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… :/

Aawww sorry to hear that! Sorry as I know you’ve probably already said this up
thread but how old is your little one and how long have you been breastfeeding? Also, how old are you? If you don’t mind me asking?! X

@BabyBorn my little girl is 26 months old and we’ve been breastfeeding that whole time…I’m just turned 32.

I had my tests done and everything was fine so not peri or anything. It’s only been 5x trying but it’s wierd I just don’t feel properly fertile if that makes sense…like my body isn’t crying out for a baby. Which could be because of the breastfeeding. We co-sleep so feed at least 3/4 times during the day, 2x at night.

What about you?

Hey @ThatNimbleOPall the sounds totally normal. It took my 5 months to conceive my 12 year old at 27 and I thought that was agesssss, I wasn’t breastfeeding at the time either. My LO is 33 months and I’m only feeding from both boobs once at night, we co sleep too and one first thing in the morning, both boobs again. I’ve fallen pregnant twice and the first time was last May when i was feeding her around 10 times a day! She’s was also sick from nursery germs and feeding was beyond ridiculous! Now I’ve cut back so much over the past 6 months it’s not happening! Arrrrghhh. So it’s probably not the breastfeeding that’s hindering your fertility xx

I had a chemical in June and a miscarriage in November so obviously still trying. I already have 3 children so I am lucky and not the end of the world if it doesn’t happen this time around. I am falling pregnant, just need them to stick! I have just turned 40 x

I conceived the cycle after I stopped breastfeeding. In some women especially if you are demand feeding every 2-3 hours you can’t get pregnant

Another month with us ladies can’t be that bad! 😆 I am on CD5 so we are quite close! Let’s just hope this is our month!! Xx

@minnienonosometimes that just happens as a fluke like lots of things. After such a long time breastfeeding your body goes back to normal and a normal pattern of cycles and you then can fall pregnant. You’ve got to remember too with age, stress and the pressure of TTC can have an affect on fertility, it’s not just the breastfeeding. The longer you’ve been feeding the more chance you have conceiving again. It’s only rare or fluke situations where you can’t fall pregnant unless you stop.

@BabyBorn oh okay…it’s just hard because my first didn’t require any trying at all, first time in the dot! Think your brain automatically jumps to conclusions…

We’ve done our time though so naturally I wouldn’t mind wrapping up soon 😆 it is hard to tell though with cause and effect if anything is impacting it!

We are in a huge state of change so maybe when we’re settled it’ll fall into place.

Three kids is amazing! But I get it, if the heart wants more then there’s always going to be a hole there…

I know @ThatNimbleOPis it a surprise when it doesn’t happen straight away. My first pregnancies went like this, 1st was a missed miscarriage at 18 weeks (first try), one was an ectopic rupture (1st try) one I wasn’t ready for (accidental first try) .and had a very early abortion. 😢 My other pregnancies were not within 5 months apart from one but I wasn’t trying either! (Long story ) 😬

Youve done amazingly breastfeeding your little one! You must be so so proud! My little girl has only ever had breast milk too and I’m proud of our journey and will be so sad when it ends but will be her decision when it does. Do what’s best for you my love. If you think stopping breastfeeding will help then stop, but just know that it probably isn’t that that is stopping you falling pregnant. It’s just a matter of time before you do and I don’t think breastfeeding is hindering it. X

I'm in for another month too as af arrived bang on schedule this morning. That's on top of it being my first day back at work and also waking up with a horrible cold! The universe loves me!

Just hope this next cycle is shorter, 41 days was a killer 🙃

Sorry it wasn't the month @ThatNimbleOP

@minnienono thanks for you comment, that’s interesting! It does seem to differ between people…

@BabyBorn i probably won’t stop, it makes parenting so much easier. We said we try till summer and if still not pregnant will stop as my partners off in school holidays so he can do the nights!

@Strongbrewplease so sorry to hear that! Hope you’re feeling okay..at least we’re on pretty similar timelines now then, I’m CD2!

Here’s to a “positive” month next next ladies, pun very well intended!

@BabyBorn thank your for all your comments too and sharing your knowledge and history. 😀

No worries @ThatNimbleOPots good to share experiences where we can 🥰 Yes, how funny how quite a few of us are now quite close in cycle days! I am on CD7 x

Sorry, just checked and I’m actually CD6! 🙄🥴

Oh yay! We can all stay strong together.

My period is super heavy this month and tmi very clotted...i never get either of these!! Wonder if something did happen this month after all...my periods haven't been like this since i was a teenager!

Hi everyone, sorry to see we’re all still here! Wishing everyone success this month! I’m CD2 so very similar to a few of you!

I’ve cut down on feeding a bit, now just before sleep and at night. And DD has been sleeping unusually well in the last few nights so we’ve not even needed to do it then! Have also worked out that I ovulate later than I thought and have a shortish luteal phase so have loaded up on vitamins. We’ll see if that makes a difference!

Hey @ThatNimbleOP have you done anything different this month that could have caused that to happen? My period was like this once when I had my chemical pregnancy and after a miscarriage. Did you test in the end before AF showed up? Hopefully it won’t be anything to worry about and is just one of those things! X

Hi @G0ldfinchwe feed the same amount of times in the day you have said that you do. How long is your LP? Glad your little one is sleeping well. B6 is supposed to be great on lengthening LP but you should stop it as soon as you fall pregnant I seem to recall!

Hi @BabyBorn, think LP was 9 days last month and 10 this month. I think it may always have been like that to be honest, but not sure as I’ve only ever tested for ovulation in the last two months. I think more of the issue is probably ovulating later, I looked back over the last 5 months and in three of them DH and I weren’t hitting the ovulation period at all!! So perhaps now I know we’ll have much luck. Am taking B6, C and E (took this before my last pregnancy to thicken uterus lining and conceived first try so maybe it helped!).

Hi @G0ldfinch10 is ok, any lower is suggested it isn’t but everyone is different and I’ve heard of a few women falling pregnant with only a 9 day LP. Glad you havre managed to figure out when you ovulate. With the B6 it might lengthen it too! I take Vitamin C and E too. Hoping it all works at some point soon! 😀

Hi @BabyBorn yes LP is probably borderline so hopefully a few vitamins will push it in the right direction! AF this month seemed much healthier if that isn’t TMI, so perhaps something is falling into place. We’ll see! Hope it all goes ok for you this month

Hi @G0ldfinch that’s interesting that AF seemed healthier last cycle! Have you done anything different apart from the vitamins? I started acupuncture and noticed that changed my AF a bit x

For me, I definitely needed to stop breastfeeding to conceive. I conceived first time with my first pregnancy (which was a MMC) and the month after I stopped breastfeeding. I’d had my period back regularly for ages with nothing happening whilst breastfeeding. But it’s so individual, and some people will conceive fine with suppressed fertility. Some are more affected by the hormones - two friends had to stop completely to even get their cycles back properly.
Really hoping the accupuncture works for those doing it!

Hi everyone,

Wow, so lovely to see so many of you offering guidance and support!! It's so needed in this journey...i'm glad we can all help each other.

@january1244 that's so interesting re: stopping breastfeeding. How do you know that stopping it helped you conceive though...i just know deep down that that's affecting us. I know it is so hard to tell without going back and stopping and seeing if it makes a difference...but you can just feel it in your bones right!! I know my little girl still needs her mama and she translates that for the amount of time she's at my boobs (24/7 if she could!)

I heard that in some women breastfeeding can do something to your endometrium lining and prevent affective implantation.

More historic but I got pregnant twice whilst still bf. Both times little one was about 18 months and bf dropping down just feeding to sleep/ comfort feeds if unwell.