Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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.

TTC whilst breastfeeding. Tips, advice and support

744 replies

Porridgeaddiction · 11/07/2022 16:55

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
26
TrudyProud · 16/01/2023 10:09

@lemondrizzlecake20 we are in a similar situation. 9 month old DD, living with in laws whilst house is renovated. Willl hopefully all be done in the coming 6 weeks.

DH said just before bed that needs a break from house stuff once the reno is done but still wants to TTC which is good news! DD will be 11 months when the reno is done. We both go back FT in April 😬

lemondrizzlecake20 · 16/01/2023 19:48

@TrudyProud @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7
I feel for you, renovating is so stressful. It's so worth it once it's finished though.

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 I'm trying to wean too, I need to be more consistent though. BF is so much more convenient.

Goldcloud67 · 27/01/2023 17:49

Hope everyone's doing well. Just an update that I had my GP appointment about my potential thyroid concerns and they were happy to give me a blood test. All came back normal and the day before i got my test results my period came, 11 months since having my baby. So great news and glad I didn't have to give up breastfeeding completely for it to come back. Now I actually feel like I'm getting somewhere 🙂

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 30/01/2023 16:57

@Goldcloud67 that's great news! Must be a relief to have it back (not normally but for ttc purposes)

How is everyone?

I have cut right back on breastfeeding, just once or twice a day. Curious to see what effect it'll have on my cycle this month. Hopefully a good one

Ciaonow · 30/01/2023 19:54

Hi ladies well I’m 3 days late but done a couple of cheap tests that were negative and just done a FRER test which I probably should have saved til morning but it was negative too 😔 not sure what’s happening I’m guessing I’m just late. DD has been feeding a lot again lately so maybe that’s messing up hormones etc

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 02/02/2023 13:33

@Ciaonow how are you?

Ciaonow · 02/02/2023 13:35

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 AF arrived this morning so I’m pretty disappointed but not that surprised really. DD is 1 this month so might start cutting back a bit soon if I can as she’s still feeding so much at night! I’m exhausted too. How are you getting on?

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 02/02/2023 14:23

@Ciaonow I'm really sorry it's always rubbish, but especially when you're late.

Our babies are about the same age, I've been weaning this last week. Down to one feed a day, and the rest cows milk and formula. Will try to drop the last feed in the next week or two. It's actually helped ours with night sleeping too - gone from co sleeping and every 90 min wake ups to two wake ups in the night (in his cot) and no milk til the morning

ZoomiesCat · 05/02/2023 12:33

Hi, I was wondering if I could join? I've spent the last few evenings reading through this thread and have found some useful tips. Congratulations to those that have had BFPs, that brings me so much hope. I'm so sorry to hear about those that have had loses, I hope you are doing okay and recovering.

My DD is 14months old. We haven't started TTC yet and we are hoping to start this summer but I've not had my period back yet since having DD. DD is such a boobie monster, but I've been trying to cut down feeds in the day so just milk for nap and bedtime but she's been a bit poorly having started nursery and picking up everything there 🤦‍♀️ and I suspect teething too, so that's been hit and miss on whenever that plan has worked each day. She started nursery in January and goes twice a week for 8hrs, where she doesn't have milk there at all, so I've stopped expressing on these days as she doesn't want/need it when I'm not with her, so I know she can do it in the daytime. Night time I am still feeding through the night, last night I timed it and it seems to be roughly every 3hrs, but 4am feed was just her latched on suckling for comfort for an hour. I have in the last week been trying to shh and pat to sleep instead with varying success. Up until recently we were cosleeping, but we've now set up her own bed area, so I'm hoping having a bit of space and her not right next to me might help her not smell the milk and what it so much. The night feeds have definitely spread out as it was hourly until we moved her. We are thinking of getting DH to try and go to her at night now instead of me, but doesn't wake up to her like I do so that's frustrating.

This month I've been religiously taking my multivitamins and myo-inositol, and seed cycling although have done it with the moon cycle as don't have a cycle back yet to base it on. I did this the month we conceived DD after experiencing a miscarriage, no idea if it was that that worked but I guess some extra nutrients from seeds each day can't hurt. I've also been trying to incorporate some yoga and meditation practices back onto my life and trying to up my calories a bit but find this super hard, especially as DH looks at me like why are you eating again!? Pre DD I used Natural Cycles for years for contraception and then when TTC and it worked well, I think not having cycles back is worrying me as last time I knew exactly when I was ovulating so feels like all new territory for me.

