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.

Hello Iggly :)

Kate I had a general anaesthetic back in um February I think and it was fine re bfing, though it did make me extremely sick.

Fee I can't remember how old your DS is but I'm kind of wondering the same. DD will be two in a few weeks but would still be latched on pretty much all the time if she could be (and is if the opportunity arises!). She definitely tends to feed less if there's lots going on, so when we're out and about, but if we're home and I want to sit down then I'm pretty much a buffet and I don't have the energy to continually entertain/distract her I also think I could probably fob her off with things like biscuits etc but obviously that's not great for her health or teeth so am a bit torn there :( One thing I was going to say is that she has suddenly started sucking her thumb - not entirely sure where that's come from, possibly picked up from her younger cousin, I'm hoping it's a sign she's planning on cutting down. Again I'm a bit torn as to whether it's a good thing or not but maybe something you could nudge your DS towards?

CD12 here and might have got a +ive OPK but not entirely sure (line was dark on one side, pale on the other). Would be quite surprised if I OV this month at all tbh as DD seems to have upped her feeds again.

to everyone else :)

Hello can I join you? would like to try for DC3 but unlike my last time round, I cannot convince my DD gently to give up BFing. My DS self-weaned at 8m and I got pregnant 2 weeks later. DD is 15m now and I have no signs of returning fertility beyond some EWCM from time to time, probably because she is a lousy sleeper and I barely get 2 hours between "snacks" all through the night. Any tips gratefully received.

Hi MrsMc,

For me I just had to wait. My DS like your DD was a nighttime snacker, every couple of hours. And even though this didn't change my periods came back at 19 or 20 months I think. I got pregnant with no 2 after two months of trying last month. He is still breastfeeding night and morning now although I did nightwean him (but think I was already pg when I did so).

If you are in a hurry many people say nightweaning brings periods back.

Congratulations Ladygonegaga thanks for your response. Can I ask, how did you night wean? Am desperate to sleep!

I basically just told him that boobies were tired and had to sleep at night and explained we could have them again in the morning when it was light. And then stuck to it. Ho would wake up several times and he did cry/get angry at first but not as much as I thought he would. I continued to co-sleep with him and we just snuggled back to sleep (eventually!) or offered him strawberry milk (his fave) which he would csometimes have, sometimes bat away and make him even angrier. Sometimes he asked to go downstairs and we would basically go and sleep snuggled on sofa together. But I only did this a few weeks ago at 27 months so probably was ready.

Not sure have had too much more sleep as still have to lull him back to sleep but in last few days had started to sleep longer so it may be working!

Good luck with it - I can understand the desperation. A full nights sleep just sounds like some kind of crazy myth put about by cruel people now. I actually can't remember it!

Hi all.

I have now got a date for my operation, 27th October which makes me feel a little better about leaving DS for 7-8 hours, he should be able to be pacifyed with food/milk in a bottle if absolutely necessary as he'll be nearly 11 months by then. He'll take about an ounce out of a bottle, but not tried him when he has been really hungry, and also not tried DH feeding him, he might be more interested then.

We're still not back to sleeping through, most nights I end up in the double bed in his room... I almost wish I hadn't glimpsed the bliss of full nights, it's worse knowing how great they are!

Hope everyone is ok :)

Ladygonegaga - thanks for sharing, not sure DD at 15m will have any of it, think I better wait until DH can help me again with nights (he had a knee op on Monday)

Lifeofkate - hello I'm new so don't know about your op but I hope it all goes well. Good to have prior warning to get your DS sorted. Mind you, I worried sick about DS when I had DD (he was 16m) but he was totally fine. Sorry to hear of another tot who doesn't sleep - I end up co-sleeping every night from about 1am (plus feeding non-stop ;()

MrsMcJnr - Sorry, I didn't notice your joining post when I posted my last message, welcome! Hopefully you won't be here long (in the nicest possible way :o )

My op is to correct my stitches from DS's birth 9 months ago, I was sewn up rather too well by an overenthusiastic midwife, rendering me incapable of doing any SWI even if I was sure if I was ovulating or not! Had an appointment with a gynaecologist who is going to operate to remove scar tissue. I am worried about leaving DS, we haven't spent longer than about 1-2 hours apart (well, except at night!), although I think I'll be more bothered than he is!

Thankfully the sleep is getting better again, it was just a blip. He slept terribly until about 5 months old, where it all got a lot better (including sleeping through more often than not!) but then we went away twice in August and it seemed to muck up his sleep. Now we've been back home for a couple of weeks, he is occasionally going through again, which is a great relief! Still no sign of AF though, very frustrating, I just want to get on with TTC after my operation :(

Hello ladies,

I know this thread has been running for quite a while but would you mind if I joined you?. Just started TTC#2 and still BF DD1 (20 months).

