Anyone TTC while breastfeeding want to buddy up?

[LisK]

I have a 9 month old who is still nursing and we are TTC no 2. So far it has been pretty hard as my first postpartem cycle is totally wacky. Wondering if there are others out there TTC while breastfeeding. Would love to have some buddies!

 

[Exmxb]

Me, me! My LO is 10 months, but I've been having periods since 3 months pp. I just had my Paragard removed (we didn't think we'd want another for a while lol) a week ago!

 

[LisK]

Hi! Wow three months PP crazy. I got mine back at 7 months. Are you still cosleeping? I am still cosleeping with my DD and she still nurses a lot at night, which is clearly not helping with my cycles. I have been slowly trying to night wean her but its been wildly unsuccessful. Once she wakes up (3-5 times a night) nothing soothes her back to sleep except nursing. And I just can't stand to hear her cry so I cave and give her what she wants pretty much immediately.

Are you charting at all?

 

[Exmxb]

Yeah, it could have been because I was exclusively pumping for the first three months but idk ! Yeah we still cosleep every night, I worry so much that it's going to make it harder to get him out of our bed. He night feeds a TON too! Like 4-5 times a night! I agree, I think it's more of a comforting sleeping habit for Sam too. And no, I'm not charting. I think I'm going to start this month if I get a period. Things have been pretty regular I think, I get a period every 35ish days.

 

[Munchkin30]

Hi there. My first pp period was at 8 months, that cycle was 43 days long but has been pretty much back to normal length since. My LO is now nearly 15 months. Since september I've been getting +ve opks and peaks on the cbfm and pains when I'd expect them so I think I'm about back to normal! LO still feeds first thing and before bed and sometimes once in the day or once overnight. I've been ttc for 2 cycles now (but only 1 with decent timing!) I think my cm might be less this time so am taking EPO and using preseed to help. Anyone know if Breastfeeding affects ttc in any othe ways than wacky cycles and less cm?

 

[LisK]

Yeah, it could have been because I was exclusively pumping for the first three months but idk ! Yeah we still cosleep every night, I worry so much that it's going to make it harder to get him out of our bed. He night feeds a TON too! Like 4-5 times a night! I agree, I think it's more of a comforting sleeping habit for Sam too. And no, I'm not charting. I think I'm going to start this month if I get a period. Things have been pretty regular I think, I get a period every 35ish days.

That is great that your cycle is regular. I have only had this first one and it has been insane. I just got a third positive OPK (digital smiley) this cycle. They seem to be coming every 13 days, like my body is trying to ovulate and fails and then tries again.

I am hopefully that my DD will make a smooth transition to her own bed when she is ready (hopefully around a year). But I'm probably deluding myself haha.

 

[LisK]

Hi there. My first pp period was at 8 months, that cycle was 43 days long but has been pretty much back to normal length since. My LO is now nearly 15 months. Since september I've been getting +ve opks and peaks on the cbfm and pains when I'd expect them so I think I'm about back to normal! LO still feeds first thing and before bed and sometimes once in the day or once overnight. I've been ttc for 2 cycles now (but only 1 with decent timing!) I think my cm might be less this time so am taking EPO and using preseed to help. Anyone know if Breastfeeding affects ttc in any othe ways than wacky cycles and less cm?

Welcome!!!

It is great to hear that you are back to normal. That gives me hope that I will get there too.

I think breastfeeding can also shorten your LP which can make it hard to conceive. But that doesn't happen to everyone. I took a peek at your charts and it looks like you have a nice length LP.

 

[Munchkin30]

Thanks! Yes it's always at least 12 days, hopefully will be ok. I'm not temping cos LO wakes me up a lot and I'm never awake before her in the morning so I just have to jump out of bed! I liked temping before so it's a shame. Hopefully your cycles will get back to normal quickly, after that first cycle I was sorted.

 

[cacahuete]

Can I join too ladies? I am hoping to ttc in the next month or so! I got my period back at 14.5 months, and has been 35 days the last 2 cycles and then this one has been 30 days! But I can't seem to figure out when I'm ov! I get ecm a lot before ( I think due to bf!) I am trying to get my ds to sleep through first though so this month I'm trying to night wean !

 

[stephj25]

can I join too?? I'm breastfeeding my 8 month old and I just got my cycle back today. Officially I can start TTC!!

 

[LisK]

Can I join too ladies? I am hoping to ttc in the next month or so! I got my period back at 14.5 months, and has been 35 days the last 2 cycles and then this one has been 30 days! But I can't seem to figure out when I'm ov! I get ecm a lot before ( I think due to bf!) I am trying to get my ds to sleep through first though so this month I'm trying to night wean !

Hi! Sounds like your cycles are getting back to normal too. Have you thought about temping again? It has been hard to temp for me because of the night wakings but I am seeing a pattern (or lack thereof) despite the sleep deprivation.

