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.

queenfee for your BFN.... that you get to have another go this month!

Re baby carriers, I am a bit of an addict, but my preferred method of back carrying is my patapum - 55% of her weight goes on my hips making it much more sustainable than any of my others (ring, close, babybjorn). Failed again on the swinging her over my shoulder technique today - think she may just be a bit too small (she's only 18 1/2 lb), so will stick to the shuffle round from the side!

dita well done on your lack of night feeding - is sure to make a difference.

bird lol at your 'conception kit', especially the head torch! My thermometer has a memory function - the previous reading flashes up for a few seconds when you next turn it on, so even though I take my temp in the dark and 3/4 asleep, I check it in the full light of day when my brain is working!

I think my DD had her first temper tantrum at about 9 months

jetli for your BFNs - hope you get either AF or a BFP soon so that you know where you are.

Not a fan of drambuie or whisky, so I'll be cracking open a bottle of wine - anyone else is welcome to a glass

smallblackflowers; TTC#2; Cycle 3 (of TTC); BF 12 mo DD; age 34
DitaVonCheese; TTC#2; Cycle 5; BF 17 mo DD; age 33
Alibaba; TTC#2 iminently; BF 19 mo DS; age 32
LPsmum; TTC #2: cycle 2; BF 15 mo ds; age 32
QueenFee TTC#4 No AF yet BF 8 mo DS; age 28
Birdonthewing: TTC#2; Cycle 6; BF 15 mo DD; age 34
iloveholidays; TTC #2; No AF yet; BF 11mo DD; age 29

sbf DS is now about 26lbs (not that i've weighed him for ages just a guess!)

night feeds aaaaahhhh we are increasing them not decreasing. Something tells me I might be on this thread for a loong time! At what age (if ever!) did your DCs drop night feeds? I know he's my 3rd but I just can't remember how old the others were lol

jetli take heart. This time it could just be the BF taking the time. I sure hope so for you.

Bird do you have a marketable product there he all new Birdonthewing TTC kit make some money out of it to pay for a new pram/sling/cot/mattyclothes for the new baby!

queen Wow - 26lbs at 8 months - I don't think my DD will be that heavy until she's nearly 2, I guess that's the difference between girls and boys
I get DD weighed every now and then as I volunteer as a BF peer supporter at a group that does a weekly weigh-in.

Re night feeds - we stopped at about 7 1/2 months when DD went into her own room. We have had occasional regressions especially when away from home when she won't settle in a travel cot and ends up in my bed. Fingers crossed your night feeds stop soon!

I think a lot of the weight thing is genetic my dd was the same but ds1 was a skinny rake!
Fingers crossed about the night feeds

Hi all - struggled to fall pregnant with DS1, after 2 cycles of clomid it finally happened.

BF until he was about 15 months old. AF returned when DS1 was about 3 months old. Decided not to use any contraceptives as we thought 1) I was still bf him and 2) we'd need help to fall pregnant again anyway.

Not so. Found out I was pregnant again 2 weeks before DS1's first birtday .

DS1 continued to bf once or twice a day and gradually less and less until it ended when I was 12 weeks pregnant.

Good luck!

Thanks for your story Southern - it's really reassuring to hear some positive stories (rather than my mum repeatedly telling me I need to give up bf to get pg again!) and a huge congrats to you too

Ho-hum - now I seem to have spotting. CD 17 and there has been no real sign of ovulation.
Previous cycle was only 23 days - what is going on???

Ta for the whisky, Jetli. Enjoyed that. And HoF brand is fine by me

Alibaba, I too was CD17 yesterday. Sorry to hear you've seen no obvious sign of ovulation and that you're spotting so early on in your cycle. It seems plausible that DS's increased feeding is affecting your pattern somehow. Are you doing temps to ascertain whether/when you're ovulating? Is it possible that it could be earlier in the cycle than you perhaps realise?

Reassuring to hear your story, SouthernB. And Dita - like you - my mum looks at me pityingly when I tell her we're TTC while I'm still BFing. She doesn't want to say anything, but it's written all over her face!

Thanks for the thermometer hint, sbf. Have just discovered that mine does the same. Silly of me not to have realised sooner! This has improved my ability to get back to sleep post temp readings (I've been taking them just before first morning BF, which can be very early indeed). Also means I don't have to wear the most vital element of the BOTW_TTC kit (the headtorch) in bed anymore!

BTW, sorry about your recent BFNs QueenFee and JetLi - it was remiss of me not to commiserate about these when posting on Fri eve. I think it really helps to have support on this thread; and there's every good chance I'll need some reciprocal commiseration when I POAS towards the end of this month's cycle...

