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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

TTC while breastfeeding

168 replies

CatSneeze · 04/01/2018 14:21

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?

OP posts:
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8
noor9587 · 13/03/2018 18:47

What I felt like changed my DS feeding habits was distracting him but gradually so not at once. I would take him to see his cousin which only have a month apart, and he don't even seem to notice me, also play or draw with him, take him to the park with some snacks. Also whenever I feel like he needs to feed I offer him food or water and because it's easier to accept rather than waiting for boob to be out and milk to come through he's accepted it. Don't offer and get someone else to put to sleep otherwise because you're available it means so is the milk. Just be patient while at itWink

Pindlesandneedles · 13/03/2018 18:55

Hi noor, when I was trying for dc2 I took a pregnancy vitamin (maybe Sainsbury’s own). I also tried to take a bit of time for me as life can be pretty full on with a toddler. Other than that just dtd as much as possible around FW. Where are you in your cycle at the moment? Fingers crossed for a BFP this month!

noor9587 · 13/03/2018 19:00

Hello pindlesandneedles I will be starting the pregnacare trying to conceive vitamins from today let's see if that will increase my fertility while breastfeeding. My cycles are 30 days and on time now thank god! Before those 4 months they would vary from 35-47 days. I also ovulate around CD 15/16 if it helps anyone I can upload a picture of my OPKs for the last 2 months, I started the routine of OPKs from CD 8 until CD 16

Pindlesandneedles · 14/03/2018 19:46

Fingers crossed the vitamins do the trick!! It’s amazing what an effect BFing has on your cycle. I’m hoping to get AF back soon having cut down on night feeds but nothing yet. Also having dtd I’m now symptom spotting 🙄. I don’t know what it is about TTC that makes me so crazy... usually I’m a rational person 😂

Wolfgrrl · 19/03/2018 20:43

Hello newbies! Good to have some more company on here!

I got excited that AF might be returning the other day as I got what I thought was EWCM. But nothing came of it so think it was a false alarm. Those of you who have had their first AF, did you get any signs that you were ovulating?

Pindlesandneedles · 20/03/2018 07:32

Hi, I haven’t had AF yet so no definite advice. I also thought I had some EWCM a week ago. I’ve also been getting spots and feeling tired and grumpy! Will be interesting to see if AF turns up in a week. I wonder if you start getting some hormone changes without AF? Fingers crossed AF turns up for you soon!

Wolfgrrl · 20/03/2018 19:32

Thanks pindles. It's frustrating waiting and second guessing everything isn't it! I am also spotty and irritable but I think that's just normal, ha! Was trying to find stats on when people's periods do come back whilst breastfeeding but not found anything hugely useful. It really seems to vary from person to person.

Pindlesandneedles · 21/03/2018 11:48

😂 to spotty and irritable being the norm - that may be true for me to but I’m not going to admit it!! I think we’re going’s to cut out all the night feeds completely over easter weekend to try and get AF back again. I can’t find any clear info either but it seems like the night feeds are key to maintaining the hormones! (I’m also going to do a test on Saturday just on the off chance 😀)

noor9587 · 22/03/2018 13:23

Wolfgrrl hopefully I can share my symptoms before I had my first/official returned period. So the very first time DS was 4/5 months old and on that day I had spotting but I started breastfeeding more to avoid it, luckily I didn't have a flow. The very official time I remember DS was about 13 months old and he would become very irritable and frustrated when feeding, Ive heard myths that the taste of the milk changes before and during a period and it happens every time I get My period. Secondly I was really bloated and gassy and a little queasy hence why I assumed I was pregnant. I don't remember having any breast symptoms however I did have very little cramping and also during my very few periods it was so light with a medium flow. Now that I breastfeed very little and in the process of weaning I get heavy to medium periods.. good luck I hope your periods return and it'll result in a successful pregnancy Wink

noor9587 · 22/03/2018 13:27

Pindlesandneedles I think I mainly had to cut out night feeds as I believe it certainly interferes with my fertility all over. I heard the night feedings are the fertility killer ones. This is my first month that I cut out my night feeds so let's see the results! Confused

