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.

Well that's me on the 2WW I reckon. Think I OVed yesterday - +ive-ish saliva test plus very crampy, so just hoping my ovaries haven't gone nuts and released all my remaining eggs at once Going to try to hold off the booze for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. Very excited about the fact that I seem to have OVed around CD19 rather than 28 or so - it's not quite CD14 but it's a lot closer than I've been for a while

How's everyone else doing?

This disappeared from my threads list .. hi everyone. Dita am 8 dpo according to my calculations, but really messed up on timing this month, plus OH was away for the 3 days before I got a + on my opk (then we SWI that night) and feel like I am about to get AF any moment, which means an awfully short LP. So not much hope here. Am not testing till next Friday, or maybe even the Monday after. Would rather not know if have a very early mc.

A good friend just got her AF after 2 grade A embryos were implanted last week thru IVF - she is so upset and has been thru hell the past month with all the treatments... so that sort of put it in perspective for me a bit. But sometimes it's hard to just enjoy what you have.

MissJackson I've always read that a +ive OPK just means that you are about to OV, not that you are OVing, so SWI that night sounds about right! The Deanna plan, which I kind of half-heartedly follow, says to SWI the night you get the +ive and the next two nights, then a night off, then go again. Plus pg symptoms are sooo similar to AF symptoms! Keeping everything crossed for you just in case

dita well done on your earlier ovulation - my ovulation has been very painful during the last couple of cycles, but pre preg I never felt a thing .

missjackson sorry to hear about your friend - you're right, it does put things in perspective.

I'm 11 DPO at the moment, and have had a tiny tinge of pink in the CM this evening, so guessing that AF will be on her way in the next few days. Am trying to convince myself that at least I've had a normal LP for 10 days, so theoretically able to support implantation. I get my blood test results on Tuesday - am interested about what they may reveal.

Also, I've been noticing recently that I am always cold, mostly cold feet, but also hands some of the time (this is when everyone else is warm...). This is another post preg affliction, is this something that anyone else has?

for your friend missj. I really thank my lucky stars that I haven't had to go through the whole IVF rollercoaster. A few friends have done it and it's just so emotionally and physically draining.

Also I agree with Dita - I remember feeling exactly like af was coming when I was pregnant. The only thing that was really different was that I could feel what I can only assume was implantation - a really strong shooting pain in my abdomen. I had it both times I was pregnant. Bizarre.

Maybe there is hope then. Still no AF here (10 dpo). We only SWI that night though, not next night. For some reason I thought you had to be swi before the opk +, and then maybe once more... gosh, I really find those things confusing. But then the whole CM thing isn't clear either for me - I will get it really clearly one morning, and then nothing else all day long. Hmmm...

sbf sorry to hear AF probably on the way, but like you say, that's a better LP - will be very interesting to hear your results.

coconut amazing that you felt such strong pain!

Missj - I agree with Dita. It sounds like you did get the timing right. Don't give up hope yet. How long has you lp been up to now?

SBF - well done on increasing your lp this far. Please let us know how you get on with your results.

I'm currently about a week away from O and am dosing up on Agnus castus, evening primrose oil and milk thistle. I'm hoping that a combination of these as well as the reduced number of feeds will help things along. My acupuncturist is very optimistic and thinks it's just a matter of time and getting a good egg. I hope she's right. My ds has finally started sleeping better and I've finally felt able to give up caffeine. Am struggling to stop drinking completely though. I don't drink much but I do look forward to a nice glass of wine. Have you others given up drinking completely? Dita - it sounds like you've stopped now that you've O'd, is that right?

Yeah, I have. I miss it though, and it seems unfair to have to stop before a BFP! I've googled though and it seems to have a strong effect on ttc so I thought I might as well maximise my chances as much as possible. Not sure whether just waiting until I OV is enough, plus we're at a family wedding next w/e so will probably have a few glasses then (if only so everyone doesn't assume I'm pg!).

I drank for the same reason on Saturday night - the only drinking for 3 weeks - and now I regret doing it - was only 2 glasses of wine and 2 bacardi and lemonades, but I've been so good and then my spotting started the following day...
No drinks for me next cycle!

Am also considering acupuncture, but need to weigh up the costs. Can anyone tell me how often you need to go? I understand that its about £35 per session in my area, and until I go back to work will be raiding the savings account to pay for it.

coconutfeet - glad to hear that your nights are improving. A good night's sleep makes the world a much better place

It's about £35 a session here too sbf, plus more (usually £40-45) for the first session because it's longer. Theoretically I think you should go every week but my acupuncturist was very nice and said it was quite flexible so you could go every fortnight or once a month depending on what you can afford. I think I originally agreed to do once a week for a cycle and then see how we went from there, though haven't seen her for ages now!

