Bfing and ttc - can you just explain to me?

[PhDlifeNeedsaNewLife]

So as near as I can understand it, as bfing gradually decreases, your hormones start to shift also gradually, so for instance you can ovulate even with no menstruation.

But would that mean if you did conceive, you'd be more likely to miscarry?

The way a MW explained it to me, is that if you bf every 2 hours without fail, then it is unlikely, but not guaranteed, that you will ovulate. If you bf less frequently, and especially don't bf at all during the night, then it is extremely likely that you will ovulate, even if you are not menstruating. If you ovulate, then you can get pg. I have not heard anyone mention an increased risk of miscarrying. The minute a fertilized egg implants in the womb, the ovaries start producing an increased amount of progesterone, and the placenta takes over this function at I think it is around 7 weeks(?). I don't know how this affects milk production, though.

well I knew you could ovulate and get pg without AF

but I thought you still needed a threshold level of relevant hormone (so sleep-deprived I really shouldn't be on a thread like this ) for implantation.

Presumably if you are bfing all over the place - 1x one day, 6x the next - usually at night, like some I could mention, then your hormone levels would be all over the place too, and unlikely to support implantation?

I think it's precisely when you are bfing all over the place is when your hormones are going to fluctuate enough for you to ovulate, and once that has happened, if the egg gets fertilized, it will implant, pretty much in the same way that occasionally someone who is taking the pill correctly and without missing any can still get pg. The MW who was telling me about this reckons that missing one feed is enough to allow ovulation.

yes, but if your hormones are fluctuating wildly, surely they (god I really wish I could remember which one I'm talking about here!!) may not be at high enough levels to prepare the womb for implantation? Iirc it doesn't just sit around being ready, but goes through cycles in response to... really want to say luteinizing hormone, but probably making that up. Sigh.

Anyway, if no one on here's heard anything, I'm probably over-thinking the issue. For a change.

The 'received wisdom' is that while you are exclusively breastfeeding (ie your child is not having any other nutrition), you should be covered. Once you have started weaning you can get pregnant. I got pregnant when DD was 11 months old and was still doing 4 day feeds, but she was having meals too. Got AF at 6 months though, shortly after beginning BLW.

Progesterone, it is. I got pregnant (not while BF) with periods that barely existed...half a day at most. Had hormone testing and levels were fine, just no periods. Am now 18 weeks into BF and have been testing and am indeed ovulating and have a 28 day cycle again. Being very careful!

If you ovulate you will menstruate, but the ovulation comes first, so if you got pregnant straight away then there would be no menstruation.

Not more likely to miscarry afaik. I haven't anyway, and am still bf'ing several times a day as well as being 7 months pregnant .

huh, now I am really confused - was sure I'd read in several places that you can ovulate without menstruating. (that never seemed completely right to me, mind, just thought I'd seen it a few times.)

No, you'll have read that you can menstruate without ovulating, rather than the other way round.