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.

Aw, thanks guys. I really hope BFPs happen for you all soon too.

sbf the graduates section is a really nice way to look at it. Class of 2010, and all that

EDD is 26th November (DD's birthday is 22nd November so must be something about this time of year for me?!)

Hope I'll still be welcome on this thread so that I can witness all of your graduations? And there's always the possibility that things might not quite work out...

Incidentally, the whole BF issue continues to be a worry even on this side of the hurdle. Excruciatingly sore nipples, and I'm terrified that the stimulation is going to cause uterine contractions, which will in turn cause - well - you know...problems. One for another day (or another thread perhaps) but it may be worth giving some thought to how you think you'll feel about BFing when you do fall pregnant! I didn't anticipate feeling like this

bird massive congrats missus - I'm thrilled for you.
Incidentally if I'm succesful this cycle my edd is Dec 2nd which is also ds's birthday. We'll be known as those saddo couples who only bonk once a year!

Oh Bird well done you! dancing around with partypoppers! Lilysma, how are you doing today?

sbf, has your luteal phase lenghtened out at all?

littlesilver my lp was 13 days last cycle, 12 the one before that and 10 for my 1st post preg. But I do start spotting (very very lightly) at about 8 DPO, which isn't good. That's why I've ordered the progesterone cream, will start applying as soon as it arrives as think I am 1DPO at the moment.

Thanks for asking LittleSilver. I had bad insomnia last night so have been feeling awful today - hard to tell if premenstrual or not (except that insomnia probably is a sign ). The spotting has eased right off so I'm obsessively checking and not sure whether there is any or not! Think I will have to test tomorrow to quash my remaining hope!

Smallblackflowers I was hoping the gynae consultant might prescribe me progesterone cream for the same problem - my LP seems to be 14 days with temps staying up, but I do get spotting, which has started really early this month (7 DPO). Where did you get yours? Is it obvious how much to take etc? The only thing that's holding me back right now is that I'll be doing Day 3 and 21 tests next month so need the cycle to stay 'as is' really. Thoughts are turning to acupuncture though...!

Bird - fab news that's brilliant but ouch for the sore nips I remember carrying my poor sore boobs when going up & down stairs in early pregnancy last time around so won't be looking forward to a regular mauling by DD

Sorry for lack of posting - loads of RL stuff going on.

lilysma - insomnia sucks. I like valerian under non-BF circumstances, but haven't used it for ages now since I'm not sure how safe it is with the BF.

Anyway, just a short post as there's a baby to bath and shagging to be done

lilysma I bought my progesterone cream from wellsprings-health.com, and re dosage it is 1/8th teaspoon twice a day, rubbed in to different areas of soft skin, with no same bit of skin used more than once every for days. Its only to be used post ovulation until day 1 of next cycle, or until 12 weeks pregnant.

Am pleased today as FF has firmly agreed that I ovulated when I thought I did - am now 3 DPO - so DD's constant nursing didn't delay things like I thought it might.

bird of course you are welcome to stay! Anyway, this will turn into a 'pregnant and breastfeeding support thread' for us all before too long

bird whoop whoop! well done, really pleased for you.

Once a year bonk - ha ha thats us - my 3 have birthdays within 3 weeks of each other Even more interestingly it's about 9 months after our wedding anniversary

feeding when pregnant/ tandem nursing - La leche league have some great books on it. Will find out the name of it from the lactation consultant when I see her at the monthly breastfeeding meeting tomorrow.

Still no signs of anything happening here.

Thanks sbf, I'll take a note and think about when to try it!

Bird I look forward to hearing about your news - sorry the bf continues to be a worry, but hope it resolves soon.

