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… :/

Hello ladies following this thread with interest. I am breastfeeding my nearly 2 year old.. have managed to get it down to 3-5 times during the day and zero at night (although some nights I still breastfeed if he's very unsettled!).

I am yet to see a see a bfp, we've been having unprotected sex for almost a year now - not "trying" every month though. It makes me sad to know time is ticking and there is no control over if or when it will happen.

I spoke to a gyno and she told me that breastfeeding can have an influence on fertility. We actually ended up doing IVF for the first child but we had unexplained infertility so I still have a naive hope that the second time I'll be able to conceive naturally. Doesn't look like this will be the case! Interestingly she also told me to give up breastfeeding if I chose to do another embryo transfer as it can ruin the chances. Ahhh but I see no end in sight! LO is still completely breastmilk addicted! Hope you all have better luck than me so far!

Hi there @blossomhoney2 !

Thank you for joining. I've not been very active on the thread, it seems to have gone a little quiet. I'm on CD 8 (with a long cycle so ovulate around day 18/19 - while to go!) so i'm going to reignite and stay updated here.

Your story sounds so much like mine! Although we didn't have to have IVF, fell very easily last time but this time around...maybe a little line last month 7DPO but then nothing.

Also in the boat of whether to stop but also still BFing 3 times plus, also co-sleeping!!

Maybe we've done our time?

What CD are you on :)

How is everyone?

We had unprotected sex for the first time last month and my period was late - I thought I'd be excited but we just felt absolute dread. My youngest is just 1, I've been back at work a few months but it hasn't been great after my maternity leave, as in I don't think they're too happy with me and I'm not sure my career would survive another few months off. I think we are going to leave it for now, as now the baby is one she is so much harder work as she's into everything. My partner was really on the fence about a third anyway, he'd like to focus our time and resources on the two we have. Nursery bill has just gone up to £4.5k for the two. I think we are going to stop here and not try

Just wanted to wish everyone well on their journey and hoping for some more positive tests soon!

Hello @january1244!

Oh sorry to hear all that, at least you know now that it may not be the right time...1 years old is still so so little, you need time to recover and adjust being back at work. Why do think they're not happy, what do you do?

Thank you for the well wishers! CD 9 so need to starting doing testing and getting to it :D

@ThatNimbleOP Hi! I am on cycle day 11. I did an ovulation test yesterday today and LH surge is creeping up day by day!

I am breastfeeding my LO around 2-3 times a day. I count feeding from both boobs once! Ha ha She is 32 months now so hoping she will wean soon but she still relies on them so much 🥴

Fingers crossed for a positive month for us all!! C

Hi @BabyBorn !

Oh exciting, when do you normally ovulate...how long have you been trying for :)

Ah yes, i think they never wean themselves off really :D

Hiya! @ThatNimbleOP. Been trying for around 18 months. My cycles didn't have long LP for around 4-5 of those months. I've had two miscarriages too. One in June and one in November.

I've been trying acupuncture and my diet has been immaculate this past two months so hoping for the best soon!

I usually ovulate on day 16 but it was 17 last month but it would have been my hormones regulating due to diet and acupuncture. Think it will happen earlier this month. Should be in around 3 days if my OPT is correct.

How about you? How long have you been trying for?

@ThatNimbleOP ooh that fun stage of having to have sooooo much sex 🤣

Ah well they said they weren't happy. And then officially said they weren't happy. I used my annual leave to ease back into it, as my little girl was bottle refusing. I work in finance

Hi @BabyBorn !

Oh wow, 18 months is a long time...how are you feeling about it? Have you spoken to any doctors within that time frame seeing as 1 year is that crucial point right!

Yeah this is our 5th unofficial month trying (last month was complete flop so not counting haha) maybe a hint of a line couple of months ago and consequently my cycle was so long last month! Defo getting baby fever now though vs last few months, so maybe my body is finally catching up haha!

@january1244 haha yeah my BF is very excited :D i'm sorry to hear that!! Finance is such a male orientated industry i can imagine they're not very understandable...so sorry to here it. Literally fuck these people, there's more to life!

@ThatNimbleOP I have been pregnant twice in that time though. I had all my hormone levels tested in March last year and all came back ok. It's just my age I think!! If it's meant to be then it will be, that's how I'm looking at it!

Exciting then. Hoping it happens for you soon and glad your cycle is becoming more regular! Nothing worse is there. We are ovulating at similar times so be good to see how we both get on!

@BabyBorn oh yes sorry - you did say! So maybe it is the breastfeeding, people on here/online say that it can prevent implantation or make it more difficult...would you give up at this point just to see if it made a difference?

My cycle has been regular for a while but last month was 37 days! Could also be stress though, trying to relocate at the mo and sold our flat, moving out end of March so we'll be sofa surfing with a toddler full-time lol :D Not the easiest of days haha!

