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.

Hi,
Hope you don’t mind me jumping on?
I have a 13 month old and still feeding at least twice a day.
My period still hasn’t returned although I’ve been tracking my ovulation and we’ve been trying for a few weeks.
I don’t know what to do to get my period to return!!!
I have heard(friends of friends etc) who have conceived without a period but has this happened to anyone on here?
Thanks!

@Gymandtonic00 my boy is 14 months and my period returned last week with feed to sleep and in the morning. We've not used contraception since we were trying for our first so didn't manage to catch an egg

@Gymandtonic00 I don't know, all of my friends had to stop feeding.

My baby is now just seven months and so I feed multiple times a day and a couple of times in the night. My periods came back last month. They might have anyway, but the month before I took pre-conception vitamins and ate a lot of extra calories a day. Because I read there were some studies that showed if you ate a lot more for a month or two, it can trigger a start to fertility. I think it's called metabolic loading from memory. Anyway I got heaps of EWCM 2-3 weeks later. Didn't ttc or catch the first egg as I was away for a few weeks and I don't feel well in pregnancy. My period came a week after that, so my luteal phase is rubbish. Which apparently can happen while breastfeeding, to allow the body to space out babies

@Gymandtonic00 I did a bit of research to try to get my fertility to return, which I think I said at the start of this thread. As @A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 mentioned, metabolic loading also helps.

So eat more, take vitamins, gentle exercise, try to reduce feedings (can you replace one feed with formula?) Pump instead of breastfeeding.

I've been trying for a few months, but not seen anything happen yet with regards to cycles restarting, DD is 10 months.

Good luck and welcome to the thread!

@Gymandtonic00 also get the Dr to check your iron levels. Anaemia can stop the return of your periods

Hello, I hope you don't mind jumping on board the thread 😊
We are also wanting to TTC (number 3!!) But I'm in the same boat as a lot of you ladies- I'm BF so my AF has not returned yet 😫 my DD is 21 months and still boobing on demand, she is such a boobie monster! I've been trying to cut her down but she asks regularly through the day, I say no if it's too soon to a meal but it's hard at other times to say no because I know it does bring her so much comfort (and I love the cuddles too 🙊). I've been giving her lots of cow's milk through the day but doesn't seem to have made any difference! She also boobs through the night, so the last couple of nights I've worn a top overnight to deter her but she's woken up and cried so I gave in, tonight my DH is going to sleep next to her instead so we will see how that goes! Just frustrating that AF has still not returned and no signs of it returning. I'm already taking multivitamins, I'm pretty sure I'm not anemic, will be following for any other advice though 🙈
With my DS my AF returned exactly a month after I completely stopped BF (at 9 months), but I really don't want to stop with DD. I had a lot of complications BF DS so am trying to BF as long as possible this time around.

Good luck @Porridgeaddiction with your test tomorrow 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Just wanted to add (because I've been doing a ton of googling 🤣🤣) that about a week ago I had a few days of increased CF and it was quite clear and runny so hopefully that means my estrogen is rising? Also had headaches almost every day for the last week, and been getting a weird nausea on and off (I have done a PGT before anyone asks 🤣 and it was negative 😭) but now thinking maybe my body is ramping up for AF to return?! I bloody hope so 🙈
Did anyone else notice any bodily changes before AF returned?

@Katnissx yes I had a lot of ewcm for about a week or more, then my period started a few days later

Well, I've just tested and it's negative.

I'm not too disheartened as I wasn't expecting it to be positive, it was a much different testing experience from when we were trying last time!

So looks like I'm on this thread for a while yet!

@Porridgeaddiction hopefully it's just before your period comes back though now! Which would be very exciting 🤞

Sorry @Porridgeaddiction Hope you've managed to shrug it off. It's tough even if you weren't expecting it to be positive. Hopefully you'll get your cycle soon and you can crack on!

I'm hoping mine might be on the way too. Ewcm again today. I've had three times of light spotting, and yesterday I had period pain for an hour or so. Hooray! Hopefully it's not far away 🤞 Never thought I'd be happy about cramps, but I did a little dance!

@Orangio how are you getting on, did your period come?

Hope everyone is getting on okay?
I had a fleck of kind of blood and mucus in my CF today but just normal CF since, any ideas what this could have been?

@Katnissx hmmm not sure. Are you using contraception at the moment? IB? Pre-period thingy? One of those weird hormonal things?

I've been feeling a little off over past 2-3 days, as in a bit 🤢 Also have those cramps as if I am about to come on with AF. It could be just a dicky belly, mind you, as we are away at the moment and food is a little different to what we normally eat. Won't be able to test for at least another week, but a part of me wants to feel hopeful.