Well, my news is I couldn't wait and did a test this morning - BFN . Very light spotting continues, so I guess it is game over for this cycle. But I'll probably continue testing like a sap until AF arrives on Monday! Its so hard to quash the last remaining glimmers of hope .

queen sorry that things aren't moving forward for you yet, your DS will be around the age now that my DD was when AF returned, and I know of others who did at th 8, 9, 10 mth mark.

lilysma re your bfn. I had exactly the same last cycle with the spotting getting lighter and getting my hopes up. Chin up though, as if AF arrives you've got a clean slate to have another go

Well my progesterone cream arrived this morning, so will keep you updated as to whether it stops my pre AF spotting. Am out on a girly night tonight - only my 2nd evening away from DD, so planning to let my hair down. Sure I'll regret it at 6.30 tomorrow morning when she wants feeding

Thanks SBF. TBH I don't really feel that 'clean slate' feeling as I expect the spotting is affecting my chances of conceiving and I'm not sure why its happening. Have to try to find a way to be more positive, but its getting harder and harder as the months go by. I guess I will wallow in it until AF arrives and then pick myself up and go and see an acupuncturist...

Enjoy your night out and hope you don't pay for it too much in the morning .

lilysma I put my spotting down to being in the 2nd stage of returning to full fertility, as mentioned by someone earlier in the thread, as it is a kind of LP defect.
My hope is that I will naturally move onto stage 3, but am doing all that I can to assist (bar stopping BF). I hope that my progesterone cream sorts my spotting out - will keep you updated.

DD woke up at 6am (I got in a 1am), and by the time she had finished her feed I felt god-awful! A couple of extra hours sleep and a glass of apple juice courtesy of DH sorted me out though....and I have proceeded to spring clean my kitchen. Seem to have a very sensitive sense of smell at the moment and could detect a sort of stale smell that I have now annihilated with flash multi purpose.

Happy weekend everyone

Hi All

Haven't been on for a while, but thought I'd post that it looks like I have my first AF since having DD.

I've got mixed feelings - really pleased its come back but also disappointment. I was hoping it might be implantation but its got heavier this evening

I'd like to join in a bit more now - feel like I can start tracking my cycle now that I've got my AF.

Looking forward to chatting!

Hi all and huge huge congrats to Bird - such great news to come home to, really pleased for you

Sorry to hear about the BFN lilysma and the return of AF for you too, holidays.

We had a great trip away, marred slightly by two days of DD puking every few hours mid-week, followed by DH throwing up in the small hours on our last night and then DD puking over me on the plane, all of which meant that I didn't get in quite as much skiing as I wanted (but on the plus side means I've come home with a suitcase of clean clothes, as we had to do so much washing!).

We didn't do terribly well on the SWI-ing front. I can think of few things more likely to kill the mood than your toddler waking up, crawling over and latching on mid-SWI and one morning we chucked her out of the room to be entertained by granny, only to have her banging on the door and demanding entry ooh probably 20 seconds later. Bah. On top of all that, we managed to contract thrush (as I seem to do at the middle of every cycle at the moment) and had to head down to the pharmacy to ask for help in my best school-girl French. I said "Avez-vous quelque choses pour erm candida?" and she replied "Ou?", at which point my French failed me and I just had to point, causing her to grimace and utter a very sympathetic "Ooh!".

I think we did just about manage to do the deed at the right time, but still not sure whether I'm actually OVing or not. I was really excited the Thursday before we left as I seemed to have a transitional result on my microscope - the first surefire sign I was ovulating for over two years! - but after that never seemed to get a clear positive, just much more stuff floating around on the slide. My temps have gone up (I think) but only the last day or so ... I discovered I had loads of EWCM the night that I inserted the pessary the French chemist sold me (I am soooo sorry about the TMI ) but obviously couldn't do it then and couldn't get the damn thing out! I think I probably OVed on the 15th, but then had cramps for about three days afterwards, which baffled me (surely too late for OV pains and too early for implantation?). Would love to hold out for 1st April to test (I'm liking the thought of getting a BFP on April Fool's Day and then trying to convince DH) but suspect I won't last that long

Oh Dita sounds like you've had a bit of a time of it!

hi and welcome back iloveholidays and dita

Well, I'm 6 DPO and have loads of creamy CM - not at all usual at this time in my cycle (sorry TMI), also feel exhausted, sickly and bloated. So obviously must have had a late night and too much dinner be pg.

