witch got you Abraham.

Angharad the only thing I just remembered is my GP told me the pill can affect milk supply. This isn't a big prob for me as my LG is 17 months now but just thought I would mention in case it's an issue for u with a younger bubba

Hello Abrahamkin and others. Saw this thread and was fretting about the same thing in the summer when still breastfeeding my 17 month old. Didn't want to wean him, so we started TTC anyway, because my cycle was quite regular and ovulation tests showed I was ovulating. I couldn't find any research that backed this up, but I think in my case the breastfeeding was causing some sort of implantation problem: two months in a row (first we weren't even trying and had unprotected sex once on cycle day 7 or something; second time we timed better) I had prolonged implantation type cramps and very weak positive tests, but slowly turning negative again, followed by AF. Then we took a month off (DH away for work) and I reluctantly weaned. But it did work out and next month I got my BFP! (Now 23 weeks.) I noticed that the third month I didn't get the prolonged (and quite uncomfortable) pulling pains. Wondered if it was a sign that an embryo was trying to implant but not quite managing it because lining too thin or some other hormone level wrong??

I'm not a doctor but I think the idea that breastfeeding suppresses fertility merely by stopping ovulation is probably too simple. I feel that I was falling pregnant but not able to stay pregnant until completely weaning.

Thank you for the message hopsalong. This is what I am suspecting. Since TTC I have had the first 2 cycles which were longer than normal for me (33 and 34 days, rather than my normal 27-30ish). I had no BFP in those cycles, but I am guessing there might have been something happening. Then one cycle of 27 days, and this one with faint BFPs. I think weaning might be required. With DS I got pregnant on the first try!

Hello! Can I join you please?

DS is 24 months. He still feeds before bed and usually at least twice overnight and then on waking, plus often a feed before his nap if we're in the house. AF returned when he was 22 months, which was when we decided to ttc#2. 1st period was barely there and short as anything. Then last month was heavier than usual, so will be interesting to see what this month brings.

We missed the fertile window in the first cycle for one reason or another. I'm not using temping or OPKs, so just going on ewcm, but this month I've been dry as anything, so not sure what's going on. We've dtd regularly, so will just wait see.

Good luck everyone. Hope there's more BFPs coming our way soon :)

Evening!

Just wondered how you were all getting on?

After a 33 day cycle, I had one of 49 days, not quite sure what to expect this time round!

DS is currently feeding 3 or 4 times a day, the last week I've managed to cut out his feed before a nap and so far so good, as he seems happy to go for a drive to get him asleep. He's certainly eating better now he's going about 12 hours without any breast milk in the daytime. I know night weaning is meant to help with fertility, but DS still has 2 molars to come through and feeding is the only thing that seems to comfort him then, so don't think we're ready to night wean yet.

Hi baking :) it sounds like ur doing great! I am so happy because I followed the advice of someone on here and went on the pill to try and get my periods back and it worked! Yay! My first cycle off the pill was 6 weeks long tho so i guess I need to work on that. My LG is mostly day weaned now, like you I've been taking her out for her nap (she sleeps in the sling). I've ordered the book 'Nursies when the sun shines', I'm thinking about trying to gently nudge her towards reducing night feeds but I don't know how she'll react. I won't push it if she gets upset. We cosleep and I'm wondering if some of the wake ups she might accept just a cuddle...maybe I'm dreaming??!

Hello all, please can I join?

I'm BFing my 11month old morning evening and usually at least once in the night, and I express about 300mls for her during the day at nursery.
AF hasn't returned yet, but we're keen to start TTC #2. Really interested in the pill trick dolphin how long did you take it for?

Hope you all have a fun weekend

Hi eclectic I took the pill for 2 months. Then I stopped and nothing happened for 6 weeks, at first I hoped I was pregnant, then I thought it hadn't worked at all but eventually my period started and I was so happy! I explained to my GP why I wanted to go on the pill and she was supportive but said it might lead to a drop in supply. My LG is 18 months so I wasn't that worried but it doesn't seem to have cut my supply too much thankfully.