TTC while breastfeeding

[CatSneeze]

DS is 13 months now and BFing 2-3 times a day/night. Would love to try for number 2 but periods came back in October and still all over the place and I seem to have a super short luteal phase (AF arrived today 5 days after OV, earliest yet!) so I'm expecting a long wait.

I noticed that there was a support thread for those TTC while breastfeeding a while ago and was wondering if there were others out there who fancied joining me on a new one?

still no positive at day 20. I think I may have missed it last week. Bugger. Was using tests which expired 3 years ago and they were negative around day 14 but wondering if they were just too old ? Hmmm. I certainly feel like I’m ovulating now . TTC is no fun at all!

Hello all I fell pregnant in October whilst still breastfeeding my then ten month old I unfortunately had a missed miscarriage over Christmas so I'm not keen to try again while bf I'm not sure my poor body had enough to support both. Jpclark I'd love to know more about the combination of vitamins you took please as I'm hoping to try again once I reduce my daughter's feeds thanks

how is everyone doing?
I am on day 29 of my cycle but no clue as to when I should get AF, and no symptoms of either AF or pregnancy. My DS has been feeding a lot lately too so I don't know if that will help.
I'm going to try and wean him a little bit next month I think.

Holly do you track your cycle at all? I just use a free app because I kept losing my diary!
Today I saw the GP and practice nurse to start fertility investigations. Neither of them mentioned breastfeeding so I think I'm going to carry on until we get further into the process.

I'm 20 days after when I got EWCM and got another negative HPT this morning. I just don't seem to be able to accept that fact that I didn't actually ovulate! It doesn't help that my belly now looks like I've got a like a linea nigra, but Its most likely an inconveniently placed stretchmark

Still plodding along waiting for AF.

I've had variations of CM every day for about 4 months now. Sometimes creamy, sometimes watery, sometimes ewcm.... I've given up trying to work out what it means, if anything!

DS has been feeding A LOT over Xmas 🙄 17mo pp

@JohnLapsleyParlabane yes I do but they have been a bit irregular since they came back - between 29-40days and I haven't bled since my mc last month so I don't know

URgh AF arrived today.... on cd24??!?! I hate being so irregular. I’ve never had a 24 day cycle. I have felt so down about it all day but I suppose one shining light is that in a few days closer to her leaving and cracking on with next month. I expect there is going to be a long road ahead...

I got my af yesterday, but I wasn't too optimistic about this month as I know we had only done it once maybe twice in the fertile window. Now my dilemma is whether to get serious now and try the supplements I used before and to start doing ovulation tests.

I got 2 lines on an opk today! First time ever.

What do we reckon of this OPK? Doesn't look quite positive to me I do have some EWCM which is what prompted me to test as I had stepped away from OPKs for a while. But I also had EWCM about 3 weeks ago and the month before that as well, but no AF yet. So i think my body is trying to ovulate but not quite there yet

That's almost identical to mine today. I have decided to consider it positive and surprised DH (today was supposed to be an off day!)

Good idea, I may just do the same! Have you been having regular cycles or do you just regularly use OPKs?

Massively irregular so have decided to opk for 3a few months, every non bleeding day. Starting the fertility process with GP as of next cycle.

Good luck with the fertility process! Does your little one still feed frequently?

Thanks! Still bfing at least twice a day, slightly over 2 years in. You?

How are people getting on? My DD is now six months. Still not actively trying yet but keen to know what my cycle is doing so going to start using OPKs regularly. Haven't had a bleed yet at all so doubt I am ovulating. Having said that, I had what I would call a positive OPK a few weeks ago but it wasn't followed by a temp shift. OPKs have gone back to negative now. Reckon it's my body gearing up? Do you think vitamins would help it along a bit?

19 months pp now, still no cycle. Have reduced feeds loads almost primarily for ttc purposes unfortunately. I'm hoping I can still feed 1-2 times a day and get cycles back. Not ready to completely stop yet.

Hi everyone, can I join you? My DD is 14mths old and I’m starting to think about trying for no3 (although my DH needs some Persuading!) I had to stop bfing DS completely before my periods came back and we could start trying for DD. Really keen to carry on bfing as long as possible this time but now doing 2feeds at night and 2 in the day but still no sign of AF... when did everyone else get their AF back?

Place-marking. Hello! x

Hi pindles and starfish! I'm afraid I don't have anything useful to add about how to get cycles back but lovely to have you here. I want to bf to 12 months and was hoping that I'd get AF before then once we are properly into weaning but it looks as though it doesn't work like that for lots of people. It's so rubbish that some have to stop bf just to ttc.

I've done some reading and it looks like you basically have to trick your body into thinking that you have enough nutrients and reserves to support another baby as it will prioritise bfing your current bubs while you still are. So taking lots of supplements and increasing calories might work! I think it should be good fat type calories but I'm happy enough to use it as an excuse to eat cake. Anyone tried that?! I can't find much online.

Can I join as well please?
I'm bfing DS2 who is 14 months and we'll be trying for #3 from May. My periods came back at around 6 months but only started to be regularish in the last few cycles (which is impressive because they've been irregular since I came off birth control in 2011). They range between 26-28 days. I started temping to see if I'm ovulating and it looks like I am! I had irregular periods after DS1 (before him as well!) and only ovulated after he weaned at around 2.5 years old. I was also having acupuncture and taking metformin for PCOS. So it's a bit of a shock to be ovulating on my own while breastfeeding as well.

Hi Nosering! It’s so weird this is the only time I’ve ever been wanting to have AF! I’m wondering if we might catch the first ovulation before AF comes back but then how will I know if I’m pregnant?! Could get very expensive in tests...

Hi guys, I need some advice. So still BFing but have cut down at night a lot hoping to kick start AF. Have also been dtd and am now thinking there’s a possibility that I could maybe (I know very unlikely) be pregnant. Would you wait two weeks after dtd and then test. Or wait and see if I get any pregnancy symptoms. Or just admit to myself that it’s really unlikely and stop thinking about it..?

Hello! Can I join? I'm still breastfeeding my 21 month old and he mostly feeds for comfort, I feel like he gets nothing anyway my milk has dried compared to before.. I've had returned periods since 7 months ago and they've been regular for 4 months now, I ovulate on CD 15/16 according to my OPKs and symptoms. Been TTC for 5 months but still nothing. I will try to take vitamins I think my body maybe lacking them. Is there any advice to how I can up my chances?