20 months breastfeeding, no period, eternal low LH readings

[ExTriTrying]

Hello!

My daughter is just coming up to 20months old, and we'd really like her to have a sibling. However, my periods have still not come back.

Up until end of Jan, she was still breastfeeding often 4 times a day, bed time feed was long (up to 30min!). We've cut this down over the last 1.5months, to just two feeds throughout Feb, then one, now we're at about 5mins before bed time.

Still no sign of a period. I've had blood test and ultrasound, Dr confirmed it is feeding preventing cycle returning as no abnormalities (aside from high prolactin and low oestrogen!).

I've been testing LH daily with Easy@Home strips, it just hovers around 0.1-0.4 on the T/C ratio, constantly. Oddly I did get one solid smiley on a Clearblue last month but don't trust it as Easy@Home was still low.

I guess my questions are - how long have other people gone without periods when breastfeeding? And is this constant low (but never 0) LH level a sign that body is trying, and failing? I don't really want to completely stop feeding DD to have a second, but atm that is the direction we're heading in.

Try the progesterone challenge - think it is five days of progesterone only pill, to encourage withdrawal bleed and hopefully kick start periods. You can take it whilst still breastfeeding. You should be able to get prescription easily enough, possibly even from nurse rather than doctor (if you struggle to get appointments!)

What above poster said! I restarted my periods while breastfeeding using the progesterone only pill for one month after my first child and taking the morning after pill while breastfeeding my second. Currently tandem breastfeeding my third who is 10 months and my second, and there is no sign of period returning naturally so I may have to force it again if it doesn’t return once they’ve turned one.

It might take another month or so for your periods to start if you only cut down the feeds last month. I got down to 3 feeds a day and my period didn’t return for a couple of months after that.
Even when they had returned I never got a peak or even high reading on the ovulation sticks, but I still got pregnant 🤷🏻‍♀️ so don’t worry too much about the ovulation tests.

My periods didn't come back til I stopped breastfeeding at 21 months, and I only stopped because we wanted a second child. I wish I could have carried on, but my body said no! Didn't know about the progesterone pill though - that's definitely worth a try

Thanks - useful experiences! I didnt know about the progesterone option, I'd only read about Clomid but put off by the increased chance of twins. Maybe I'll give it 3 months total (so 1.5months more), then explore that if no return. My hormones seem quite sensitive to disruption so I worry about introducing any additional challenges, eg a type of hormonal contraception, but it sounds like progesterone pill doesn't work in the same way

Just in case anyone in a similar position finds this thread (I browsed endless threads before posting myself, some going back years!)

In the end, feeding for 5mins was just stressful, and I opted to stop feeding. LO didn't seem to mind, I just changed the routine we had and presented her with alternative distractions at bed time. I think I minded more than she did.

Stopped feeding on March 17. And, unless my understanding of LH/BBT is completely wrong, ovulated on April 1 or 2.

Now awaiting either a period of BFP. The eternal low LH reading I was getting, I now realise, was just my baseline low reading. When it was actually positive, the line on Easy@Home strips went dark v quickly and was unmistakable.

No idea if/when I'd have gone on to ovulate if I'd carried on feeding. But I do know I'd been hoping to do so for months, and nothing happened until 2 weeks after a stopped feeding. It does seem that hormonal response to breastfeeding is extremely individual, so just sharing as I really wanted to hear/read other experiences.

Thanks for updating - it’s always good to have some conclusion! Best of luck with conceiving and fingers crossed for this month.