TTC whilst breastfeeding with short luteal phase - help

[MDMDMD]

This is going to be a long one, but someone out there might be in the same boat as me, or may have been in the same boat so I’m going to post and hope for the best!

I’ve been breastfeeding my little one for 18 months now. She feeds throughout the night and has been feeding during the day a lot as we have been in lockdown. In the past 2 days I have decided to go back to just night feeds again, as I’m due to return to work soon. There’s no way I could stop the night feeds right now - she doesn’t sleep through so it’s how she settles when waking and we both get our sleep this way. It’s a big part of motherhood to me.

My cycles came back when she was about 10 months old and so I’ve had 8 cycles now. My periods are much shorter postpartum - prob a 3 day bleed with spotting for 2-3 days beforehand (question: what counts as first day of cycle? Bleed or spotting?) My periods also vary between a 28-31 day cycle.

We’ve been TTC for a second baby for 4 months now and I know that isn’t actually a long time - however it certainly feels that way to me. I know breastfeeding causes a hormonal imbalance and so I started doing some research on it. I realised my luteal phases are quite short - I use clear blue ovulation kit to find my high and peak ovulation days (I will start tracking temperature from now on too) In the last 3 months my luteal phase has ranged from 6-11 days.

I’ve also read that it takes time to return to “full fertility” when breastfeeding. According to my research, I can assume that I haven’t reached “full fertility yet” but who knows? My hormonal imbalance (due to breastfeeding?) may be the cause for my short luteal phase and short periods so therefore my body can not sustain enough progesterone for pregnancy to occur. This is my thinking.

I know some women can get pregnant with a short luteal phase and maybe I haven’t been trying long enough, but somehow I just feel like it’s not possible.

I’d love to know if anyone conceived with a short luteal phase and whilst breastfeeding at the same time. Does anyone have any advice? I feel like it’s just not going to happen for me until I stop breastfeeding even though I have read that some women do conceive but I just can’t see that happening. I get so upset when I see my period has arrived and after understanding my luteal phase a bit more, it’s making more sense to me.

Thanks if you read this far. Any responses appreciated.

Does the short luteal phase give you a shorter cycle all together?

My periods returned around 9 months and were around 28-30 days, so a normal cycle length but I suspect I ovulated late in my cycle, more like 10 days before my period started rather than 14.

I never tracked ovulation with OPKs but I did always have ovulation pain before first pregnancy and this didn't start again until I was about 14 months postpartum, so I don't think I was ovulating until then, i got pregnant that cycle. At this point my son was feeding perhaps 3 times/24 hours.

Hi @mynameisntlouise

So I’m not sure if I’m answering correctly

My ovulation date this month was the 9th and I started spotting on the 18th and proper blood started coming through on the 21st so I’m not sure what to count as my first day of cycle? From spotting or bleeding?

By spotting I mean I wiped and it was light brownish discharge. Sorry for TMI.

You count CD1 from the first day of proper bleeding.

It sounds like you've done your research and everything you say sounds correct to me. I TTC DC2 while breastfeeding so looked into it a lot then as well. It's extremely difficult to fall pregnant with a LP of less than 10 days. It's also more difficult (though not impossible) to fall pregnant while breastfeeding in general, due to the hormonal effects as you know.

I eventually decided to stop breastfeeding in order to conceive, but I didn't get my period back until I completely stopped (when DC1 was 19 months) so it was different from your situation. I fell pregnant after 5 cycles, 4 of which were ovulatory (the first wasn't - confirmed with temping). Each cycle my LP grew longer, from 9 days to eventually 12/13. I'm pretty certain BFing is the cause of your short LPs.

I don't have much advice on what you can do right now other than continue as you are, particularly if you don't want to night wean (which I totally understand). Plenty of people will tell you they fell pregnant while EBF when their baby was 3 months old etc etc so it does happen even in those circumstances, but I think there's also a large proportion of women who really struggle to conceive while breastfeeding at all - myself included! DC2 is now 12 months and I still don't have my period back. I've had 4 periods in 4.5 years!

Google seems to say first day of your cycle is when you have "active bright red bleeding and flow" so maybe you've been selling yourself short a few days?

I know it's easier said than done but I'd not read too much into it or worry for now, you had your other baby not long ago and they advise TTC can take up to a year and this is normal. I think you have like a 30% chance of conceiving each month even when you have sex in your ovulation window, or something like that!

