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.

Sorry - Breastfeeding Network. They seem to have a lot of info about drugs etc in bm (I've come across them when researching what cold remedies etc I can take)

Thanks, great, I will look!

Hi lilysma I did a bit of research online re the B6, and a lot of reading about the experiences of other BF mums who had taken it - did not see anything to concern me unduly. It has been about a month now and I have not noticed any adverse affects - quite the reverse actually as have seen an increase in my sex drive (always important when TTC) and have breast tenderness following ovulation for the first time since the return of AF. My temps are also more clearly biphasic. So it seems to be doing what it should - ie repressing my prolactin and letting my fertility hormones do their thang!

Two quick questions to FFers:

1. What kind of variation are you noticing in your temps (pre-ov)
2. Anyone here do saliva testing?

just thought of a third

1. I am rubbish at finding my cervix. Any tips?

Thanks sbf, the only thing I found which concerned me was on safefetus (the american site that gives all the evidence on various drugs) which said it was safe in bf but can cause congenital malformations. So then I wondered if it was okay to take in the second half of the cycle...do you take it all the time? Sorry to keep banging on about this, but did some more searching this afternoon and just thought I should share that with you.

littlesilver my pre ov temps this cycle ranged from 35.58 to 36.0, post ov from 36.08 to 36.34.
I don't do saliva testing but am interested like you to find out whether it is any good!
Q3 - easiest to find your cervix if you are squatting (I do it in the shower - what a lovely image ). Just use your middle finger and feel as far as you can - you'll know it when you find it, it feels a bit like the end of your fella's tackle (rounded with a hole in!).
Hope that helps!!!!

lilysma thanks - I think I also read something similar on one site about the congenital malformations, (prob the same site as you), can't remember exactly why at the moment but I discounted it (or perhaps I mean I'm willing to take the tiny risk) ...maybe due to dose size, but also as it was the only place I found that info. What I have read elsewhere is that if you are taking B6 to help you conceive you need to keep taking it until 12 weeks pg.

littlesilver I only learned about saliva testing a few days ago but it sounds great. Trying to get myself a cheapo scope off ebay

I've never managed to find my cervix before, but found it the other day, same as sbf squatting in the shower (with one leg up on the side). My main tip is that it is surprisingly big! I was expecting a ladylike dimple but it's a great big lump. I couldn't feel it particularly well plus I obviously prodded a bit too hard and gave myself really bad cramps for a few hours afterwards so personally have written that off as a source of info.

I'm intrigued by the saliva ferning business.

Was a bit of an 'Isn't the Human Body Amazing moment' for me when I read about it

Think it'd suit me better than the BBT measurements, suspect DS isn't patient enough to wait for me to do that in the morning and don't think I get enough undisturbed sleep for it to be reliable.

Does anyone have experience of this technique?

Is it really as simple and reliable as it sounds?

I did a search for it a couple of days ago and it sounded great - annoyed I haven't heard of it months ago! DD is hanging off the laptop demanding attention but will post some links later if you want

Got a bit engrossed in Season 4 of The Wire over the w/e, and a visit from AF left me feeling knackered so not had a chance to catch up with y'all. (BTW, The Wire + Green & Blacks' ice cream + glass red wine = successful formula for surviving AF ).

Oops, sorry Dita, just saw your posting re. Lent. If it helps, I'm trying to stay off chocolate! BTW, your situation sounds a lot like mine. DD is also a boob-fiend and I worry that I'm not OVing as CM seems non existent mid-cycle. Think my cycle length is beginning to normalise now, thankfully. Totally agree with you about the inability even to think about BDing with small person in the bed! Have to find creative solutions to that one... I also tried a bit of acupuncture to help bring DD into being. It may have helped, if nothing else, by making me feel like I was doing something...

Got in some supplies of Agnus Castus and Vit B6 today so ready to roll on that front...after I've done some research (Lilysma - will report back if I come up with anything but am reassured by your postings Vit B6 + BFing).

Am now interested in a bit of saliva ferning - although find it a tad disconcerting that we women have to go through so many bodily fluid analyses just to check everything is functioning as it should . Agree Montifer, it'd prob suit me better than BBT recording. I've taken to recording at 3-3.30am when DD wakes for BF as she tends to suckle on and off ad infinitum from about 3.30-6am - not v reliable for charting purposes . I didn't have any problems registering for Fertility Friend. Happy to invite you but am a bit of a fledgling on that site. What do I need to do?