The progesterone cream seems to be doing something - my temps are loads higher just 2 days after starting to take it. 7DPO is when I usually start spotting, so will know tomorrow if its doing what I hope it will.

Ooh sbf that sounds promising! Hope the spotting stays away tomorrow.

Hi all

sbf - hope the cream works.

Dita - sorry to hear about your DD's sickness. Sounds positive about ovulating though... hope you get some good news soon!

I've just printed off a fertility chart from www.tcoyf.com which i'm going to start filling in now my AF has returned. I actually feel I can do something positive now rather than "just wait...". My periods have always been irregular though, so hoping I don't have to wait a few months!! I think the Agnus Cactus has helped me... definitely did with DD.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Hi everyone.

Dita sorry for holiday shennanigans!

Sorry about AF holidays,

sbf the cream sounds v promising. Fingers crossed for no spotting!

Well I have spotted since 7DPO and in the last few days it picked up so I assumed AF would arrive 'properly' today (on assuming my usual 14 day luteal phase in the last few cycles of charting). I got a tiny bit of red blood this morning and assumed this was it, but it has now gone back to brown and not heavy at all, none of the usual cramps etc. So am now . Couldn't help myself doing another POAS, which of course was BFN. Do you think the fact that I've spotted for so long just means I'm going to miss a 'proper' AF? Not sure how to deal with it in charting. Also I need to schedule an HSG on CD 8-10 which is darn tricky if I can't pinpoint Day 1. Grrrr . Things are going from not great to worse. Any suggestions anyone??

BTW sbf do you get 'proper' AF flow with the spotting?

The wierd thing for me is that the problem is getting worse rather than better (and I don't think it was there at all 6 months ago). My DDs bf habits have not changed. What is depressing me is that if this is a sign of 'second phase of returning fertility' for me and DD is 3.3, I have no chance of returning to full fertility without stopping BF and I have no idea how to do that without things being really hard for her, so it may well put the caibosh on us having another DC, as I'm 37 and running out of time .

On a brighter note I called a fertility acupuncturist today (can you tell I am beginning to grasp at straws?? )

lilysma to answer your question - last cycle I had 6 days of spotting followed by 5 days proper AF. Day 1 was obvious as I went from light slightly brownish CM to painful cramping and full on AF. Sorry to hear yours is so indecisive and confusing

On a positive note, 7DPO and no spotting for me (yet). Temps were still really elevated this morning .3 C above my usual post ov temps.
Also, DH must also be pg, as he is feeling bloated, sickly and tired today too

Am flying down to Cornwall tomorrow with DD for a week to stay with my folks. Have packed 1 ebay cheapie HPT and my mooncup (thought I'd best cover all bases!). Will test on Sunday if no AF (as that's what FF recommends). Have had a bad day with DD today - she's usually a happy little thing, but has whined all day today. The others on the plane are going to love us if she's the same tomorrow

Thanks for the info sbf. I have worse backache tonight so am now actually hoping it will be AF coming properly !

Hope you enjoy your week away and glad to hear that the demon spotting has still not popped up .

sbf, you'll fly over me so wave! Good luck!

lilysma did you see my TCOYF post to you?

JUst wanted to share with SOMEONE (bearing in mind that we have never "been ttc" before despite having 3 DDs, DH has never, I think, wanted the pressure of us being actively "trying". But he has a new iphone and has just excitedly told me that he has found a Pregnancy app! Bless him.

littlesilver will go and look for that post! Hooray at the manifestation of man interest in the TTC business. Gotta love their way of expressing themselves haven't you ?!

Ps AF is now officially here. Phew! Never thought I'd say that...