TTC whilst breastfeeding. Tips, advice and support

[Porridgeaddiction]

Hi all,

There doesn't seem to be a thread for TTC whilst breastfeeding, so I thought that I'd start one. All welcome to jump aboard if that's your journey too, or offer tips and insights if you've managed to conceive whilst feeding a young one.

I fell pregnant while exclusively breast feeding my 3 month old.

Very confused coming across this thread - isn't one of the main known side-effects about breastfeeding being contraceptive?

@mrwalkensir yes for the first 6 months if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, so no formula or solids. Even then it’s only ~95% effective as some women’s fertility will return despite meeting this criteria. After 6 months it’s not considered effective, solids are introduced and typically baby is taking less feeds. I think the average time for fertility to return is between 10 and 18 months post partum, obviously with a lot of variation. Because ovulation can happen before the first post partum period you could be fertile and have no idea

Mugascauld - looking back I got pregnant with DC3 quicker than DC2. Possibly because DC2 was a much quicker feeder than DC1

Hi, is it ok if I join?

I'm breastfeeding my 17m old, varies on frequency depending on teething etc, but mostly feeds during the night and once in the morning. I am about 9dpo and this is the first month i've had a positive opk (testing on and off since June). I've had a bit of cramping on the left hand side for 3 days now and just started spotting. Hoping this is implantation bleeding but don't remember having it with DS.

Hello @Avocadocats good luck for this cycle, must have been exciting seeing that positive OPK.

Thanks @Mc3209 and @Orangio . The suckling time thing is really interesting, my dd goes at least 16 hours between feeds so perhaps I’m not seeing a return of periods due to her comfort suckling.
Are any vitamins particularly recommended?

Hi @Avocadocats , welcome to our (very long) journey. Has the spotting stopped or carried on? I've never had implantation bleeding either but I know some people do, so fingers crossed! A positive opk is a great step either way.
@Thumberline I'm not sure to be honest. I'm only taking folic acid at the moment, so interested to hear the answer too. The comfort suckling is a bummer eh! I love it when ds does this, but now in the back of my mind I'm thinking "new baby, new baby" 😬

@Billyv @Orangio thank you both.

Definitely af as it’s very heavy now and lots of cramping. Feeling a bit sad but equally pleased to see the positive opk followed by af actually returning. Definitely a step in the right direction 😊.

I’ve been taking the Conception vitamins from Boots own brand and omega 3. Putting it down to consistently taking these and also gaining some weight. DS is allergic to eggs, soya and dairy so I had lost a lot of weight due to varying my diet.

Oh that's good (sort of!) Avacadocats. Since you got a positive opk you'll know how long your luteal phase is? Interested to know if it's a proper length as BF seems to shorten them unfortunately.
I'm temping this month to check ovulation happens and how long my LP is, and tbh if it is too short I might consider stopping BF 🙈 I really want a small age gap! Really hope I don't have to though.
@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7

Urgh posted too soon!
@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 haven't heard from you for a while! How are you getting on?

Hi everyone, update from me for anyone interested! Based on OPK’s the last two months I had been ovulating around CD22 with and 8/9 day luteal phase. Very different to before DC when I O’d on CD14/15, right in the middle of my cycle.
Cut out the day feeds this month, still feeding overnight but still only amounts to about 25 boob mins per day. I got blazing positive OPK’s on CD14 this month so I think I was ovulating yesterday, CD15. It’s my first month temping too but this morning’s temp was ambiguous because of messed up sleep so I’m not 100% sure I did in fact ovulate ☹️ it’s possible I tried but it didn’t happen so my body will try again later, and again I’ll have another CD22 O. But it’s good at least that my body is trying to O right on schedule!

This is my 4th cycle (2nd TTC) and it’s have been super regular since it came back, so I presume I have been ovulating, just quite late in my cycle. Hopefully cutting the day feeds has done the trick!

Yay @Avocadocats great news on periods having returned!

@Orangio really hope your luteal phase is okay when you check. Hopefully reducing feeding will get fertility more fully back.

I'm okay thanks, just my first week back at work and has coincided with baby being pretty poorly and not allowed at nursery as a result. Been a difficult week of juggling childcare and work between each other.