BTW LittleSilver - not been observing pre-ov temps for very long but currently anything from 35.78 to 36.1).

Right-o, I'm off to watch the final episode...

birdonthewing lucky you - you still have season 5 of the wire to go - I watched the last episode on Friday night....desperately need another series of something new to watch far too much of!

I'm still only spotting (and very lightly at that). Just wish that AF would show up properly so I can move on to the next cycle.
And so I can use my new mooncup. Have never used one before, but am turning into a bit of a lentil weaver I think, and it seemed like the logical next step.

sbf lol at lentil weaver my Dh calls me something similar since I started sling carrying dc3.
Just waiting till 25th to do my once a month just in case poas. However not holding my breath as not much swi-ing going on here.

LOL - lentil weaver . That's really made me chuckle, smallblackflowers

Good luck, QueenFee! Let us know how you get on.

Bird I was just thinking that G&B ice cream + red wine sounded fantastic when I got to your second paragraph! I am actually finding it harder to go without caffeine than the alcohol, though DD's sleeping has been appalling since I gave it up, which was one of the reasons for stopping in the first place

Good luck, QueenFee! You have a steely resolve - I POAS every other bloody day (PS "swi-ing"?)

sbf I must be the only person on Mumsnet/the world who didn't get on with a Mooncup. I recycled mine (to a MNer) but now wishing I had one for ttc purposes, but seems a bit of an outlay when I know I don't like them

Hello ladies - please may I join you?

DS is 19 months and we are planning to TTC again in a couple of months. Had planned to be starting now but I need to come off my ADs first seeing as I want to be able to be pregnant and still BF!

I am definitely OVing but seem to have a short LP every other cycle which is odd. Last cycle LP was 14 days, this cycle LP was 9 days and I've had a much lighter AF.

DS is a real boob fiend, feeds first thing, mid-afternoon most days, bedtime and then several times during the night. We haven't co-slept, until recently when he's decided he likes it in with us more than his cot. He is a terrible sleeper, and I'm so knackered. 4 hours sleep in one go for me is like the Holy Grail atm!
I started typing this and he woke up (was in his own bed), and I have managed to put him back in there although not sure for how long as he's got a cold and keeps waking up.
Really prefer him to sleep in his cot, if he's in bed with me then he just latches on all the time - convinced it's why LP was so short this cycle.

This is all new to me, I 'caught' with DS the first time we tried, and I'm getting quite anxious at the thought that things might not be so straightforward this time around.

Hello alibaba and welcome (says she who has only just joined the thread ). I am impressed that you are still doing the feeding all night business at 19th months! I am an evil mum and got to the point of just refusing to do that well before a year . But DD is still a boob fiend at 3.3 yrs so maybe I made my own bed there...but I find bf such a useful parenting tool (probably because my arsenal is so small).

sbf I empathise re the spotting - I find it so frustrating seeing it and knowing AF is on the way but it takes so long to arrive . Thanks for your response re the B6. You are probably right, but I am a wuss. I am a wannabe lentil weaver too, but keep putting off using my moon cup for full flow. Maybe its because it is a bit uncomfortable, despite having removed most if not all of the stem. Not sure what I'm doing wrong...

littlesilver, I've only been temping for a month, but my pre-ovulatory temps vary from 36.2 to 36.6 (during AF, so probably a bit elevated) and my post-ov temps from 37.7 to 37.1.

I'm having a bit of a wierd one right now - AF came on sat and my temps dropped to just on the cover line, but AF only lasted in full flow for 2 days and I'm back to spotting and now my temps are rising again. I'm not all that well (maybe a chest infection) but don't have a fever as such. Would being ill make temps rise a bit even if not a fever? I'm having a slight panic that I could be preg (despite AF with cramps, unlikely I know ). It's only a panic because I have been stuffing myself with cold remedies since AF arrived. Does anyone know whether temps might rise a bit if ill? I need to stop myself wasting money on a pregnancy test and obviously couldn't test until tomorrow anyway...God, why do I torture myself every cycle with absurd maybes???

