TTC while breastfeeding

[Waitingonasmiley42]

I wonder if anyone else is TTC,or soon to be TTC,but still hasn't had their periods return?

Baby is almost 10 months and we are hoping to TTC in January but still no sign of AF. We haven't really used contraception since he was born (apart from 3 weeks on the pill around month 3) but no sign of fertility returning.

Just wondered if anyone else is in a similar position.

My AF didn't return until my DC1 was 14 months. It depends on how often you feed and the breaks between feeds (I was feeding night and day).

I have 9 hours gaps where I don't feed since I've returned to work. Still feeding on demand at night so I suppose it might take a while for anything to happen.

I'm currently very overdue with baby #2, who I conceived while breastfeeding (not actively TTC ).

I had one period when DD was 10 months old - just as she reliably started sleeping through the night. I actually didn't have another period before falling pregnant, which must have happened around 2 months later. I only stopped feeding DD when she was 18 months old (and I was 7 months preggers - she was only feeding to nap, and I was pretty uncomfortable!)

Anecdotally, I'd say my experience wasn't unusual. I've heard that a lot of women see their periods return when they stop feeding at night, but it doesn't mean the cycle will become regular immediately.

Best of luck TTC!

Thank @Skylucy . Hope baby makes an arrival soon .

I wish mine would sleep through the night. He still feeds 2-3 times at the moment.

Thanks @Waitingonasmiley42 - I'm a week over and going crazy!

I should add the spell of sleeping through didn't last long - I wish I could be that smug! We had an HORRENDOUS spell when she was a year old and I actually stopped feeding her back to sleep at night, which, interestingly, improved things. She still wakes at least once 50% of the time though at 20 months!

@Waitingonasmiley42 my LO is 10 months old and we're TTC now too, I still haven't got my period back either. Currently feeding morning and night (more when LO is unwell). She sleeps all during the night so I'm surprised I haven't got a period yet 🤷🏻‍♀️ debating reducing my feeds by introducing a bottle at bed time just to speed things up. I would love to keep feeding as long as possible 😪

Yep my fertility hasn’t returned, DD is 1 in 2 weeks time. I really want to conceive no 2 and we aren’t using anything but I just ‘feel’ like it won’t happen until I stop breastfeeding.

And I haven’t got a period yet either despite her sleeping through from 6 weeks! (Didn’t last - started waking up again at 7 months dang it!)

I conceived my second while still breastfeeding my first. She was 11 months. But my periods returned when she was around 5 months. She slept through at 6 month. But she fed a lot during the day and was 98th percentile in weight and only 25 in length lol. So she managed to get all her milk in the day. I think everyone is different. My two are now 5 and 6 so seems so long ago!

@Hazandduck how often are you feeding your LO? Have you tried fertility sticks to see if you're ovulating? I've ordered some today. Based on my CM, heightened sense of smell and moon swings for the first time, I feel like I did ovulated in nov, still no period (not pregnant) so I'm hoping my body is at least trying to do something now.

Also, I'm back to working full time a month ago, I find it really exhausting. Recently I've been getting dizzy and light headed spells and feeling sick. I'm definitely not pregnant. But did anyone else get this?

Thank for responses! Reassuring to know others are in the same situation or have managed to conceive.

I just assumed periods would come back as soon as I went back to work. It's still early days so I suppose it might happen... It's so strange how breastfeeding affects us all differently in terms of fertility/periods.

My cycles were all over the place before getting pregnant so I'm expecting it to take a while to conceive again. Don't really want to stop feeding so not going to worry too much until January. Then I'll panic and obsessively Google everything

@Mcstark7 I also had the dizziness/light headedness and thought I was pregnant, but turned out not to be.

