After breastfeeding?

[Skywalker]

Hi!!

Looking for some info as Googling this has gotten me exactly nowhere lol.

I am thinking I might be pregnant again but I am very skeptical given the fact that three out of four cycles before this I was ALSO convinced I was pregnant and got my period, and the other time I had a chemical. So basically I stopped breastfeeding and got my period back but had a chemical and then three cycles that ended up just being crazy hormonal weirdness that made me think I was pregnant but resulted in AF showing up.

This time I'm feeling something different that I didn't feel in any of these previous cycles, which is persistant breast tenderness that has been increasing, and boob size which has been increasing, boob heaviness, lol, just generally boob change-y weirdness. I'm also experiencing some of the same symptoms from the last couple of cycles (nausea, fatigue, grumpy mood swings and being emotionally sensitive, etc.)

The cycle before the last one, when I was 100% convinced I was pregnant, it was devastating to get my period. My partner and I would ideally like to wait to actively try but are NTNP for all intents and purposes, but he got excited, too, and it felt like a loss even though all that was being lost was an idea, not an actual pregnancy. So I just want to not get all excited about ANY symptoms now.

BUT MY QUESTION IS! Can any of you share with me how your cycles were after you stopped breastfeeding and got your period back? Were they super weird and make you think you were pregnant every time? And if so, did they go back to normal? And finally, how do you stop yourself from going crazy during the TWW?

This is crazy. Why can't it be easier to know if/when you're pregnant!? Lol

 

[Skywalker]

Bumpity bump bump! Pleeeeeeease! Hopefully there is someone who is experiencing or has experienced the same thing or knows of someone who once experienced the same thing or has some insight on what might be going on even if they haven't experienced the same thing! Anyone?

 

[Skywalker]

Okay, if no one on this board knows about this or wants to answer, can anyone at least point me to a board on this site where I might get some feedback? I really do want to know, this is a major thing that has been screwing with my head and emotions for many months now and I honestly am finding very little information on Google or other forums I've looked at... Docs not much help, either. I'm looking for another Mama who's gone through this or someone who knows of someone who has, etc. Do you suggest the parenting or breastfeeding forums? Thanks Ladies!!! I appreciate any help/info you guys can give me!!!

 

[LoraLoo]

My cycles have always returned to normal within 4 weeks of stopping breastfeeding. Back to normal ovulation, normal Af, and ive akwYs got pregnant really soon after.

In fact I fell pregnant with my 3 yr old whilst still bf my daughter, and I hadn't even had an Af.

As for the tww can't help you there- sends me crazy and I'm only on second month

 

[Skywalker]

My cycles have always returned to normal within 4 weeks of stopping breastfeeding. Back to normal ovulation, normal Af, and ive akwYs got pregnant really soon after.

In fact I fell pregnant with my 3 yr old whilst still bf my daughter, and I hadn't even had an Af.

As for the tww can't help you there- sends me crazy and I'm only on second month

Thank you sooo much for your reply! How long did you breastfeed each time if you don't mind me asking? My son and I nursed for 15 months and I got my period back when he was 14 months because we'd weaned down to nights and mornings by that point. The cycle immediately after that I fell pregnant but it was a chemical, then every cycle after that has had 1-2 symptoms I would have sworn on a Bible were unmistakable pregnancy symptoms and then AF showed up.

What has me thinking it could be possible this cycle is my boobs. They almost never get tender before my period and if they do, it's like 1-2 days before and very mild, and none of the cycles since weaning from breastfeeding have included sore breasts. But THIS cycle my boobs feel almost similar to the kind of dull pain you'd get if your ducts were clogged and feel much heavier and seem bigger, so sore my SO can't even touch them and the shower water hurts them. That only happened in my pregnancy with my son, but again, just like the other cycles, there were a few other things that ONLY happened in my pregnancy with my son that had me utterly convinced I was pregnant and I ended up not being, so I'm so baffled.

I know it's way too early but I tested with an internet cheapie this am, obviously negative because I can't test for another 10 or so days and even then that's early for a cheapie test, but I also took an ovulation test and I'm not ovulating, either, according to the test. Not sure what that means. Lol. I suppose I should be ovulating around this time of my cycle?

Anyway I'm blabbing now, thank you very much for your answer!

 

[LoraLoo]

My first 2 I didn't bf for long
Amy (6) I breastfed for 27 months but my cycles WOULD have come back at 20m when she started sttn only I fell pregnant at first ovulation

William only bf for 6 months due to poor weight gain. Af came back within 4 weeks and 2 months later bfp

Alice I breastfed for 14 months, and cycles again returned straight away.

So ive been lucky in that sense.

Hope it's your month 😃

 

[lovebabyhopes]

I got my normal cycle back after only 8 weeks post partum, despite BFing, so I can't really help.

 

[Skywalker]

I got my normal cycle back after only 8 weeks post partum, despite BFing, so I can't really help.

Thank you! Maybe it does help. If this cycle ends up as AF again, I'll know that I really need to balance my hormones and I can start taking vitex, etc., to do that. If this cycle is actually one where I'm pregnant, then I'll know where some of this weirdness came from lol! Seems like I'm one of the rarer girls that has wacky hormones after weaning and at least that is good data to know.

 

[Isme]

I got my normal cycle back the day before my oldest daughter's first birthday. She didn't wean until about a month later. I ended up BFing my youngest daughter for 33 months. I got my period back a bit earlier with her... but it was never regular until we were closer to the end of breastfeeding. Even then it wasn't like clockwork or anything. I never paid attention to fertile signs back then, so I can't say that I was ever in the two week wait. However, I did have quite a few scares during those 33 months, and preferred to keep a stock if HPTs around to double check when my cycle ran way late. Never got pregnant, but we had a nursing toddler in our bed much of the time, and used withdrawal when that wasn't the case.

Now I am actually *trying* to concieve for the first time in my life and I feel so stupid for trying so hard to prevent things these last seven years I shouldn't have worried about it because I'm 7 months into TTC, and all I have is one heartbreaking chemical pregnancy to show for it. All that to say, I feel ya. Every negative test is a serious bummer. It is hard to get your hopes up only for AF to show.