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.

SES my first cycle was anovulatory, but the following have all had a temp raise that confirms ovulation. My 1st ovulatory cycle had a very short LP, but these have gradually increased to 15 days last cycle, although I have had spotting prior to AF's arrival, but trying to fix that with natural progesterone cream. 8 DPO at the mo, no spotting yet (touch wood)....will keep you posted.

Thank you sbf
Sounds like it cold be the way to go
Fingers crossed for you this month!

lilysma I am so sorry Hope that this is a sign that your fertility has well and truly returned and you get another BFP soon.

at Hulla. Welcome to the thread

I am extremely excited because I've just got a +ive OPK for the first time since 2007 (not that I've been using them much) so obviously I haven't suddenly snapped back to a nice neat 28 day cycle but DH is on a promise tonight

lilysma

So AF arrived, first since DD was born. LP seems to be 6 days. This is Not Good. I assume this will get longer in time.

Can you add me to the list?

FannyLogan; TTC#2; Cycle 1; BF 18 mo DD; age 31

updated stats list with fannylogan on

smallblackflowers; TTC#2; Cycle 4; BF 13 mo DD; age 34
DitaVonCheese; TTC#2; Cycle 7; BF 18 mo DD; age 33
Alibaba; TTC#2 iminently; BF 20 mo DS; age 32
LPsmum; TTC #2: cycle 3; BF 16 mo ds; age 32
QueenFee TTC#4 No AF yet BF 9 mo DS; age 28
iloveholidays; TTC #2; No AF yet; BF 12mo DD; age 29
FannyLogan; TTC#2; Cycle 1; BF 18 mo DD; age 31

graduates

Birdonthewing: TTC#2; Cycle 6; BF 15 mo DD; age 34; BFP 16/3/10

dita congrats on your +ve opk!

fannylogan congrats on AFs return - and fingers crossed your LP sorts itself out soon

9DPO for me and I am obsessively checking for spotting, and the dashing of my hopes for another cycle. Am also stricken with some kind of nasty throat illness, causing me to lie on the sofa watching daytime tv and feel sorry for myself. I've lost my voice too

Might POAS soon...have some 1st response in the bedside cabinet, and a load of internet cheapies, thinking I'll wait till 12DPO probably...

nearly the end of 9DPO and still no spotting....

If I can hold out till the end of tomorrow I reckon that I could be in with a change of getting pg

although my hopes will probably be shattered tomorrow I'm enjoying the glimmer of optimism that I'm feeling at the moment.

Keeping everything crossed for you sbf .

Please keep everything crossed for me that ovulation is a couple of days late this month, as DH will be away for two nights on the day I anticipate ovulation as things stand!

My recent experience has taught me to keep away from the tests for as long as possible, to avoid raising false hope .

PS, hope your voice gets better soon, too!

Have added myself to the stats - I got missed off somehow!

smallblackflowers; TTC#2; Cycle 4; BF 13 mo DD; age 34
DitaVonCheese; TTC#2; Cycle 7; BF 18 mo DD; age 33
Alibaba; TTC#2 iminently; BF 20 mo DS; age 32
LPsmum; TTC #2: cycle 3; BF 16 mo ds; age 32
QueenFee TTC#4 No AF yet BF 9 mo DS; age 28
iloveholidays; TTC #2; No AF yet; BF 12mo DD; age 29
FannyLogan; TTC#2; Cycle 1; BF 18 mo DD; age 31
Lilysma; TTC#2; cycle 10; BF 3.4 DD; age 37.

Bloody hell those stats make depressing reading compared to you lot!

lilysma thanks - thanks too for stopping me being depressed about being the oldest

Fingers crossed for delayed ovulation for you too - you could always try a little stress as that's supposed to delay ov

Have you been to see your GP yet about your TTC?

Still no spotting - can't quite believe it as was resigned to the fact that I'd have this problem until I stopped bf. Things I did differently this cycle - 1) no feeds between wakeup and 3pm, 2) Increased dose of vit B6, 3) started taking evening primrose oil

I was planning on visiting my GP about the spotting as soon as AF arrived, no need to now though I guess

10DPO and still no spotting
either we've cracked it or I've messed up my dates.

Yay sbf

Should be SWI tonight but I am shattered and not sure I can be arsed ... I am genuinely in awe of anyone who manages to have more than one child and particularly my late grandfather who didn't start until his forties and then managed to have eight children (and still lived into his nineties!)

Great news SBF. Keeping everything crossed that AF doesn't turn up!

Well, I just saw another consultant at the fertility clinic. He was much better than the first one I saw and we did have a real discussion. He opened by saying 'sperm good, eggs good, tubes bad' ! I thought 'tell me something I don't know', but he followed up by explaining that often whatever has caused an EP in the first place applies to both tubes, so even though the HSG showed one of my tubes was doing really well, he said that there might still be a problem with the hairs that pull the egg along the tube (which led to the EP, which led to the blockage in the other tube). So he thought that although I could get pregnant naturally (and did with DD after the EP) my chances may not be great and I am a prime candidate for IVF (which would have to be private as I have DD).

