Ovulating while breastfeeding confused!

[germanshepforever]

Hello new to this but here goes, I am currently breastfeeding my 7.5 month old baby, I haven’t had a period yet so I guess I’m not ovulating either however, I keep having lower pelvic cramps like I used to feel around ovulation and I have checked my cervical mucus a few times and it has been very stretchy but I’ve tested using ovulation strips and I never get a positive I’m just so confused as really want to try for baby number 2.
has anyone else had any experience in this or advice. Thanks:)

The thing is, you won't know for sure you've ovulated until you get your period. I don't know how accurate ovulation strips are tbh as they weren't a thing when I had my babies. It does sound very likely that you're ovulating again though, with the stretchy cervical mucus and cramping.

Maybe just start trying for baby number 2 and see what happens? I don't know if it helps, but I conceived my second at 7 months postpartum, and I was still breastfeeding a lot. I suspect reducing night feeds because my first was a decent sleeper helped, and also my periods came back after four months so I knew I was ovulating.

Is this just happening for the first time, or been going on a few months? If first time, then you likely are now ovulating and will get a period in due course. You ovulate before your period, so even if you haven't had your first postpartum period you'll ovulate (and maybe not know) before the period arrives.
If it's going a while now, perhaps your body is trying to ovulate without success. Perhaps BF preventing it as your baby isn't that old yet and hormones might not be allowing it just yet. Everyone is different. Women with PCOS often have signs of ovulation like cramps, EWCM but actually aren't successfully ovulating it's just the body trying hard to. Not saying its PCOS but just using it as an example of how your body can try.
I'd start TTC anyway and see what happens for the moment.

You can ovulate when breastfeeding even before a period appears. I got pregnant whilst breastfeeding my toddler and only had one period before falling pregnant.

Just sharing my experience, I had lots of ‘false starts’ while breastfeeding both my kids (similar to you - cramps and some ovulation type mucus), but I did not get my periods back after my first until I dramatically reduced the amount I was breastfeeding, and I still haven’t had a period after my second and he’s 23 months (we’re not having anymore children so there’s no need for me to cut down his feeds - after my first I wanted my period back so I could conceive my second, so I purposefully reduced them). Lots of people do get their period back while feeding freely, but for me, breastfeeding in any real volume does entirely stop them

@DramaAlpacahey, Thankyou for your reply I do think this with some of the ovulation strips I don’t think their as accurate a lot of the time, my Lo has cut down to one night feed she mainly uses me as her comforter as she hates a dummy so fingers crossed I am not far off ovulation ☺️ thankyou!

@Upinthetreetopshello! This is the second time in around just over a month that I have found I have stretchy cervical mucus so that’s a good sign but no period which I thought I would’ve had after the first time finding it, I never thought about that my body could be trying but as I’m still doing one night feed it just isn’t quite there yet, I will carry on ttc and hope for the best hopefully now my lo is on solids too she might drop the night feed eventually :)

@sexnotgenders heyy! Thankyou for sharing this is exactly how I’m feeling I’m getting all the symptoms but no period or positive on an ovulation strip! I’m wondering can you ovulate without actually having a period afterwards I think I’ve read that somewhere, do you have any tips on reducing feeds was it just night feeds you reduced or all of them? My lo is definitely more food focused than milk but she does still have a feed in the night which I think is mainly for comfort as she isn’t the best sleeper. Thanks :)