Sounds like things are moving in the right direction for both of you anyway! It's so tempting to test isn't it. I just keep thinking of the cost 😬
No AF yet for me either. Just more cramps every day. They're really mild though so it's no bother.
Just typing left handed while feeding and trying to ignore the strong smell of puke which I've been unable to clean out of DS's hair. I think I can also smell burning dinner, but I'm stuck with the Limpet for at least another ten minutes. And DH is not going to want to BD when he comes back later if I smell of baby puke. The evening is going to pot, but at least there is wine in the fridge.
How's everyone else?

So I tested yesterday just in case (have loads of ic's!) And it was negative which was a bit disappointing but I was expecting it tbf. Buttttt today it has turned into light pink CF, also some minor cramping- so I am super happy, it must be AF finally!!
So glad I haven't had to cut down BF ☺️

@Mc3209 ooh fingers crossed for you, from your pp it seems like you could have BD at the right time and those are some promising symptoms 🤞🤞 the wait to test is the worst 😫😫

@Orangio haha oh dear 🙈 hooray for the wine! Interesting reading your pp's that you've had light spotting a few times but hasn't turned in to AF, I hope that's not what this is 🙈 I hope you do get a proper AF soon (or a positive would be even better!)

Sorry you got a negative @Katnissx Is AF here yet?
@PinkDucks hope you're okay. If you feel like it, let us know how you're doing!

No progress here! But yesterday I put on 3 pounds (without having night of carby piggery or anything) and that only happens pre-period so fingers crossed!

@Orangio I'm doing good thanks! My period arrived last week so feeling thankful everything settled down quickly! Just hoping my cycles don't go a bit haywire now as they did after my first mc. Hopefully your period is on the way too - I remember being very excited when my first post dd period arrived 😂 not normally something to look forward to!

I've dropped down to just one feed at bedtime now too. Luckily dd seems to have adjusted fine and happy with milk from a cup now in the morning.

I'm going to start opk's again soon so we can start trying again this month! Trying not to get my hopes up but really hoping things happen quickly again. DD feels like she's changed so much these past few months (definite toddler territory now!!) and it already feels like better timing 🤞

How's everyone else doing?

@Orangio annoyingly no! It's now turned into a white coloured EWCM (is that a thing?!) It's super stretchy. So hoping to BD tonight just in case. The spotting could have been an ovulation bleed I suppose but I don't think that is something I have had before so feels unlikely? Would it be too late to DTD now if I got O spotting yesterday & day before do you think? I will still DTD anyway but just wondering 🙈 let us know if AF arrives for you!

Oh that's great @PinkDucks ! Hopefully you're about to be in fertile week then? Fingers crossed for you this month! I'm slightly jealous that you have a 'month' and not just an endless stretch of time like me 😆 haha

@Katnissx I never heard of ovulation spotting - so much I don't know! Could it be implantation do you think? I often get ewcm about the time an embryo should implant because it coincides with the second oestrogen spike. Who knows eh! Maybe with breastfeeding you can just spot randomly 🤷

@Orangio unfortunately I'm pretty sure it's not implantation as the timings don't work out with when we last DTD. Yes I think you might be right just random spotting lol, hopefully my body is gearing back up for AF though 🤞 how are things with you?

Still away on vacation, still feeling a bit icky, but I am also still having that glass of wine.. I don't want to convince myself I am pregnant (I am terrible for finding pregnancy symptoms which all magically disappear after a negative test), behave like one, and then to see a BFN on Monday.

@Orangio the wait for the cycles feels endless, doesn't it.
@Katnissx fingers crossed hormones are starting to do their thing.
@PinkDucks good luck this fertile week!

@Mc3209 thank you! Yes definitely, enjoy that wine while you can 😄

@Orangio yes should be going into fertile week now! I'm hoping my cycles go back pretty regular. My period went awol after my first mc but that was a much later loss and think my hormones needed time to settle so keeping everything crossed that won't happen again!

I keep meaning to start testing with opk's but things have been a bit manic and I keep forgetting! Very different to ttc first time around when nothing was forgotten, I religiously used opk's and temped - it was all done with military precision to ensure success 😂. Definitely more chilled about it this time - for now anyway!!

@Mc3209 I used to be a serial symptom spotter too! It's so cruel that pre period symptoms are very similar! Enjoy that wine 😏

I've got spotting again today, what does it mean?! 😫🤣🙈
How's everyone else getting on?