TTC whilst breastfeeding support thread - join me to share your ups and downs!

[smallblackflowers]

Hi!
A little about me - I'm pushing 34, have a 10 month old DD that I'm still breastfeeding and really want to conceive no.2 asap!
I am on my second cycle since AF returned and am temp / CM / CP charting using fertility friend and have OPKs!
I ovulated on day 29 of my last cycle, and am on day 21 at the moment.
Have been having fun and games with very fertile signs over the past week, so lots of BD, but no ovulation, poor DH is full of a cold and not feeling very energetic but I keep insisting that he perform until my temps go up

So anyway - hoping that there are others out there in a similar boat who can help to keep me sane and hopefully share some good news in the coming months.

Hi everyone and welcome fannylogan and SES.

SBF glad to hear that the progesterone cream has reduced spotting this cycle. I can't wait to try it but will have to I think until Day 21 when I have my next blood test as I don't want it to alter the results. Does that make sense or should I just go for it and see what the results are with it ?

Anyway, please wish me luck with my HSG tomorrow - I'm a bit nervous about it and hope it won't be too horrible. I'm trying not to think at all about the possible results.

I've also got my first acupuncture appointment in the afternoon tomorrow so lets hope that deals with any stress caused by the morning .

It's all such fun, isn't it

Ah sbf sorry to hear you got a visit too Best of luck for next month. I always start out intending to do it every other day but always think we should start on CD12 in case I have magically snapped back to a 28 day cycle and run out of energy and patience within a week With DD we managed every night for a week but it was Christmas and we had no work and no children!

Best of luck for tomorrow lilysma and hope you enjoy the acupuncture too.

hi lilysma I'd leave the progesterone cream until after your bloods are done - you never know your GP may prescribe you some progesterone if you need some....
I sometimes wonder if self medicating is the right way to go, and if nothing happens in the next couple of months will probably take a trip to my GP (although the fact that he seems to google everything I ever go to him about makes me doubt his innate knowledge, and trust my thorough research a bit more )

Good luck for tomorrow

Dita/sbf - boo at AF arriving I am sure I have read that every other day produces the best quality swimmers!

lilysma - what is an HSG?

I am trying really hard not to think about it being a 2WW. I am pretty sure I am not having a long enough LP, but I guess we shall see!

Hi everyone, just had the HSG (alibaba it is when they shoot dye up your fallopian tubes and take an x-ray to see if they are open).

It wasn't as bad as I expected, but the news wasn't great - one of my tubes is probably blocked . I knew this was a possibility since I had an ectopic 4 years ago (before I had DD, so I also knew at least one of my tubes works!). But it is a slight shock to have it confirmed.

I realise it doesn't substantially decrease my chances of pregnancy (apparently my other tube is super clear! ) but it may take longer and with the BF and spotting I seem to have a host of barriers, so am feeling a bit despondent . Off to see the accupuncturist this afternoon though and hoping she will help me feel a bit more positive. Will keep you posted...

Very quiet on here today - is everyone off munching on easter eggs

lilysma how was your acupuncture?

Am proud to say that I only fed DD twice yesterday - the least ever (was staying with slightly disapproving ILs, so that made it easier)! Was back on 3 feeds today, but will aim for only a wake up and bed time feed again tomorrow, although DD may have something to say about that (she only speaks baby though, so perhaps I can pretend to not understand her )

Hey sbf I have nothing to report, ages to go before anything starts to happen here, can't even be arsed to temp at the moment. Good work on cutting down on the feeds. We have also done well on that front, helped by the fact that we've spent most of the day in the car on the way to ILs I am hoping that we are coming to the end of the 24 hour feeding madness.

lilysma Sorry to hear the news about your tube but glad to hear that it shouldn't have too much of an effect. Hope that the acupuncture was relaxing

Happy Easter everyone!

Accupuncture was very good - she seems to be a great holistic therapist who took incredibly detailed history (it took two hours!) and is very positive that she can help. She just did a 'detox' accupuncture this time and I have another appointment next week to start on the rest. One tip she gave me is to hold a hot water bottle in my lap in the time leading up to ovulation to get more heat in the whole system to encourage blood to the uterus and help thicken the endometrium. But don't know if that's specific to me as she said in Chinese medicine terms I need 'heating up'.

