TTC whilst breastfeeding - cycle 4

[ThatNimbleOP]

Hello,

Is there anyone who’d like to join me…

Currently on cycle 4, CD11. Still breastfeeding my nearly 2 year old and co-sleeping, wondering if it’s having an effect on fertility as we conceived in a blink of an eye the first time…trying not to overthink it all.

Anyone welcome to join, don’t have to be breastfeeding, just any support welcome!

Thought last month was the month but here we are again… :/

I do t know about anyone else, but I generally use CM to see when I'm roughly fertile in general (for ttc and avoidance). However apparently this isn't reliable when breastfeeding either. Has anyone experienced anything to do with this?

@Cinnamonbunn how did you get on?

I tracked this last cycle and I had two patches of ewcm. So yes, I think nothing is reliable when youre breastfeeding.

This has been the worst cycle for me. 38 days, late ovulation and an 11 day luteal phase. I thought it was a sticky one as my basal temperature remained elevated but i didnt let myself believe is as my rhr remained stable and began dropping a couple of days ago. Started spotting last night and usually id be bleeding by now but all there has been is a tiny brown spot.

Just want it to be over so we can try again 😞😞😞

Are you sure it's not pregnancy if there's no real bleeding and your period should be here already?

I will be back ttc with you in a few months, had a ruptured ectopic over the weekend! It’s been really hard being away from my toddler, my boobs felt like rocks so I had to pump while in hospital. She seems to not be as bothered about milk so not sure whether to try completely wean or just stick to night times

@BloomingOrchidea interesting! This month i didn't seem to have any EWCM...also had my day 21 test today - hopefully results let me know what's going on. Also had repeat kidney and diabetes test due to dodgy results on day 5 - fun! Also re: bleeding, have you done a test?

@BGxxx oh no that's so hard! Are your tubes okay? Do what you want to do re: the feeding, maybe if she's not fussed it's time...

Sending babydust to all you amazing ladies

@ThatNimbleOP I lost my left tube, I was 7 weeks so the tube was huge! I had no symptoms of ectopic whatsoever until Saturday morning when I think the tube burst! I’m really shocked at how well she has coped with no milk whilst I’ve been gone…

@BGxxx I'm sorry to hear what you've been through. What happens now?
About feeding, I had to go back to work when my LO was 9 months and the days I had to be away from her, she'd just eat food. So really, she's fine as long as I'm not around.
Today she's hardly fed from me at all so I think I'm going to ride it and only feed her at night and give her food during the day from now on.
I'd say use it, if that is what you want to do x

@BloomingOrchidea im seeing epu next week for blood tests to make sure everything is going down as it should be, then not sure what happens from there, just wait for a period I guess!
i think I will do the same and just feed at night, it seems a good opportunity to cut down

Oh @BGxxx im so sorry to hear this, I hope you’re okay and I’m pleased to hear your DD coped ok. What are the next steps for you?

@january1244 definitely pregnant! Thank you for checking in. I haven’t gone to the GP as I’ve had positives everyday now and the test is now stronger than the control. Trying to enjoy this excitement before the sickness and nausea sets in. I suspect I’m 4 weeks now so may book an early scan for in 4 weeks time. How is everything with you?

Thank you, she coped amazingly bless her I was so worried! I’m going to see epu next week to
discuss ttc again, hoping it was just bad luck and all will be okay when I try again

This is so exciting! Congratulations! I was following a thread a few months ago you were in, so it's really nice to see your name and a BFP! Would you mind sharing your journey and feeding info? Eg. How much you still feed, how old baby is, how many cycles since it returned etc? I'm loving this thread and all the feeding mamas sticking together.
Im TTC #3 & still feed my 20mo to sleep and as demanded....which can vary from 1/2 feeds a day to 1000000 feeds day and night 😳

Yes of course I’d love to share. I think it’s very cool that the feeding mamas are here to support and encourage one another.