Pindlesandneedles · 22/03/2018 13:57

Good luck with cutting out the night feeds noor! It’s frustrating that you have to wait so long (and who knows how long!) to find out if it’s worked. I’m feeling really crampy at the moment so maybe about to get AF? Any certainty would be good now! Fingers crossed cutting the night feeds has good results all round! Keep us updated!!

doomkittycleo · 22/03/2018 18:43

Hi all, can I join? Im still breastfeeding DD1 who is 6 months old. We want a small age gap and AF came back last month. We’re not actively TTC, but subtly hoping it’ll happen sooner rather than later. I had one day of spotting on CD15, but got a huge amount of ewcm yesterday and we DTD today.

Does anyone have any suggestions or experience of first cycles whilst still breastfeeding. We only started weaning DD this week.

Wolfgrrl · 23/03/2018 21:38

Thank you noor! That's really helpful to know! As my DD is only 7 months I'm not going to be cutting down feeds yet to help us along with ttc. It would help if she would sleep a little better though! We do a dream feed and I wonder whether that counts as a night feed in terms of how it affects fertility. Are you waiting for AF/test date now then?

Wolfgrrl · 23/03/2018 21:40

Hi doom! No experience to share I'm afraid but welcome. I hope your subtle ttc attempts are successful before you have to try a bit more actively! Can't imagine ttc with a baby/toddler around. Must be harder second time!

Wolfgrrl · 23/03/2018 21:40

Pindles good luck with testing tomorrow if you're still planning to!

doomkittycleo · 24/03/2018 01:04

Hi Wolfgrrl, thanks for the welcome. I’m finding now that af has returned, so hasn’t my sex drive. The BDing is actually better so far as it took 2 years to conceive DD so it had become a bit mechanical. Now we’re worried about the baby waking while we’re at it, it’s a bit more exciting. It’s like being naughty teenagers trying not to get caught, so I guess that helps.

doomkittycleo · 24/03/2018 01:05

#so has, not hasn’t stupid autocorrect.

Pindlesandneedles · 24/03/2018 18:51

Thanks for the good luck wishes wolf. I did test and BFN, feeling pretty rubbish. Also had a rubbish day involving cleaning dog poo off my DS’s hand and taking DD to minor injuries. On the plus side as it’s BFN I can have a big glass of wine 🍷!

Pindlesandneedles · 24/03/2018 18:53

Oh, and welcome doom, 😂 to feeling naughty! I know the feeling!!

jpclarke · 24/03/2018 20:31

Hi ladies, just reading some of the updates. Nothing to report here but this is my last month ttc for a few reasons. Just ovulated, so we'll see what this month brings.

Pindlesandneedles · 26/03/2018 20:30

Fingers crossed jp, hope you’ve made the most of ovulation time with dtd. When would your bfp be due?

doomkittycleo · 28/03/2018 22:12

If I ovulated when I had the spotting af would be due Friday, but if I ovulated when I had the ewcm af won’t be due for another week.

That’s if I’m even ovulating yet. We BD’d for 2 days after I noticed the ewcm.

jpclarke · 28/03/2018 22:16

I am due between the4-6 of April my cycles vary in length. So we will see. If it doesn't happen I still have 3 healthy kids.

noor9587 · 30/03/2018 13:16

Just a little update.. I was using opks from CD 10 up until CD 15/16 and we're all negative and I was getting all sorts of twinges and pinches, usually it does indicate my ovulation. I was so fed up until on CD 17/18/19 I was feeling really wet (sorry for TMI) so I kept checking my cervix and it was open, soft, and wet along with slippery CM. On CD 18 I had really bad pain so I took a cheap opk and a Clearblue one and they were positive! Solid lines. We DTD on the following days and on ovulation date and after as well. Now I'm in the 2ww and hopefully I will test on the 9th when my period is due and update everyone of af shows up or if I get a bfp!! Good luck to everyone that's ttc Wink

Pindlesandneedles · 30/03/2018 18:38

HI everyone, no updates here really although I am still torturing myself so I might poas to be 100% sure!! That’s all very exciting noor! Good luck in the 2ww and fingers crossed for BFP

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