Sorry this was a long first intro, just trying to get it all straight in my head too. Clearly not an over thinker over here 🙋🤦‍♀️😂

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 06/02/2023 07:07

@ZoomiesCat hello! That sounds really rough, definitely empathising with the constant sickness from nursery plus teething. Hope being out of your bed means she takes less milk 🤞 Does she drink cows milk? Mine is having 600ml of cows milk a day (I just weaned him off me) but I know that's too much at one year old - he just really loves milk.

I think I have ovulated over a week earlier this month on CD20, and that was mostly cutting down, as it's only been the last few days of no milk at all. Hopefully my luteal phase improves this month too! Six days hasn't really been long enough for anything to implant 🤷‍♀️

ZoomiesCat · 06/02/2023 11:28

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 thanks for the reply! She will drink a little oat/soy milk in a sippy cup or open cup, but unfortunately not reliably. We are thinking of getting DH to offer her this or water at night wake ups, but have decided first to work on getting her to sleep without breast milk, so will feed her and then try and put her down drowsy and lay with her. I'll work on that this week and then possibly the following week if all goes to plan do night weaning 🤞 Well done on weaning your little one! Sorry I can't remember from reading through the thread how old your little one is?

That's really good to hear about the earlier ovulation for you and hopefully your luteal phase will length out for you this month too 🤞

TrudyProud · 06/02/2023 17:59

After watching the thread we are approaching the time to TTC DC2 (will start March /April). My periods returned at 6months so I presumed we were good to go however DD is approaching 10month and I'm realising I've not had any ewcm since my period returned,

I will buy and ovulation kit ahead of my next cycle but for the sake of my sanity...Those of you with BFPs- did you have visible ewcm?

DD is still a boob monster she has 3-4 daytime feeds and an overnight feed in addition to 3 solid (BLW) meals and water.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 08/02/2023 10:39

@ZoomiesCat good luck! He just turned one a couple of weeks ago.

@TrudyProud I haven't conceived, but my period came back at 5/6 months also, and I have had heaps and heaps of ewcm. However that hasn't been an indicator of good fertility for me as my luteal phase has been very short

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 08/02/2023 10:40

I'm post weaning now and 5dpo and period hasn't arrived. Think this has beaten my previous months already

Golaz · 08/02/2023 18:56

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 08/02/2023 10:40

I'm post weaning now and 5dpo and period hasn't arrived. Think this has beaten my previous months already

good luck!!!
I’m on 6/7dpo . Fingers crossed for us both this cycle 🤞🏻🤞🏻☺️☺️

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 08/02/2023 19:13

@Golaz good luck! Can maybe test in another couple of days !

TrudyProud · 08/02/2023 20:59

Thanks @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 good luck with your TWW and I'll get my OPKs ready for my next cycle

ZoomiesCat · 08/02/2023 22:13

Good luck to you @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 and @Golaz I hope this is your cycle 🤞

That's so good to hear you luteal phase is lengthening @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7

Golaz · 13/02/2023 20:21

How are you doing @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 ?

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 13/02/2023 22:06

@Golaz how are you?
No period yet here for me, so maybe a longer luteal phase. On plus side, getting some sleep, baby sleeps through 7-6.30am now 🙌

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 16/02/2023 08:13

I'm now CD1 and had a 13 day luteal phase on my first cycle stopping feeding. For me it has made a difference- normal cycle like pre-pregnancy, normal length luteal phase, ovulating on about the day I used to, and no ewcm patches randomly throughout the cycle.

Just as a recap for the new people, my baby is 12 months. I did the metabolic loading and vitamins and my period came back at 5-6 months with exclusive breastfeeding, but cycles were wonky with very short luteal phase and ewcm right up to period. My baby still has 600 ml of milk, so was taking a lot from me even after beginning food.

I think I'm one of the people who did need to stop to regain fertility unfortunately - some don't have to

AlwaysSwordfish · 03/03/2023 14:53

Hi everyone! Just reading everyone’s tips and experiences, such a helpful thread 😊

We’ve started vaguely TTC, but my periods still aren’t back so nothing’s going to happen for a while. DS is 21 months and only feeds twice a day now so I really thought my periods would have returned by now, hoping I’m not one of the people who need to completely wean as I’m not ready for that yet 😩

Finding it all so stressful already so don’t know how I’m going to make it through the however many months we have ahead of us 😅 but really reassuring to know I’m not alone!

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 08/03/2023 08:53

@AlwaysSwordfish it seems so variable as to when periods and fertility will return. It's so frustrating!

How is everyone getting on?

Ciaonow · 14/03/2023 18:08

Just got my BFP! Sending good luck to everyone else

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 15/03/2023 21:29

@Ciaonow congratulations!! That's so exciting!