I’m back at work two days a week but I express whilst I’m here.
I average when I’m with DD about 4-5 feeds a day, she’s been doing this since she was about 7 months. I know I should try and drop them now she is nearly one! But it is hard, she uses me for comfort, some days she will have 3-4 feeds but sometimes she’ll feed for ages if she’s not feeling great!
I have started to try giving her a bottle, she usually will not take it off me but yesterday I managed to give her a bottle of whole milk mixed with formula, she drank it until she was almost asleep then latched on right at the end just to drop off to sleep. Getting there slowly I guess..!

I would love to feed her for a long time in to toddlerhood but I want to TTC a sibling more than feeding her until she is fully ready to stop iyswim? It makes me feel guilty though :( she loves breastfeeding so much! I’ve struggled the last 4 months or so with internal thrush in my breasts and had mastitis twice so it’s become a battle of late x

You've done amazingly to keep even after having thrush and mastitis. I know what you mean about feeling guilty about choosing between breast feeding and TTC.

I work four days and don't express while I'm at work. He won't take expressed milk from a bottle anyway, so he just has water and food while I'm away. At the weekend/days off he feeds a lot and I'm still feeding on demand. I have no idea how I would get him to sleep without breastfeeding tbh.  It's just so easy to settle him by feeding! During the night as soon as he stirs I feed him and he's straight back to sleep. We are still co-sleeping too. 

I know I’m the same with the “miracle milk” it just immediately calms her down 😂 I can’t get her to sleep any other way! Need to learn some new ways.
I’m not going to lie the thrush has been absolute agony. But I am a stubborn old goat and I told myself I would do her first year (a week and a half to go..!)

Opinions please. I did a wee cheap ovulation test, there's two lines here, the second isn't as dark as the check line. Does this mean I'm ovulating?

Definitely looks promising @Mcstark7 . Very very close to positive. Previously if I had one like that I would get a positive later that day/night.

Fingers crossed!

@Waitingonasmiley42 what's the best time of day to test? This is the first month of using them. Trying to keep track of my CM too. Better start having sex again 😂😂😂

I think they say ovulation tests are better to do in the afternoon. I don't know the science behind why though. I used to do it twice a day when the line looked like yours.

You've made me want to buy some now. . Although I doubt I am ovulating yet.

Hay all! Have many of you had your period back? And when did you get it?

I've been cramping for the past two months, this week however is different cramps. It's worse, and alongside nausea and discomfort. I've heard the 1st period is the worse. I just hoping this is it coming and now more phantom period symptoms 😩

Hi, can I join in?
I gave birth in April, then I went on a pill for 3 months. I stopped the pill in September and started TTC. Forgot to mention I'm breastfeeding as well. My first period came back in October; however, this month instead of period I got spotting and light spasms. Pregnancy tests show I'm not pregnant. Does it mean my fertility is still not back yet? So dissapointing.

Hi all, what were your first few symptoms of period returning while breastfeeding? Since October my CM has changed and I get cramping. Now AF however. The past week or so the cramps are back and I've had spotting and sore boobs also. I've reduced bf down to 2-3 times a week. Is it possible to keep getting phantom period symptoms for a few months? I'm weaning my 1 YO with the hopes for AF to return soon and still no sign 😪

Hello may I join too? Currently bf my 3.5 year old & 7 month old - I continued bf during conception pregnancy and still going - not what I originally had planned! With my eldest I had two pregnancies in between before I fell with my youngest and I didn’t really have periods. We had a relaxed ttc approach until the finale few months when I started using OPK and temp chatting. We’re going for the relaxed approach again! I’m not holding much hope as my youngest is still bf at night so here’s to hoping!

Hi all. Sorry forgot to check back on this. In a few days DS will be 12 months and still no sign of period returning.

Going back and forth on whether to even try TTC no 3 now anyway.

@Waitingonasmiley42 I started getting spotting on DD 1st birthday. 3 days later my period came. I did have to however reduce bf to a few times a week to get it back. The past week or so DD has been teething and wanting to bf more. Hope this doesn't impact on ovulation 🙈