Anyway, I think it should help me to feel a bit more energised regardless of effect on TTC . I think part of the appeal is just feeling that you are being cared for and supported in the whole process, which is not to be underestimated.

SBF, you are doing better than me on the feeding with a 3 year old .

Right off to munch some easter eggs ...

Happy Easter!

Lilysma that sounds great. I was a little suspicious of my acupunturist this time round as she didn't take my pulse and check my tongue at every session like the last one did (which seemed odd at the time but I miss it now - and it worked!). I was also told last time that I needed "more heat" and should eat ginger (this time alas no comments on my elemental state). Last time I couldn't have acupuncture the week I was OVing as it was Christmas so I was at home for the week, so she gave me a charcoal stick to set fire to (moxibustion?) and wave over my ovaries every day for a week - did the trick

I am currently extremely irritated as a random stranger (to me, I mean) has just left a comment on my cousin's husband's Facebook page saying that people who are still nursing toddlers should take a test before becoming parents. Prick.

...and I just assumed that acupuncture involved someone sticking pins in you....I am now intrigued - tongue examinations, inner heat, warming the ovaries with hot water bottles and sticks of charcoal, sounds like fun
Is it expensive?

dita what a knob (the random stranger I mean) - I hope your DH told him where to go. I don't understand why people feel the need to be rude about something that is so far from their own business, and just demonstrates their own ignorance. Makes my blood boil.

Hi there, can I join in please?

I am 36, still bf-ing DS 14 mos, all thru the night (co-sleeping) and all thru the day (on demand) - he does eat solids, somewhat reluctantly, but loves to bf. Went back to work for a short-term contract in Dec, so bf-ing was cut right down, and as a result my AF came back in Jan. But when I finished work at the end of Jan, he quickly went back to full-time feeding. Got a BFP last week and according to dates was 6 weeks pg, but then started to mc last night . I wonder if it was linked to increased bf-ing as DS has been sick and had no solids on Friday or Saturday (started mc on Sunday)? But all google research seems to say it shouldn't make any difference. Def a mc not just spotting.

Has anyone else experienced early mc while bf-ing? And has anyone else tried night-weaning with success?!

Hi missjackson so sorry to hear about your mc.

It is not something that I have experienced - am bf a 13 month old and have not managed to get pg so far.

Everything that I have read agrees with the fact that bf is safe during pregnancy......some pregnancies are just not meant to be (I mc'd at 11 weeks before conceiving my dd, so can understand the pain and upset that you are going through).

On the night weaning note - I have not normally fed at night for nearly 6 months - I moved DD out of my bed and into her own, used techniques from the 'no cry sleep solution', although there was some crying. I told myself that she did not need milk at night, as all the books said, that night feeding was more of a habit than a necessity, and was disturbing her sleep as much as it was mine.

Welcome to the thread by the way

Thanks sbf - sorry to hear you went through same thing at 11 weeks, it must be even harder then .

I have tried out some of the techniques from NCSS but haven't been strong enough - all too easy at 4am just to feed him back to sleep! I think we are either going to try the JG program again, or just put him in his own bed and keep going into him. Both of which require me to actually wake up - co-sleeping is so easy in terms of getting a good night's sleep, but I am worried that with so much night feeding going on, it doesn't bode well for another pregnancy.

Sorry to hear you are having problems getting pg - I am sure if your DD is just 13 months it will just take some time for your fertility to return properly.

