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.

Prima really sorry to hear what's happened this week. Hope you're looking after yourself.

Gaga hope your mum's ok

We've been away on holiday this week visiting family which was nice (but not very relaxing as despite being in a separate room DD insisted on waking up at 4.30am for feeds and DH and I were in a v.small bed).

Even though DH was obviously off work, I didn't feel I could send him through with a bottle of water and try and settle DD again instead of me as the soundproofing wasn't great, and I knew it wouldn't be pretty!

Plus DD had her MMR before we went and the measles component is clearly working, she was tired, hot and not eating much solids towards the end of the week.She was latched on and snoozing all afternoon yesterday too, most unusual. She's perked up a bit now, thankfully. Another reason to be glad I'm still feeding.

But despite this and a complete lack of SWIing (the thought of 4am wakeups do nothing for my libido, tragically), I am a bit excited as I had some spotting last night! Thought it was the start of AF proper but it doesn't seem so as there hasn't been anything else today so far but this combined with the fact that I'm positive I saw a bit of EWCM earlier in the month has made me feel like things are really on the move and that my system is maybe finally cranking into life!

Maybe I am not going to hit the 2 year without AF mark after all!

Prima, I'm really sorry. I will take this as a reminder not to test too early.

It seems that I need to stop TTC for the moment as I'm in the midst of some fairly grim and scary medical stuff and need a test that, if I am pregnant and unaware of it, will carry some nasty risks. Crap timing, as we've finally got the night weaning sorted, too.

Desperately hoping that I'm already pregnant and that it'll all go away. Tenuous, though, and probably irresponsible.

So sorry Primigravida, hope you're ok :(

Orchid - of course you are welcome!

Breastmilk - that's a shame, hope you get sorted soon.

I don't have much more to tell apart from that I finally have a referral from my GP to have my stitches looked at by a consultant, it's a week on Tuesday, so I'm hoping they will be able to sort me out ASAP! I was offered an appointment for the Wednesday after, but that's my birthday and having yet another medical person poking about my nether regions is not my idea of birthday fun!
I am going to make sure they know we want to be TTC asap, although AF has still not arrived (this is despite DS going 2 out of 3 nights without a feed between 10 and 6!).

Breastmilk - That sounds nasty. I really hope it's something that can be treated and resolved quickly.

Prima - How are you feeling today?

Beveridge - Hopefully the spotting is a sign of things finally starting to happen in there.

I've had a busy couple of days. Went to a 2 year old friend of ds's birthday party in the park yesterday. Unfortunately we were all just finishing our cake when the heavens opened and it absolutely chucked it down. We live right next to the park so offered to continue the party at our place, so we had loads of kids and their parents all crammed into our one-bedroom flat for the afternoon. Then today we've been packing for our holiday. Not sure why packing for a camping trip takes quite so long, but the whole place has been strewn with equipment. We're off tomorrow night. The weather forecast is grim. Gah!

Hi everyone :)

Breastmilk - I've seen one of your threads, really really hope you're ok.

Prima - so sorry :(

Coconut - have a lovely holiday, and fingers crossed for a BFP when you get back!

Dita - I'm not surprised you've had a weep ((hugs))

I'm doing ok - 7+2 now. Had a bit of brown spotting last night which really freaked me out but there has been no more and I feel sick as a dog this morning which i'm taking as a good sign!

How are you doing, Prima?

Gaga Hope everything is okay.

coconut of your holiday. Good luck with your drug cocktail

Beveridge that sounds promising

Breastmilk hope you're okay and whatever it is gets sorted quickly (or that you're already pg ). A month or so off should give your system some time to really sort itself out and gear up after the night weaning I reckon :)

Kate hope the stitches settle down a bit.

Ali isn't it funny when you're pleased to be feeling sick? I was a bit constipated this week and was ever so excited (sorry for the overshare!

Not much to report from me. Did a test a few days ago (for no reason except I am addicted to poas) and was BFN clearly. Will test again tomorrow (CD28) then give up for this month. Not particularly hopeful as I've had raging PMT for the last couple of days! I've been really weepy recently as well - clearly hoping it's pregnancy hormones but think it's just the PMT talking. On Saturday I went on my SIL-to-be's hen and was surrounded by pg women. Had a really good sob on the way home - was very cathartic as usually presence of DH and/or DD is a bit of an impediment. Anyway, non-MN hugs all round :)

BFN!

Forgot to say, I'm reading the Politics of Breastfeeding at the moment and am currently on the chapter about what an amazing contraceptive it is ... Meh.

AF is here :( but on the plus side that's CD29 so hopefully that means night weaning has got us back to normal service, plus I can get nicely squiffy at the huge family party we have planned for this weekend (my parents have taken to cocktails late in life, but very enthusiastically).

Does mean I'll probably be OVing when DSIL is coming to stay in a couple of weeks' time though, which could be interesting!

Dita - pah to the arrival of the witch. I know exactly how you feel being surrounded by PG women. I find this really difficult to deal with as I'm faced with on a daily basis at the moment.

Good news on the 29 day cycle though! This month I didn't OV until CD 24 which is extremely annoying. If it all works normally then my total cycle length will be 38 days . I know I mentioned a while back that I gave up BF in Feb, but do you happen to know if you should still be able to squeeze milk out 6 months later? If I try hard enough I can still get some milk, not much granted, but it's there!

Anyway, big hugs to you. I'm 99% certain that my AF is going to arrive on Mon/Tues too. I have zero PG signs so am expecting the inevitable...

For the past few months my cycle has been around 35 days long, which just makes the whole damn thing take so long! You have my sympathies - hope yours settles down soon.

I think the still producing milk thing is something which varies hugely from woman to woman. I think it's on MN I read someone saying they still get milk 13 years after stopping bfing, and there are also reports of grandmothers relactating. Hope that isn't too alarming!