Yes i need to get testing, have no idea when i ovulate atm haha but think it might be coming soon, feeling a little fruity haha!

@BabyBorn it's maybe more likely to be breastfeeding than age. Apparently the differing hormones can lead to a thinner lining and inability to properly implant and sustain the pregnancy. How old are you if you don't mind me asking? I had my second at 39. I've just turned 40

@january1244 i do really believe in what you're saying, i think this is why some women can get pregnant and others can't. I know i had fairly light periods before i got pregnant, they're similar now but wouldn't be surprised if it's made my lining even thinner! So maybe if your periods are heavier, you have more of a chance :D

@BabyBorn my neighbour got pregnant first try at nearly 40 for her second, although her partner is a young bobby dazzler at 31 years old :D

Hi @ThatNimbleOP Im not breastfeeding very much really. Not like I was this time last year! Feed her to sleep sometimes and then she wakes for it in the night and may give her one boob in the morning if she asks. Last year I was feeding her more than she was eating I think! She was teething and getting ill with bugs at nursery so she just wanted boob most of the time. I’ve cut right back now and she rarely asks me in the day at all now.

I bet it’s mega stressful!going is hard enough never mind TTC and sofa surfing too! Are you doing that until you find something else to buy?

@january1244 i am 40 mid March, I had an early miscarriage in June and a partial molar pregnancy in November which was a big shock. I don’t know what’s stopping it from happening really but guessing poor egg quality. When you think about it not every egg that is released will be a good quality egg and even more so as we get older. If it happens I will be really happy but if not it’s not meant to be. Will only be trying until around May time. How’s your fertility journey going?

Sorry @ThatNimbleOP I meant moving is stressful enough 🥴

@BabyBorn oh interesting!! Yes maybe it is egg quality then, guess that’s why percentage chance of conceiving goes down with age…keep going though or at least just relax with it and have sex if you feel like it rather then forced? Although telling you how to suck eggs probably 😆

Yes we’re looking to buy again but still not decided on where yet, leaving London for a big change though so it’s a tough one!

Im just 32 btw ladies - so we’ll see if age helps haha!

As in “just” turned 32 - not flouting my age there 😆 not that young haha!

@BabyBorn I had one at 37 and one at 39, easily enough. A lot of my friends are 38-43 and don't seem to have issues getting pregnant. Hopefully our age will be fine. I did take ubiquinol both times, just to improve egg quality as a precaution.

Hi @january1244 so many of my friends my age have had to have IVF to help them get their first babies, a few have had to have IVF a second time and felt pregnant naturally the second time! Crazy. Think we are all different so we just can’t say either way. I take Ubiquinol the first time a miscarried but didnt the second time when I had the partial molar pregnancy. I have been taking it now since December but only taking 300mg as you don’t need as much in the purer form and because I’m breastfeeding.

You have a lot on your plate having two so close together!! 😆 I was never ready to have two close together and didn’t know how I would cope. Seems mad I’m doing it all again and the gap will be massive between the 3 I already have! 🥴 x

Sorry about the typos! Currently have norovirus 🤢🤢

@ThatNimbleOP I came down with the norovirus out of nowhere last night. I was really sick. Nothing left in me at the moment! 🥴 I had my peak yesterday afternoon and come the evening when I knew I had sickness etc I said to him, we still have to have nookie! Im not wasting a month! 🥴😂😂😂 desperate measures. I was so ill I can't believe I managed it! 🥴🥴

Yeah yeah don't rub it in about your age! 😂😂

Hey @BabyBorn how are you feeling! Doing better I hope?

I had strong positive yesterday CD12 so managed to DTD today as I fell asleep last night 😆 so wondering if it’s another failed cycle…too much on our minds to get into it!

Anyway still enough to go into the TWW with some hope…feeling a bit down about things atm but trying to pick myself up!

Here we go haha 2WW craziness

Hiya @ThatNimbleOP much better thank you!

I was too tired the days leading up to ovulation too. I tested much earlier as I felt in my body that it was gearing up! So strange. Can't even explain how. First test was low but still a high low if that makes sense. And two days later it was a blazing positive. I only DTD 3 hours before I felt the egg releasing so I'm hoping the sperm to there in time! I've read on the past it can take from half to 45 minutes to reach the egg. I know how you feel, so much on our minds that we can't even perform when we need to! Ha ha!

Hope you start feeling better about things. This TTC lark has its ups and downs for sure. I always feel really annoyed when I get AF and can be moody for days! It really gets me down.

Just waiting now.... I'm going away for a week on Saturday so lots to keep my mind off it i suppose and I've ordered 2
First response tests to take with me to test on CD10

@BabyBorn glad we feel the same! The first few months i was so on it but then it gets harder each month when you wonder if there's any point...will it work or will it never work till i stop the boob 😥

Think i ovulated y'day CD13 or maybe this morning, do you go by temping or just feeling?