Hullo missjackson so sorry to read your news. I dont know much about pregnancy whilst still bfing so can't add anything to that discussion.
My boy is now 16 mo and we got our first full nights sleep when he was about 13-14 mo. It was actually easier than I thought - if your DP is willing to do the hard part. We weren't co-sleeping though. But I sent DP in to DS when he woke and it took 90 mins of upset on night 1 and around 20 mins night 2 then he's slept through ever since. We're on just 1 or 2 feeds a day now

I'm on cd 12 today so more swi'ing tonight. I have also been taking my temp for the past couple of weeks too so hopefully should know for sure if I'm actually oving

lpsmum I'm very jealous that you're in an 'active' TTC part of your cycle - I'm in the boring bit at the beginning where we just SFF, and am waiting every day for some signs that I am entering the fertile phase
Fingers crossed that you get a nice temp jump soon!

missjackson I know what you mean about it being easier to bf at 4am - when we cut the night feeds we allocated a weekend where we were both prepared to get no sleep no matter what, and as lpsmum said, it took less time than we thought it would to get through it. Good luck.

So before you did the night-weaning, had your LOs ever gone to sleep without being fed to sleep lpsmum and sbf? Could OH settle them? I can count on one hand (maybe 2) the nights that OH has been able to settle DS... every other night, for 14 mos, that's been me! Exhausted just thinking about it. I think we will have to do the same though... really need to get him in his own bed and going thru the night now, even though I know it means a few nights (hopefully not more) of no sleep for us. Just can't bear the idea of him calling for 'mum mum mum' though...

Good luck ipsmum, hope you enjoy your swiing!

No. DS was still waking for 2-3 feeds a night, had never slept through and was still fed to sleep (daytime had just started putting down awake as he'd just learnt this at nursery but prev was fed to sleep for naps too).
With me I never minded the night feeds - guess I was used to my zombified state. Now of course, I do feel tired. But DS is so much better for the full nights sleep

I stopped feeding DD to sleep at bedtime when she was about 6 months. Used the NCSS Pantley removal technique, which took a while but worked in the end. I also learned that she would sometimes cry for a few minutes,and that by leaving her to cry a little she would go to sleep more quickly (within 5 mins usually). I never left her to cry ever before this, and it felt wrong at first, but would never say that I did the wrong thing.

Thanks - will have to come up with a time when DH can cope with not much sleep and make a definite plan to night wean and get him in his own bed.

Am exhausted just thinking about it!

Things aren't perfect here though - DD has never had a nap in her cot. She screams blue murder - and is obviously not going to sleep, although she is a happy baby in her cot at bed time. Naps take place in the car, in the pushchair, in the baby carrier and attached to my boob. I'm hoping that when she starts nursery in July that they'll sort that out!

Well, it looks like I killed the thread with that comment!

I'm on CD10 today, and have started showing fertile signs - this is a lot earlier then expected as have been ov'ing around day 20. Might break out the opks today to try and work out what's going on. Perhaps the reduction in feeds had started to make a difference. Hope you are all well and enjoying the nice weather.

I'm still around sbf

I'm on the 2ww now so I wonder how long I can resist testing
tbh I've not really enjoyed feeding the last 2 days. My little monkey has nearly a full set of teeth but for the past 2 bedtime feeds he's bitten me really hard. Not sure if it's teething (not done this since he was a baby with his first teeth) or if it's connected with the almighty tantrums we've endured of late

Still here too and freakishly also showing some signs (just more CM than I'd usually expect ) at CD10. When I got my first BFP with DD I was almost exactly in synch with someone from another internet forum - we had AF at the same time, then got my BFP the day after her, then my due date was the day after hers etc - it really got to a point where I was terrified that she would think I was just some internet nutter who was copying her posts to freak her out! So hopefully synching with you sbf is a good sign.

ouch lpsmum , my DD only has 1 1/2 teeth, so I guess I've got all that to come
How many DPO are you? Try and hang off testing for as long as poss, as (IME) testimg .too early can be expensive and disappointing.
Good luck though - we need another graduate!

Dita fingers crossed for both of us!

I think I'll be starting the SWI today to cover all bases, (although knowing me I'll probably not ov for another week and a half)!

hello just to say I am still lurking but usually on my phone whilst feeding and I can never be bothered to type on the tiny keybad

My sister had a baby last week so had a cuddle of my gorgeous brand new nephew made me think about the possibililty of me having one soon

I have to admit that the biggist issue here is def the lack of SWI, I do sometimes wonder how people have more than 3 kids

sending sticky vibes to everyone