You hear of so many cases of women falling pregnant just before they start getting help, I really believe putting stress and pressure on yourself can hinder your body conceiving.

Thanks for your response @NannyPear. It’s nice to hear others’ experiences as you said yourself, there’s a whole load of women out there going through this, but not so much of it being shared online, as such. I’m glad it worked out for you eventually.
I suppose I will keep at it, and stick to feeding her just at night (as if I’m back to work, following the lockdown) and hope to see a change in my LP.

@mynameisntlouise thank you. I don’t feel so stressed, but when my period has appeared in the last few months of TTC I do get a bit down for a few days. I find this kind of information and experience sharing helpful as there is no one else to talk to about these kinds of things. I’m glad it worked out for you, too.

It’s hard but I will stay hopeful!

My periods returned just as my DS was about to turn 2.

I carried on bf and got pregnant the third cycle. I also found my lp was on the short side, generally seemed to be about 10 days I think.

A bit different to your situation but I hope it's helpful. Good luck.

I have a short LP, although I’m done ttc what I did find helped was taking B6. I fell pregnant straight away once I introduced that.....it could have been a coincidence, guess I’ll never know.

@bessmarvin thanks for sharing! Do you remember how many feeds you were on a day at that point? Curious to know.

@3girls1boy07091013 I have been taking pregnacare, which contains b2. I’ve also read up on b12 and vitamin C which help fertility but both are in pregnacare. Were you also breastfeeding at the time of ttc?

Sorry I can't remember cos it was 2 years ago but I was back at work 3 days a week and he woke up a few times a night so fed then as well as the days I was home.

@BessMarvin that’s fine, I was just curious... Nice to know the possibilities!

@MDMDMD it's been very long ago you opened this topic. But the situation you're in is exactly as me. I'm ttc and have been tracking my period now for 4 periods with opk's and my daily temperature. I found out I ovulate around dat 18 and than have a luteal phase of 3 days, and it grew to 5 days right now. I'm far from there yet, but my daughter is still nursing around 5 to 6 times a day. I want to ask how you are. Did anything change? Or hopefully did you get pregnant? I made an account just to be able to post, so I hope you read this.

Hi there @suzen90

Just got a notification in my inbox and forgot I had even posted this! Currently breastfeeding my 2 week old as I type so yes to answer your q, I did manage to conceive. I cut down my breastfeeding sessions down to just the bedtime feed after posting this. So to clarify, i was not feeding throughout the night anymore but just stuck to one session for my toddler to go down to sleep. When she woke in the night, my partner would rock her and she eventually got used to it. When she started sleeping in her bed she actually just began sleeping through too so it worked out well for us. I decided to cut down dramatically to improve my chances as I felt if I were not working at home, that her feeding would have been reduced anyway - Because of lockdown I was back to feeding more often. So I knew she would be ok with just the nights, and then as mentioned earlier, she adjusted to just one session after this.

I found out I was pregnant in June and I posted this in May. We feel it was this change that helped us to conceive but we will never really know! I also didn’t cut down gradually, I just did it suddenly as I read somewhere that that was better for my body to react and respond to the change.

I really hope that helps! Fingers crossed for you xx

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond, that means a lot to me. Congrats on your child! Your post is very hopeful. I feel like there's not much information out there yet about ttc with a short luteal phase while breastfeeding and after birth. They all say yes your periods are not regular yet, but no clear information is given.

I'm still feeding my baby 5-6 times a day since that is what she needs, also eating solids more now. I used ovulation test to get an idea what is going on. But this time they were positive on day 11 already, and kept kinda positive for 2 days after as well. So I thought let's just do a pregnancy test, and guess what!? Positive! I can't believe it. And in fact I don't because about 2 weeks ago I thought I had my period, it definitely was bad for 3 days, way too bad for an implantation bleeding.. so I'm not sure if maybe I lost it any my body is still confused and has the hormones or that maybe nature is just wonderful. I guess I have to test a few more days to see if the line gets darker over time. Guess that's the only thing I can do now.

@suzen90 Hi, hope you are well and I hope you will see this post as now I’m in the same situation as you were that I only made the account so I can comment 🙈

I’m literally in the same situation as you have described with a luteal phase of only 3 days, currently breastfeeding a 14 months old toddler.
This is my 4th period since I gave birth and been using ovulation tests.
This last month we had intercourses few days in a row to cover all days when the line appeared on the ovulation test (even when it was so faint that we could hardly see it). And 3 days after the line was strongest on the test I got my period.