To be honest, I had not thought about BF having an impact on TTC as AF returned about 12 months ago. However my periods are very irregular (between 28 and 35 days on average, but have been up to 39 days).

Last time TTC I was very lucky and got pregnant quickly, so no real periods after coming off the pill. I was on the pill for 15 years so no clue was my 'real' cycle was. So, not sure if irregular periods are normal for me, due to BF, or something else. I did have a large ovarian cyst when I got pg last time, and I have had similar (but milder) twinges over the last few months. Any advice welcome!!.
I know I should have got it checked out but I have had more serious health concerns that took priority (and haven't noticed the twinges in the last few weeks).

Anyway.....sorry for the :( post, not the best way to join a thread!!. I've not had a great time of things lately so am very much looking forward to a BFP!!!

Oh and hello everyone!!!

Welcome Good Vibrations and MrsMcJnr!

Good you've got a date for the op LifeofKate, by the time it's done and you've recovered, you may find you're firing on all cylinders by then!

Still no AF here, though DD has slept through a fair bit recently. I could swear however, that I was ovulating (or as near as dammit, something was definitely happening) last week but I had a weird bug at the start of the week which DH then got so even if I'd had cast iron proof that I was, neither of us could face doing the needful at the appropriate time.

Not to worry, I'll know if I was right in a week or so if AF appears. It all appears to be moving in the right direction anyway and after meeting someone today whose second child is only 10 months younger than her first (!!Clearly she didn't have forceps for the first one!), maybe having to twindle my thumbs for a bit till we can start trying for number 2 isn't so bad.

Hi all, welcome newcomers,

Back with good news - I am pregnant! It is still early in the process, but it looks and feels more promising than last time(which was only a month ago).

After the very very early mc, I nightweaned DS, started taking vitamin B6 and folic acid and drank about er, 4 glasses of grapefruit juice.

My DS is now 22 months old. AF returned about 5 months ago, regular cycles, but keeping an eye on DH and not on the calendar since we were not really in a hurry to conceive nr 2. (But still quite relieved now! Tentatively..) So we'll see where it goes; hopefully we'll have another little one in May.

LifeofKate, good luck and what Beveridge said!

Welcome GoodVibrations!

Congratulations Primagravida, let us know how you get on, it would be great if all the 'graduates' of this thread would drop in and let us know about their lovely babies :o

Thanks Beveridge and Primigravida, I can't wait to get going really!

Congratulations Primagravida! Good luck for this pregnancy. My DS was born in May - I think it's a locely month for a baby. I might be May as due 26th April so if I go over...

Aww congratulations Prima!

Sorry for being so slack recently - in the middle of a humungous house move so sporadic internet plus a bit homeless and everything in boxes Will try to do proper post later but huge HUGE congrats Prima!

Hi there
Am new to this thread but congrats to primagravida!!
Hope you dont mind if i jump on this thread! My DD is just over 9 months now and breastfeeds once in the am and before she goes to bed, with 2-3 feeds at night. Still haven't got my AF but gradually getting more cm (sorry tmi!). Last night I tried to cut down feeds to just once at 2am and it worked although she got up for the day at 5.30am (when she normally has a feed to go back to sleep till 7). Was v tempted to give in as she was so upset and it would have given her more sleep mut didn't. My only concern is that she doesn't take a bottle. We give her lots and lots of yoghurt (she loves sweet things) and she eats cheese too and don't want to cut out breastfeeding completely - but is that the only way to have af back? so desperate for it back so we can try again! and i though ttc no 2 would be easy - meh!
Looking forward to being on this journey with you all xx

First of all welcome, Mamafoof. Will she drink from a cup? I think at 9 months she still needs plenty of milk and wouldn't be trying to cut her down too much at this stage. It doesn't sound like she is feeding much at all during the day - is this deliberate or is she not interested? Why are you in such a rush to try again if you don't mind me asking? Just thinking that if you wait another 6 months or so AF may come back without you having to do anything in particular and without having to wean DD before you/she is ready to IYSWIM.

Hi LadyGoneGaga - thanks for the welcome! She only drinks juice and water from the cup whilst she's at nursery. She eats a fair amount in the day - but not loads. She only likes to eat sweet things - somthing which is apparently common for breastfed bacies as the milk is sweet! I'm in a rush to try again as don't want there to be too much of an age gap and am worried re my age (early thirties but it took us 6 months ttc so wanted to at least get my af back before trying again). Also I wanted to have another whilst i work in the same place before leaving and getting a job which was more child friendly.