Hi again
well I'm currently on cd32 following my one and only apearance of AF and keep deluding myself that just maybe if I po enough sticks that one will give a positive. When realistically I know that my cycles are still getting back to normal and that's the reason for AF not making her appearance yet.
But I can hope can't I until she resurfaces or I run out of free cash to keep buying tests

lpsmum I know the feeling! Thanks for everyone who posted their temps; having nothing to compare it with makes me wonder. So far mine have been from 35.97-36.35 pre-ov,which sounds reasonably. I did have one oulier at 35.57 but think that may be down to exceptionally cold bedroom and a duvet stealer.

Welcome alibaba*!

This cervix-fossicking business is doing my head in! FF asks me to quantify the depth and texture; well, I've only been doing it a couple of days, it's tricky to know! Also, and serious TMI alert, my os feels very, umm, wide? I know I must have a multip's os anyway, having had three children VB, but still the gap felt huge!

Oh yes, anyone got plans to test soon?

hello and welcome alibaba

Still no AF for me, and spotting virtually stopped. Am now 13 DPO. Will POAS tomorrow if still no AF.
I don't feel pg - so probably just my crazy hormones being crazy, but you never know

Will update results tomorrow!

Considering watching 'one born every minute' but not sure if I will find it a bit depressing. Will certainly end up weeping as watching babies being born does that to me! Least I won't get teased as DH is out at the footy. Hopefully he won't get snowed in there as it is very snowy here!

hello and welcome alibaba

Still no AF for me, and spotting virtually stopped. Am now 13 DPO. Will POAS tomorrow if still no AF.
I don't feel pg - so probably just my crazy hormones being crazy, but you never know

Will update results tomorrow!

Considering watching 'one born every minute' but not sure if I will find it a bit depressing. Will certainly end up weeping as watching babies being born does that to me! Least I won't get teased as DH is out at the footy. Hopefully he won't get snowed in there as it is very snowy here!

Oooh sbf are you excited? You're going to be our first graduate aren't you? Will watch the thread!

Good luck sbf! Hope it's a BFP for you

Just remembered I didn't report back after my acupuncture yesterday. Bit of a non-event really ... She took some details from me then stuck a few pins in me (hands, knees and feet) and left me to chill out for a bit. She said that the facts that my cycle was very regular when ttc DD and that we conceived pretty easily last time were positive signs, but was pretty negative about the whole bfing thing Since AF had just arrived we concentrated on "flushing everything out", which seems slightly pointless, but quite liked the idea of starting at the start of my cycle.

Welcome alibaba We are also doing the all-night feeding thing ... I honestly can't remember what it felt like to go to sleep and expect to sleep for eight or more hours!

lilysma Glad I'm not the only one who also found the Mooncup a bit uncomfortable. I also used to hate the way it pinged off my pelvic bone when inserting/removing. So I'm a card-carrying dolphin botherer in most respects but the Mooncup I just don't do.

Temps rising when ill sounds plausible to me - having a temperature is your body's way of fighting infection, isn't it? Though sod's law does dictate that the month you've been drug-taking with abandon will be your lucky one

littlesilver I am temping but in farenheit (?sp) so probably no help. Yesterday (CD3) I was 97.7, which seemed about right, then today I'm randomly 98.2. Argh.

I gave up on the fossicking pretty quickly too!

lpsmum It's horrid not knowing what is going on, isn't it? I went through an embarrassing number of HPKs my first month I am thinking of using OPKs this month but no idea what day to start as my cycle is so long and random.

sbf Ooooooooooooooooh - good luck!

Thanks for the welcome everyone

Dita . The acupuncture doesn't sound that great, not good that she was negative about the BFing .
The sleep, or lack of, is horrendous isn't it? My IQ is lower than it was a couple of years ago, I am sure! DS actually didn't wake up again until 6.15am last night after I'd put him back in bed at 1.15. That is the longest continuous sleep I've had for weeks

Sbf - good luck testing, the bleeding you've had does sound quite 'implantation-ish' - fingers crossed! POAS - pee-on-a-stick?

Can I ask about all the temperature taking? Is it to help determine when/if you are ovulating?