After reading your story it gave me a bit of hope so now I’m just waiting for next week to do a pregnancy test.

May I ask what was the outcome of your story? Were you in fact pregnant?

Hi,

In march when I tested unexpectedly positive I was pregnant, but it turned out in a miscarriage at weeks 5 or 6. This was really sad, and they never could find the baby on an ultrasound, it might have been an ectopic pregnancy but my body got rid of it herself. After this it took about a month again to be back to business. And my luteal phase was still short, but it got longer every month by a day. And right now I am pregnant just 6 weeks! This time my luteal phase had got back to 11 days. Just had an ultrasound yesterday, they did see the peanut but no heart action yet, so have to get back next week and I'm praying everything is alright than and heart action can been seen as I've also lost a little blood last week and got back to all the stress from my miscarriage.

If your luteal phase is just 3 or 4 days I would really recommend to talk to your doctor, because when it's so small it's not possible to get pregnant. Implantation happens the soonest at day 6 but most of the times later. Do you still breastfeed your baby often? As I noticed with myself that when I fed less (in march it was still 6 times a day) my period got longer again. I now feed her 3 times a day and want to go back to 2. I also took wheat germ oil as it is said it could longen your luteal phase, but not sure it worked. This website was also informative for me www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2017/june/breastfeeding-fertility-and-subfertility-2/.

I hope you get pregnant soon, but I know some body's won't get pregnant while giving breastmilk because of the hormones in your body.

@Julia1989 3 days does seem extremely short. Your ovulation test is only positive when it is as dark as or darker than the control line, so if this isn't happening then I'd be inclined to think you aren't ovulating (or are missing the surge). It's normal to get a positive opk at the end of your cycle when your period is approaching so I think the darker line 3 days before your period is more to do with that than ovulating. Have you tried temping? Then you will know if you are ovulating at all. Good luck!!

@suzen90 thank you for your reply.
I’m so sorry to hear you had a miscarriage and I really hope the pregnancy you are carrying now will be all fine.
I’m only breastfeeding 3 times a day (morning when he wakes up and midday before nap & at night before bed time)
I might be one of those people who are unable to get pregnant while breastfeeding but we will continue trying. I can see that my son is not ready to give up breastfeeding yet.

@NannyPear thank you for your answer.
The line on my ovulation test starts of light and then gets really dark, finally fades away in 2 days. It was the same back in 2019 when we were trying for baby number 1 (only difference is that my luteal phase was 13 days not 3). But I will try temping next month, thank you for the suggestion.
Wore case scenario I will have to stop breastfeeding.

I van really understand the difficulty between breastfeeding and stopping and hopefully get pregnant soon. But as long as your child isnt ready you can just keep trying, and maybe time will also change some things. I temperatured also every morning but some months I got a clear graph where I could really see my temperature was high and stayed high after ovulation. But some months, like the last few for me, my temperature was somehow also high before ovulation. So the app I was using was absolutely sure I didn't ovulate although my test said I did, so u was happy I was not only using the temperature method. And it turned out I was pregnant, so it isn't always so clear maybe. But at least you should see some shift before and after ovulation. Make sure to read into it a bit, as it is strict with when and how to take your temperature. I used the app fertility friend to add my temperatures to.

Hi, I just came across this thread and its very useful. I'm in a similar situation where I am breast feeding my 12 month old and TTC. I have been testing my ovulation the last 3 months and noticed my luteal phase is only 8 or 9 days. I am trying to drop to only an evening feed and substitute the others with milk but my daughter is being stubborn. I was wondering if anyone was taking b6 whilst breast feeding and if so, how many mg? Thanks so much x

Hi @Akcl2021 - did you manage to lengthen your LP in the end?

I am now in this exact same situation. I've actually just stopped bf after two chemical pregnancies. I am wondering how long it may take for my LP to get back to normal (it's currently 8/9 days).

Hi

I posted this topic back in 2020 and have just got a notification in my email. I’m sorry to those I didn’t respond to - I wasn’t aware.

As it was some time ago, I can’t remember exactly if my luteal phase lengthened. I did cut down on the breastfeeding to night only to get her to sleep. When she woke up during the night my partner would rock her back to sleep. I feel sure that hat cutting back the breastfeeding contributed to getting pregnant 2 months after that post, but will never know for certain.

Best of luck! Sending well wishes your way.