This was a bit of a bombshell as I had been assuming what seems to be the normal message - i.e. that fertility is not that much affected by a previous EP/ tube blockage.

He also said that the spotting was probably caused by breastfeeding and that he would bet that my endometrium is 'not normal' and that I would greatly improve my chances of pregnancy if I stopped . God knows how I am going to go about it, as DD LOVES her BF. It makes me quite weepy just thinking about it.

The consultant said he would 'leave us alone for six months' unless we decided to go for IVF sooner. I'm still trying to digest it all, but my gut feeling is that we have done it naturally before, so could do again, IF we can deal with the spotting. But maybe I am being overly hopeful .

I didn't ask about natural progesterone, though maybe I should've, but it looks like my progesterone itself is 'normal', so not sure if it would help.

I guess I will carry on with accupuncture and try the progesterone this cycle and muse on whether we should go for IVF. Consultant said the chances would be good for us, but DH not keen as he is really scared we would have twins .

Sorry for such a long post. Am just trying to digest so much information. This will probably up my stress levels so hopefully delay ovulation this month . My temps are taking a long time to come right down after the chemical pregnancy, so that may play a role as well. We will see...

lilysma that's an awful lot to take in, as you say, but it seems that your consultant is genuinely interested and that he knows his stuff, and thinking positively about your chem pregnancy - at least you know you can get pg, no matter what shape your tubes are in.

Thanks, you are right sbf. I am now worried though that it was bf that caused a problem with implantation of the chemical pregnancy . Getting DD to give it up will not be easy and it seems a horrible price for her to have to pay for a sibling .

Well, I tested this morning (11DPO)and BFN, although I thought I could see a faint line DH categorically couldn't, so I must have had my desperate deluded spectacles on! May test again tomorrow, but suspect that as I have been spotting today, that it will probably be a waste of a perfectly good test! ...but it is still early so may still be in with a chance obviously still desperate and deluded.

Wow lilysma I can see why it's taking you a while to digest that. I hope you can come to some sort of solution that you are all happy with. I can completely empathise with giving up bfing being a high price to pay - I cannot currently see a way of doing this that DD would not find devastating

sbf that made me smil Here's hoping you were right, not DH (that's usually the way it goes in my house ) and that you were just testing a bit early.

My temps were up this morning (and possibly yesterday too but forgot to test!) so guess I'm on the 2WW. Planning to wait until 10th May to test but we'll see ...

14 DPO and still spotting, am expecting AF today or tomorrow - will test tomorrow if no AF, but I don't think that this is my month...

Fingers crossed for you dita and a happy bank hol weekend to you all

Hello!

lilysma - that is a lot to digest. Hope you manage to start to work things through in your head and talk to DH. Fingers crossed you are pg naturally within the next few months!

sbf - are you testing in the morning?

Dita - I too am in awe and amazement at those with more than one DC.

No real change here. Still BFing three times a day and no AF. However I have noticed that every so often I get AF pains. I have them thus evening and have realised the last time it was this bad was 4wks ago. Maybe I won't have to wait long for AF. May plan in some SWI for 2wks time

well, I tested this morning, and think I have a BFP. It is very very faint, but even DH could see it this time.
I'm not counting any chickens, as could still turn out to be a chem preg / my imagination
and am not even thinking about being pregnant until I have a nice dark line on a test.

Its also 13 years today from the day DH and I first got together, a much anticipated, 21 year old's snog on my uni sofa.....

sbf thats fantastic! I will keep my fingers crossed that the line just gets stronger. Oh, and Happy Anniversary!

lilysma that all sounds pretty overwhelming. You sound quite positive though, hopefully it'll work out next time. If you do want to wean, I am told that a book called "How weaning happens" has some info. Your LLL library might have it. Like you and Dita I can't picture doing it without DD getting upset. It's difficult isn't it?

essenceofSES I get the same feelings. I have announced, countless times, to DH that I am certain AF will be here within days but nothing. I have stopped saying it now, I have decided its my reproductive bits waking up from pregnancy and I'll see AF soon enough .

I am still too cowardly to start taking AC. We're just about to move house and I'm having physio for SPD that never went away after dd was born. Once that's all done and if AF hasn't returned I'll get some then.

sbf - that's great! Fingers crossed for you

Hulla - that's exactly it. Pains have gone again now so back to waiting for AF...

well, that was short lived, AF turned up this morning with crucifying cramping.
I'm not too down about it though as wasn't really convinced by the test result yesterday as it was so faint.

Am tempted to go to my GP this cycle and get some blood tests done, and plan to drop to just 2 feeds per day from today. Poor DD. As soon as I am pg she can have as much boob as she wants, as I am completely happy to carry on feeding for as long as she wants to. Its just a shame you can't stop feeding for a month, get pg and then start up again (without any fuss, pain and tears)!!

Oh sbf . I am so very very sorry.