How is night weaning going so far? I haven't been successful at that at all. Since I just got another positive OPK I am going to try to give my DD expressed milk overnight (I have a big stash) instead of nursing overnight to see if that gives my body the boost it needs to actually ovulate this time!

 

[cacahuete]

I used to temp a lot! And got Preg within 2 cycles each time ( first was mc , then second time was ds!) I know you need to have about 3 hours straight sleep before you can get a reasonably accurate bb temp, and at the moment I don't get that
He is waking nearly every hour, I have been pretty unsuccessful with the night weaning as he keeps getting sick ( he in crèche!) or he seems to be teething ( only 3 teeth left to get I think! Molar no.5 is breaking through!) these are my excuses, I find it hard to see him upset , but I am determined this cycle as I want him weaned when Preg so I don't put more pressure on my body with my history of mc !

 

[gidge]

Can I join please ladies? I´m breastfeeding my very nearly 1 year old! My periods came back at 5.5 months but are still iregular so I started temping this month to see if i´m ovulating which I am xxx

 

[nypage1981]

Hello! I am Nikki. And I like this thread because I don't feel guilty for TTC with already having a young child! We are co sleeping and my 16month old wants to nurse like 6,000 times a day/night. I have no intention of doing any weaning, so I hope for the best. I do know I am ovulating, as I can feel it and the OPK's prove so.

My LO is 16months. first AF came around 11months. Been NTNP since he was like 5 months......I am not very fertile. Took 2 years (with one MC) to get Kian.

I am bad at all this. I don't know how to temp or what to take for pills or anything.

This is the 1st cycle i've really wanted to TTC. So I just began taking Vitex. Not sure what it does but I am hoping for a longer LP because I do think mine seems short lately.

 

[Munchkin30]

Hello! I am Nikki. And I like this thread because I don't feel guilty for TTC with already having a young child! We are co sleeping and my 16month old wants to nurse like 6,000 times a day/night. I have no intention of doing any weaning, so I hope for the best. I do know I am ovulating, as I can feel it and the OPK's prove so.

My LO is 16months. first AF came around 11months. Been NTNP since he was like 5 months......I am not very fertile. Took 2 years (with one MC) to get Kian.

I am bad at all this. I don't know how to temp or what to take for pills or anything.

This is the 1st cycle i've really wanted to TTC. So I just began taking Vitex. Not sure what it does but I am hoping for a longer LP because I do think mine seems short lately.

Hi Nikki,
I know what you mean about the guilt! I'm purposefully not weaning LO in order to TTC, possibly feeding her MORE to allay the guilt! Also i've been reading a book about pregnancy and breastfeeding and apparently for a lot of women the milk goes completely in the 2nd trimester. Guiltarama!!
Breastfeeding can definitely shorten the luteal phase so worth thinking about. B6 can lengthen LP but i don't know if it should be taken whilst breastfeeding. If i was you i would get a clear blue fertility monitor or start doing OPKs cos if your cycles are very irregular you really want to hit that fertile time.

 

[nypage1981]

I wonder how w can find out what is safe during breast feeding? I swear the b6 is what got me pregnant last time!

 

[Lara310809]

Hello ladies

I already have 2 girls; the eldest is 2y9m and the youngest is 12m. I'm more or less exclusively BF my 12m old - she only started on solids at 10m and even now she has very little at each meal, and still requires a full BF afterwards. She feeds round the clock to get the calories. Stressful

I got my period back at 12 weeks postpartum and it's been regular sinc then, although a friend said a few days ago that just because I have a period it doesn't mean Im ovulating, so I'm going to figure out (using daily OPKs) to see whether I am or not. No point getting excited and hopeful at the end of each month if I'm not even in with a chance!

 

[cacahuete]

Have you guys heard of hale or lactmed ( lectmed is an app!) I will look it up if you want for the longer Lp ! I am taking some b vits in a multi vit that says its ok for bf! Plus I was thinking with ds nearly 17 months now I think we can be a bit more relaxed! Nikki I'm still co sleeping too! But I'm hoping to night wean before I get Preg!

 

[Lara310809]

We are co-sleeping too, but only because she feeds SO much When I get preg it all changes though; I'll have to get stricter with her,but at the same time I hope that by then she'll have a better appetite for solids and take less milk anyway.

Cacahuete, what's the benefit in a longer LP? Is that just for ladies that ovulate later? When we TTC'd before I would either have a 17day LP or a 14 day LP, so it was never an issue, but this time might be different.

 

[Munchkin30]

I think if your Lp is less than 12 days it could cause problems cos the egg has less time to implant before the AF hormones kick in. Breastfeeding can shorten the Lp but mine is the same as before I conceived DD.
I took vit b6 once and my LP was 15 days, it's usually 12 or 13.