I go every two weeks SBF. It is expensive, but maybe you could explain your lack of funds and come to an arrangement with the acupuncturist to go only once a month and make it at the best possible time to maximise your chances. It's odd, I've been going for a couple of months now and it's been nice and relaxing but nothing more. On Saturday though I was lying on the bed and really felt like something was happening - it really felt like the needles were doing something. Quite a peculiar sensation.

I keep reading that alcohol effects TTC as well Dita, and I think I'm going to have to make a concerted effort to stop. It's so annoying though, especially as we could be trying for quite a few more months before we get lucky. Gah!

The alcohol thing is so annoying, particularly when you think how many people get pg whilst blind drunk! I'm not sure I would rely on it as a form of contraception, that's for sure

Oh dear, I was going for the drink till a bfp approach... is there lots of evidence to show it stops conception then? Not that I get blind drunk every night, because of course I am still bf-ing, but most nights I have a glass of wine or 2, or a beer. Maybe I should stick to beer as a concession!

Still feeding soooo much in the night here. Keep thinking about the Jay Gordon thing. The thing is, for the past week, I've been trying to get him to go down in his cot without being bf to sleep. We've achieved this once, with quite a bit of crying (I was there the whole time, singing, patting, shusshing etc) - and then the next night I just decided it didn't feel right for me, to have him getting so upset and me trying to be 'consistent' and not comfort him in the way he wants. So gave him the boob. At least I am unlatching him re NCSS at the last moment so he does actually go off to sleep generally not suckling, although it's a close call! Then he wakes up again around midnight and comes in with us, feeds every 2-3 hours, and from 6am ish more like every hour. It's not good! I am soooo exhausted even though I stay mostly asleep. How much is everyone else still feeding?

DD is helping me type this in case it all goes wrong.

I was also going for the drink till bfp approach but a quick google of "alcohol fertility" seems to suggest it makes quite a difference Pants isn't it? So now I'm going for a drink when AF arrives approach instead

There's a support thread in the bfing forum for people doing Jay Gordon atm but it's dropped off my active list so not sure how it's going. I did kind of half-heartedly try (for the third or fourth time!) but it isn't really working for us. Our current solu6t6ion thanks DD is that I sleep on the floor on DD's cot mattress (! - someone might as well use it) next to the bed until she wakes up, then I get into bed and feed her on demand. The first night it was 1 am, then 3 am, then we were away for a night and all sharing a bed, then 1 am, then 3 am last night so I'm hoping she's going to follow the pattern and go to 5 am tonight This means that I do go at least six hours without feeding (from 7 pm till 1 am or longer) though I couldn't tell you how often she feeds once I get into bed. It is more or less constant from around 6 am though, and although I do sleep I find it uncomfortable because I can't move around much and usually wake up with a bad back

If she wakes up when I go to bed then that's it, she just feeds all night, hence the sleeping on the floor thing. I'm hoping she'll get out of the habit of waking. DH thinks it's hilarious

Sorry if this makes no sense, typing at high speed whilst restraining baby!

dita at the image of frenzied typing whilst fighting a toddler off!

My spotting on the evening of 11 DPO didn't amount to much more than the aforementioned 'hint of pink', with a little of the same the following morning, then nothing.

13 DPO today, my temps are still up high, and dare I say, I am starting to feel a pathetic glimmer of hope. I dreamed of a positive pg test last night (2 actually) too....
Will test tomorrow if no signs of AF

Oooh sbf how exciting! Fingers crossed for tomorrow but that sounds very promising

Good luck - SBF. Keep us posted won't you!

Yes, exciting sbf! Do update us!

I have sore nipples now (12 dpo) - prob a sign of impending AF but can't help hoping... wish I had taken better notice of signs the first time I was pg in Feb/ March - but then again, I don't think there were many signs, which is probably another reason I miscarried.

dita your DD sounds like she has the same ideas as my DS. Usually OH and DS swap beds (he is in double bed in his room!) when DS first wakes around midnight. I used to love cosleeping but tbh now it's not much cuddling, just constant latch on latch off etc... so would much rather get him sleeping thru now at 16 months... enough is enough! But I just never have the strength to see that thru in the middle of the night.

sbf fingers x-ed for you

Oh my goodness!! I've just had a BFP, not a faint is-it-or-isn't-it? one but a lovely strong one. And the 2nd more expensive test agreed with the first internet cheapie too

Other than the lack of AF I have zero symptoms, no painful boobs, no sickness, so am in a bit of shock really!

Woo hoo! Sooooooooooooooooooo excited for you! I've been sitting here F5ing for the past ten minutes

If it helps, two members of my immediate family have now got to three months without realising they were pg, so seems like no or few symptoms is quite common.

Wishing you a happy healthy pregnancy

Thanks Dita

sbf Congratulations, that's amazing news!

Yihaaaaa! SBF that is fabulous news. I'm so pleased for you.

WOW SBF congratulations!!