@Mugascauld yes very interested! I think a few of us are having similar challenges, with possible later ovulation. My cycles are regular and bang on what they were pre-baby. However I think I'm trying to ovulate a few times and then eventually ovulating late in the cycle. I wonder if pumping rather than feeding during the days will change anything for me

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 the whole thing is very frustrating 😕 I don’t think I OPK’d this early in my cycle last month so I don’t know if I would have had a + or not, but I got a + on CD 21. When you notice that you’re trying to O, and then eventually Oing later, do you have positive OPK’s the whole way along or + followed by - followed by + again as your body tries for a second time?

I have plus followed by negative, followed by + again. It’s so frustrating. I’m on CD 34 and just got my third “peak” so far this cycle. 🙄

Oh guys, multiple positives sound so exhausting!

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 juggling childcare and your first week at work sounds exhausting too, what a pain. My DS was off nursery quite a bit due when I first went back to work. I felt so awkward about it as I'm usually very reliable, don't have sick days etc. But he got every nursery bug going to begin with. Hope your work was understanding.

CD4 here. My AF was very light, which is weird. It's pretty much finished. It was my first period in years, as I conceived DS straight off the pill. Curious to see what happens this cycle, whether I have another decent luteal phase etc

Gosh, my son also picked up every bug going when he first started, and then passed it onto me 🙄 @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 sending strength, it will get better.
@Billyv are you going to OPK this cycle?
I am entering fertile week in few days and need to muster enthusiasm for DTDs.

@Golaz that sounds so tiring! I’ll have to wait and see what happens. I use Natural Cycles and it just confirmed ovulation for me based on temping, but I still kind of don’t believe it.

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 my first AF back after DC was light and only like three days long too

Re vitamins, I am taking Zita West fertility and extra ubiquinone for egg quality. Considering starting inositol as well. [disclaimer - ubiquinone has no safety data in pregnant or breastfeeding. Please take care when taking advice from internet randomer 😬]

Thank you so much all. My work was good as in they let me wfh, and my partner did the same, and we juggled it between us. Wasn't very fun! Sorry to hear you went through the same things with dreaded nursery bugs!

Yes I think I'm like @Golaz in that I have a few peaks, but I haven't used opks as they aren't effective when breastfeeding apparently. I've been using natural family planning - cervical mucus and I bloat after ovulation. I've tried temping but I keep getting woken so I've kind of given up a bit on that!

This is trickier than I thought it'd be. Has anyone tried acupuncture or anything to help with hormone balance? I did it after a miscarriage which had caused late ovulation, and got pregnant immediately. Wondering whether to try that again as they said it would help while breastfeeding

@Mc3209 yep I need to muster some enthusiasm also 😅

Whoof, just catching up on everything!

@Billyv my first period was also pretty light. Then the second was a bloodbath! I'm hoping you don't get the same!

I think I am the same as lots of you in that my body is trying to ovulate multiple times. I've had some separate patches of ewcm, with gaps in between without any. CD19 I think, and still no O! DH is going to get knackered if this continues 🙈

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 sounds like you've been having a tough time. I hope it's not too bad being back at work? Let us know if you try acupuncture! I'm fascinated by it, even though I could never do it myself as needles freak me out big time.

Also, thinking of you @Porridgeaddiction and hoping you are making progress ❤️

@Orangio a bloodbath, how graphic 🫢haha I hope the same doesn't happen! Here's hoping for a BFP rather than torrents of blood.

@Mc3209 I'll be using OPKs, yes. Actually premom is suggesting I start now which seems early, I expect they want me to buy more from them... Good luck for fertile week. Your 2ww will be around again soon! Urgh I am not looking forward to mine. How are you feeling about it?

If anyone has any tips on how not to go mental waiting to test, please do let me know! I'm hoping I'll be less crazy this time round. No self control ...

Think I'll persist with the OPKs even if they aren't so reliable when breastfeeding... I'm feeding 3-4 times in 24hrs, hopefully the BF isn't interfering much. They seem reliable enough based on the grand total of 1 cycle so far. I got 1 peak and my AF came 14 days later so all normal. No point temping to confirm, DS is still waking a lot. Hope these bloody molars are out soon, they are taking WEEKS.

I didn't actually have any EWCM but I didn't when I conceived DS either 🤷

Right I've probably blabbed on enough hehe

Actually my LH is quite high for me...it was 11% before ov last month. Hmmm. No idea what that means

@Billyv these are some solid LH lines. Mine is barely visible unless it's peak, then it was a proper positive for about 2 days, and went to faint again.
There is a lot going on this month with life, so it sort of keeps my mind off obsessing with TTC. I am going to try and hold out to test until 23/11 (that's when AF is supposedly due).
Hope those molars come through fast.