My HV was so shocked when i said i was still bfing her. Do you think that i should continue if she is not taking the bottle? There is one feed in the night where she is def hungry but think the others are just too comfort feed. I didn't give her her 5.30am feed today and as a result, she had quite a lot of cereal (mixed with yogurt) at breakfast today.

do tell me if you think i'm doing anything wrong!!

sorry for the typos - rushing at work!

Well, your HV is clearly an idiot! The World Health Organisation advises babies be breastfed until at least two so I am shocked she is "shocked" to be honest. I don't know...DS was fed on demand at this age and he had a hell of a lot more feeds than that. I thought milk was supposed to be the primary source of nutrition until 1 especially as you say your daughter isn't eating loads. Breastmilk is the perfect food for babies - yoghurt mixed with cereal isn't in my opinion. Good as a supplementary thing but not the main thing. If she won't drink much milk from a cup (and at this point it should still be formula) then yes, I think you should be feeding her more.

I don't want to sound preachy but I don't think your health visitor is giving you very good advice to be honest.

I can understand re: the age gap thing but really early 30's shouldn't be a concern fertility wise. I'm in early 30's too, AF came back when DS was 19 months, and I started trying few months after that. Fell pg 2nd month.

Just reread all that and does sound a bit preachy - am not in a very good place today but maybe the other girls may give a different perspective on things

Hello again all and welcome Mamafoof (great name ). Have to say I agree with LadyGG that your HV sounds a bit daft - was she pleasantly surprised that you were "still" breastfeeding or actually suggesting you shouldn't be doing it? My DD is 2 in a couple of weeks and still has loads of milk feeds day and night but I do know lots of people whose DC seemed to stop naturally at about a year and they all seemed to wind down much like your DD is doing. I would say that it sounds as though she should be having lots more milk (either breast, preferably, or formula) but you know your DD and if she seems to be thriving then maybe just follow her lead. I think the average age for AF to return is about 14 months if you're still bfing but sudden reductions (eg nightweaning or dropping day time feeds if you're back at work) seem to work best at bringing it forward (mine came back at about 12 months when I went back to work three days a week).

Oops Hello also MrsMc (no advice for you beyond what's already been said - we did nightwean recently by DH dealing with wake-ups and me sleeping on the floor, but it's all gone to pot now) and GoodVibrations :)

Good luck for the op Kate - hope you can get back down to it soon and good luck with OVing Beveridge - sorry to hear you couldn't face the SWI and possibly avoid AF altogether!

Bit of a catch-up from me ... Got two +ives I think on OPKs this month (both lines were dark on one side only ) and did manage to SWI a couple of times around the right time, though we have been all go with house moving and family weddings so not the best month for us really. Currently on CD29 so I think AF is a day late and got a v faint BFP yesterday - definitely visible (I think it's a +ive) but DH is saying it's too faint and doesn't count and all pg tests will have a bit of a line Please can someone tell me that a line is a line so that I stop feeling like a crazy lady who is imagining that she's pg?!

So ... I don't know what to think really. I would be utterly utterly amazed if it sticks (if it is a +ive) as our nightweaning has gone completely to pieces and DD is basically latched on from midnight to 7 am plus feeding constantly through the day - so perhaps I'm just having a long cycle this month and misread my OPKs? Knicker checking like crazy. Have had some reddish/pinkish CM today off and on so guessing it'll all be over by this evening anyway ... Urp.

Doh, should have said that +ive OPKs were CD12 + 13. Sorry it's so long too

Ooo, fingers crossed Dita! It sounds fairly promising to me, and FWIW, I thought my AF was going to start on my pregnancy with DS, as I always had a pinkish discharge just before it started, but it never came to anything and I got a BFP a few days later, so entirely possible :o

Right ladies, I said that I was going to look into OPKs when DS was 9 months and he hit that milestone yesterday... So, where do you buy them from? How do you use them?! Any advice will be gratefully received :o

Oops, sorry, welcome Mamafoof!

AF :(

For OPKs, I've used this ebay seller recently, also one called birdeyejane, both fine though I prefer the former slightly, no real reason! Or Access Diagnostics if you don't want to go the ebay route, think they're marginally more expensive though. They should come with instructions but peeonastick.com is fab for advice, instructions and tips. Main tip I would give is to do them late in the day rather than with FMU as you would with a HPT, as the hormone you're testing for increases during the day - I used to do them around lunchtime, last month did them around 6-7 pm while running DD's bath. Good luck :)