...I THINK I ovulated on CD14 (Thurs), but all that BDing has now led to cystitis . Started to feel symptoms on Sat, which no doubt affected my temps on Sat and Sun (which in turn makes it difficult to tell if I DID actually ov at all/on Thurs). Now on antibiotics (penicillin) and anxious that this could affect chances of conceiving...

Was it something I said?

Where did y'all go, ladies?!

Hi there, can I join?

Have been lingering on this thread for a while so feel it's about time I joined in!

Firstly, Bird, as nobody else is around to sympathise at the moment, very sorry to hear about your UTI. I'm prone to these especially during the strenuous business of TTC. Am sure it won't affect your TTC chances but can be v painful and debilitating.

DH and I have started thinking about TTC #2 but still BFing DD (11 months). From what I've read on this thread and elsewhere, I think I might be suffering from luteal phase defect. AF used to be as regular as clockwork but now comes very early after days of spotting, on and off. Anyway, might look into this Fertility friend thing.

Finding this discussion very helpful and informative anyway.

Sorry Bird - I just haven't had much to report! Sorry to hear about the cystitis - I used to get it every time we had sex unless I peed immediately afterwards (so sorry if that's TMI ) but obviously that isn't great for the ole ttc.

My mum isn't a huge fan of me continuing to bfeed anyway, so I partly want to get pg again just to spite her!

Welcome Muckamuck. When did your periods come back? It seems common for them to take a while to settle down.

We are still managing to cut down on the night feeds a bit, which is great news - my temp chart is looking a bit more convincing this month. Unfortunately, I am an utter twat, and completely forgot to go to my acupuncture appointment yesterday. What a dick. We're away next week so won't have it for a fortnight now, which is a bit distressing. Anyway, I'm on CD18 now and no sign of OVing at all - suspect that if it happens, it will probably be next week, when we're staying in a chalet with the whole of my immediate family, which might pose more of a challenge to SWI than a co-sleeping baby does!

No worries Dita. I realise we've all got more important things to be doing! I often slink off for days on end so had no right to be demanding attention. Just thought the thread had gone uncharacteristically quiet and, as I was the last to post my musings, well, let's just say the old paranoia had to be quelled! Fortunately not egotistical enough to believe it was all my fault

Great news about the night feeds, btw. We're 'getting there' on that front too. Oh dear - never mind about your acupuncture. 'Tis easily done. I drove off with house keys on roof of the car earlier today. Not doing much to rebut the theory that womens' cognitive functions are impaired irrevocably during pregnancy...

Welcome Muckamuck. It seems that a few on this thread are experiencing LPDs. As the theory goes, this is the last bit of the cycle to re-regulate itself as your body restores itself to full fertility. Hopefully not long now. How often are you BFing?

Thanks for the sympathy, both - reassuring to hear I'm not the only one who suffers occasionally. Feel like a bit of an ee-jit, tbh! Should have known better. Like you, Dita, I usually pee afterwards but was having irrational thoughts about needing to maximise chances - so remained on back post-coitus (sorry TMI) - coupled with worries about the creakiness of the floorboards in the bathroom. DD is next door and, although sound asleep, liable to wake at the slightest squeak! Am paying the price now...

Speaking of accommodation configuration, hope you find some creative solutions to the chalet predicament next week Dita. Skiing I take it? Lucky you! With DD? Brave! Where are you heading if you don't mind me asking?

Yep - Christmas present from mum and dad, we're renting a big chalet and all going for the week. Will be DD's first time in a plane though I suspect all the snow we've had recently will have taken the edge off the excitement of that for her! We're going to Les Gets - I don't know it but it sounds family-friendly. Chalet has a spare room, so will just have to ask whether we can use that for SWI

The spotting has now become full blown AF, which is making me wonder if previous 'AF' was infact some kind of spotting and that I've actually had a 40-day cycle rather than a 23 and then a 17. Given that pre-DS my cycles were often 32-35 days and sometimes longer, I think perhaps it is.

Bird - I am not doing temps or anything like that yet. We are not actually TTCing until May so this is preparation!

Dita - Les Gets is v.nice, we have stayed in Morzine which is on the same lift system. We're off skiing next week too, driving to Italy, setting off on Friday morning. My parents are coming to babysit spend quality time with DS

BFN

That said, was reviewing my chart this am and am not going to completely give up hope yet. FF says I ov'd on day 9, I think it was day 16. Luckily we SWId on day 15 so maybe am still in with a hope? Also gone triphasic and still climbing. Or do you think I should just go and join the Dec bus?

Sorry about the BFN, LittleSilver, but if there's room for doubt about dates then it's worth holding onto hope. The month DD was conceived I had a BFN 8DPO and a happy BFP 2 days later. Don't join the December bus until the fat lady sings (if she sings, that is)!