DD is just turning 18 months and was always EBF. She feeds on average 6-10 times in the night, as well as feeding to sleep. In the day time I’d say at least 2/3, usually in the morning, when we’re in the bath together and before a nap. Although, she is teething badly right now and the past 2/3 weeks has been non stop asking to feed as comfort. My period returned 14 months postpartum and my cycles were anything between 32/36 days, I did notice that I was ovulating a lot later and had a short luteal phase. Pre DD I had a 28 day cycle ovulating on day 14. I didn’t track ovulation this cycle, but I did feel it (will be interesting to see at the scan if the egg was released from the ovary I think it was). Whereas previously I tested LH everyday and DTD every other day.

Your feeding situation really doesn’t sound too similar to ours. Has your period returned since giving birth?

@Cinnamonbunn thanks so much - inspiring to know it can happen when feeding regularly. My first cycle returned at Xmas (I actually had a conceived with the first ovulation but it was a chemical pregnancy) so I'm now on cycle 3 since they returned. Trying to be patient but it's so hard...I had to wait so long for my cycle to come back and now more waiting!!!! Lol! Sometimes I get anxious that the feeding is making it harder and get tempted to make a change, but I really don't want to...I'd love to make it to age 2 before stopping, and I also love the idea of feeding my toddler and having a beautiful bump!
Thanks for the inspiration and courage to keep going as I am. I just need a big dose of patience now!!!!

Mine was pretty much exactly the same as yours! I don’t think I had any progesterone issues like I thought I would as I didn’t bleed except from
when it implanted

@BGxxx I'm really so sorry and hope you're doing okay xxx

@Cinnamonbunn congratulations!! Amazing news.

@clueless99 it's so interesting how different all of our breastfeeding is in terms of frequency and when. I'll include mine also. My second is 11 months, and she feeds at bedtime, 6am, 7am, and then on days she's home with me twice more in the day for naps. At days in nursery, she prefers not to have milk and to eat food. She doesn't feed in the night at all, and actually only woke in the night once for a feed from early in so maybe that's why my periods were back before four months

Im 13 dpo today and decided to test because this pattern has never happened to me before. Very strong positive, im still in disbelief.
My bbt is dropping and so is my rhr.
Nothing makes sense
Maybe thats what bf does to your body, changes it so its unrecognisable and nothing like it was before our babies.

Congratulations on your positive @Cinnamonbunn x

Gosh so much to catch up on in one week!!!

So sorry @BGxxx that's you've gone through this. It sounds like you're being really positive though, fingers crossed you can carry on ttc soon!

@january1244 congratulations! Definitely positive 😁

It's looking like I'll be out this month, AF feels imminent and I (stupidly) caved and tested yesterday and was disappointed to see how stark white the test was🤦🏼‍♀️ last one I had in the house though so I'll just not buy any more!!

12dpo today so it looks like I'm doing alright on LP length at least. Cycle this month is currently on day 35 and after last month's 27 day cycle it looks like my cycle is still all over the place - it was before DD came along anway, I was hoping that it might have regulated a bit, oh well!

Just need AF to hurry up now so we can carry on and i can pick up more opks.

@Strongbrewplease it's not me sadly, it's @BloomingOrchidea and @Cinnamonbunn with their positives! Lovely news Blooming, I thought something was up when you said spotting in place of period.

Strongbrewplease great news on the longer luteal phase, I know the disappointment of a stark white test. You never know, if your period doesn't come.

I'm 8dpo I think and don't feel anything

Oh sorry @january1244 🙈 I'll blame the sleep deprivation that DD is currently torturing me with!

Indeed though, not out until AF but not looking likely.

How are you both getting on @Cinnamonbunn ?

Huge congratulations @BloomingOrchidea !!

@Strongbrewplease theres still a chance that test line could change. Have you noticed a pattern to the cycle lengths, I know some women experience that there right ovary is 28 days for example while their left is 32.

I’m doing ok thank you, very tired but then I was anyway from all the night wakes. I’m getting quite nervous about the likelihood of developing HG again but so far no sickness.