Thanks for the sympathy everyone.

I am doing fine now.

We just moved a couple of days ago (from the carribean back to NL) and it seems like my DS is less thirsty now that we are no longer living in the tropics. But the nightweaning had to be postponed a bit, you know, because of my feeble heart the transition. But I am taking vitamin B6 (and I am drinking grapefruitjuice )

I am fairly relaxed about conceiving number two - there is a place and time for everyone and everything.

Hello all. Turns out nightweaning wasn't strictly necessary. Although it's done now so that is a good thing. But tested this morning and BFP! Can't quite believe it!

My Mum is still in hospital Dita as they need to administer another course of drugs but think this should cheer her up! And my little man coped fine with his weekend away - better than me anyway!

Yaaaaaaay LadyGG that is fabulous news, congrats!

Congratulations LadyGGG! That is brilliant news. How are you feeling?

Well, we got back from our holiday last night. Had a brilliant time camping and DS was in his element. I'm now surrounded by piles of washing. Ugh. Unfortunately I got AF on Monday but am feeling a lot more relaxed, so you never know, maybe that will help do the trick.

I've decided to stop BFing completely this month to see whether it makes a difference. We're down to one feed a day but I've just got to get myself in the right frame of mind ...

Nice one LadyGG! Glad to hear it.

Good to hear from you Prima, hope you are looking after yourself.

Absolutely nowt doing here, zilch, nada.And DD is going hell for leather latched on from 1am every night, teeth as usual (I'm assuming).

Yes, Dita, I remember that bit from TPOB too. I also remember the stock line from the midwives in the postnatal ward about bfing not being a reliable contraceptive yet here I am, DD is 14 months old and I can't even manage my first AF never mind a BFP!

Thanks. Feeling ok - sore nipples which isn't helped by toddler swinging on them at bedtime while he does his acrobatic nursing. Am already v sensitive to smells and have had a mad urge to clean which is most out of character! Too early for proper sickiness or fatigue yet.

Beveridge think my AF came back when DS was 21 months or so by doing nothing in particular different. Took that long despite going back to work full time when DS was 11 months!

Hi ladies I've been lurking a bit and wondered if I could join in?

I'm BF my 10 month old DS and we're thinking about trying for number two now. Although he's dairy intolerant so DS is not going to be giving up anytime soon...... We're down to 1 night feed now and 4 times a day. I go back to work in October which could either mean he'll make up for it at night (please god no!) or cut down further........

Hi Igglybuff and welcome and good luck!

And congratulations to LadyG

I'm currently on an extremely long NHS waiting list and absolutely knackered.

I know I can't TTC now but was just wanting to pop over and say hi...

Thanks Breastmilk! I've just found out my friend (baby same age also BF) is pregnant. I just about managed to keep the green eyed monster away

I thought I might be ovulating again last week but not sure. I'll see if AF puts in an appearance soon then I'll know.

Congratulations LadyGG - was just checking and I see you've squeezed in on the April thread :)

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on me. I had more spotting after that little bit I posted about up the thread, and had a week of some spotting every day which resulted in me being referred to the EPU. Had a scan this morning and there is a heartbeat and we have a picture :)

It's weird actually that DS is hardly BFing now - I think my milk has changed because he has a few slurps and then asks for milk in his cup instead. He still likes the idea of BFing though and I'm hopeful that we might get back to it more at some stage unless he loses his latch.

Good luck for this cycle everyone! :)

Welcome Igglybuff!

What a relief to see a heartbeat Alibaba. Lovely to have a picture too.

Has anyone on here successfully used vit b6 to lengthen their luteal phase? I've been taking it with not much chance but was wondering about the dosage.

Great news Alibaba! Yes, have barely sqeezed onto April. It's going to be an Easter baby - due Easter Tuesday.

Anyone have any experience of breastfeeding while pregnant? How you you cope with the sore nipples issue? Especially with the twiddling? We're down to morning and evening now but he feeds for ageeees each time! I don't think there is a lot of milk there anyway. Do the nipples stop being so sensitive again after a while? Did I read the milk can change flavour and make them go off it? When does that tend to happen?

LadyGG, congratulations! Good luck handling the twiddling...

coconutfeet, I have been taking the 40mg or something vitamin B6 since beginning of this cycle and there is no spotting this time - so am thinking my luteal phase is sorting itself out quite nicely?
But could also be because of succesful nightweaning. DS still wakes up at night, but at this point he will take no (or in his case: a dummy and a cuddle) for an answer. So that's over and done with.

And don't rule out the grapefruitjuice...

Congratulations LadyGG!!

I've just been on two seperate holidays (One to Norway, one to Cromer) and they seem to have completely messed up DS's sleep, so we are now feeding at least twice in the night again :(

On a more positive note, I had my hospital appointment about my stitches and I am going to be booked in to have an operation as apparently (TMI alert!) there is a 'thick band' (of something, not entirely sure what, but I'm assuming scar tissue) which needs to be snipped Has anyone had any experience with GAs and bfing, as that's what they are talking about at the moment :(
I am glad that they are taking it seriously though (I think they realised when they tried to insert a speculum and it just wasn't happening ) and hope to be SWIing in the not too distant future :o

Hope everyone else is ok :)

lok glad they are dealing with it for you. My sister had a GA at birth with her 1st and went on to BF so I assume it's safe? I don't have any info on it sorry.

I am desperate to wean DS now as he feeds all the time. He doesn't have a comforter dummy teddy etc and uses me instead. I don't want to leave him with nothing so any suggestions? I mean he is feeding 10 times in the day anyone else had this? did they stop on their own acord?
On the plus side apart from when he has recently had chicken pox and when we were camping he has dropped a night feed and is generally doing 12 - 6