Alibaba, I guess your 40-day cycle theory is conceivable but reckon doing temps might give you a more definitive answer. I appreciate it's difficult with boob-fiends/nightfeeders. I've been taking my temps any time between 3.30 and 5am. My chart's a bit erratic but, strangely, it's still possible to detect a bit of a pattern. It's more accurate if you've had a solid block of sleep for at least a couple of hours before taking temp. Fertility Friend has been a real education for me! My previous knowledge was all a bit vague and imprecise.

Dita and Alibaba at you heading off skiing! No such luck for us. Currently in the process of renovating a new pad which was (and in many respects still is) a wreck - all DH's idea! Plan to move in by Easter. Expensive, not to mention stressful, business. Not sure if I could face taking DD on a skiing trip, but as it's not been an option this year I guess I've just been consoling myself with that justification!

Apologies for my few days absence - router problems + not having 5 minutes to sit down have left me feeling a bit behind with things!

Also very about the skiing, we usually go every year but missed last year due to being heavily pg and this as DH has no job and I'm on mat leave...

littlesilver sorry about your BFN, although your triphasic pattern sounds promising - fingers crossed!

On day 14 here, waiting for fertile signs to start, but also seem to have picked up thrush for the first time in about 20 years, so desperately trying to get rid of before SWI starts....
Re temps, this has been my best cycle so far, have set my alarm to go off at around the earliest time DD wakes up, and have temped within 45 minutes of the same time every morning - what a difference it has made to my chart - it is practically a straight line (my previous cycles looked decidedly alpine!). Have also managed to stick to no mid morning feeds for a fortnight which I am very pleased with.
Anyway am rambling now!

Forgot to say welcome muckamuck and hope dita that your uti is on its way out.

Also dita on the same forgetful lines, I forgot to go to my work xmas lunch (I was on mat leave) - remembered at about 3pm that afternoon....lots of apologising and feeling like a complete idiot, and am sure that no one believed that I just forgot!

Thanks for the welcome all.

Dita - AF came back when DD was 9 months, so I doubt it's really settled back into regular pattern yet. DH and I had been planning to try for No.2 when DD turned 1, but am now thinking this is a tad unrealistic.

This TTC business is a hazardous pursuit at any rate: between UTIs (my sympathies again Bird), thrush (sorry to hear, smallblackflowers), the dashing of hopes with BFNs (bad luck LittleSilver - here's hoping next one is BFP), sneaking a few BDs in behind extended family's back on holiday (good luck with that Dita!), and the traumatic business of weaning DCs from the boob (not going to be easy for any of us!). Hmmm, perhaps I'm not ready for this after all...

muckamuck at least we have each other
And I reckon with great support and sharing of ideas we'll all have BFP's before too long

Quite, sbf, BFPs for all!

So who's testing when? I suspect I o'd on CD16 as opposed to CD9, so planning to test a week on Sun if no AF. What about everyone else?

I'm still waiting to ovulate - SWI started last night (thrush thankfully cleared up with help from canestan once - very effective too!)- so no solid idea when I'll be testing.
I'm on CD 15, ov'd on CD 19 last cycle. Off to Cornwall with DD to stay with my folks for a week on CD27, so guess I'll be testing when I get back home.

Littlesilver I just had a look for you on the stats list near the top of the page but you're not on. Curious to know how old your DC is

I'm still waiting to ovulate too. My saliva was a bit more patterned this morning, so hoping that's the transitional stage before ferning proper kicks in, but it could just be I was particularly gunky in the mouth this morning

On CD20, so the shortest my cycle is going to be is around 34 days ... I read somewhere on the net that cycles over 35 days are probably anovulatory, so not tooking too good here.

PS no takers on the BBT thermometer?

Have been off whinging on other threads , but just thought I'd drop in to share my stats with you to make you all feel young

Lilysma; TTC#2; Cycle 8 (of TTC); BF 3.3yr DD; age 37 (as of Sunday)

Told you so

Happy belated birthday Lilysma! Thanks for the comparator, but you're still firmly 30-something so everything to play for .

Sorry to hear about thrush, sbf. Reckon Muckamuck's just about summed it up. Even DH is starting to feel a sense of drudgery about this whole TTC business.

According to FF I'm 7 DPO (IF I ov'd on Day 14). Persona monitor suggests ov was later (Day 15 or 16). Still concerned raised temps are due to my infection so it may not have happened at all.

So... I'm not sure when to take a test. I guess Sun at the earliest, Tues if I can hold out (then Wed, then Thurs, then Fri - all the way to AF - knowing me!). 28-day cycle and BFP for DD came at 10 DPO, following implantation bleed at 9 (after a rather heavy night on the vino ).

Been feeling horribly irritable today despite the fact that DD slept through the night (7.30pm-6am) for the FIRST TIME EVER! Early PMT? Or more likely tension due to DD falling flat on her face TWICE and splitting her lip in two places. for being preoccupied with other things