Breastfeeding Toddler & TTC

[Claudia83]

Hello all!
We are currently TTC baby #2.
Our LO is 2 years old and still Breastfeeding. He just turned two last month and he's addicted to nursing. I work away from home M-F 8am-6pm and some days I get home later since I try to squeeze in some working out. My dad is with him all day (lucky grandpa) and he eats well with him. On weekends, he refuses to have full meals and is constantly asking for "Boo-boosh" - distraction can sometimes work during the day but oh, come night time, hell breaks loose if I give him a cup of milk or water before bed and NOT his boob. He will refuse to sleep, cry and have a fit if I don't give him his boob to sleep.

Now, AF returned shortly after his 1st birthday and has been sporadic. Just this past month, I have been doing OPKs to check for ovulation since we want another baby. I have not ovulated and according to my period tracking app, I should have already ovulated. I know I ovulated in July because I had the most wicked amount of stretchy CM but I haven't ovulated since then.

My question: For you nursing mommas, how many feedings were you having when you got pregnant? How was your ovulation? Is there a magic number to how many feedings to limit to to regulate ovulation?

TIA

 

[Larkspur]

I conceived when LO was 11 months, and feeding 4 times a day and 2-3 times at night. I had ovulated I think twice before conceiving, on regular cycles. My doctor seemed to think this was more fertile than expected though, especially since I'm 37.

 

[Claudia83]

I conceived when LO was 11 months, and feeding 4 times a day and 2-3 times at night. I had ovulated I think twice before conceiving, on regular cycles. My doctor seemed to think this was more fertile than expected though, especially since I'm 37.

That's about the same amount of time we feed including middle of the night nursing. Some days he'll usually only nurse to go to sleep and in the middle of the night/early morning. If he's asleep when i leave for work, that means only 2 feedings on some days (bedtime and middle of night). I haven't had regular cycles, maybe that's it. I'm 30 but I've had irregular cycles since I was a teen though

 

[Brieanna]

My LO is a boobie monster, lol! She nurses anywhere from 4-5 times a day and then every few hours at night (we co-sleep), even though she gets full meals and snacks, lol.

My period came back when dd was about a year and we started ntnp. (I am not sure if I was ovulating because we weren't using opks). I had kind of regular periods (plus or minus a few days) and assumed I was ovulating.

Then we started to really actively try about 6 months ago. I got the opk's and the first cycle no ovulation. The next cycle I had a positive opk and we got pregnant, but sadly it ended in an early miscarriage. We waited a cycle and then the next cycle I got a positive opk and we got pregnant again (fingers crossed for this one!)

When we got pregnant both times she was nursing at LEAST 10 times a day. I also found out through the opk's that I am ovulating WAY later than I thought, even though my cycles are about 30 days I ovulated around cd 19 both times I got a positive. I am not sure if I have always ovulated late because we were not using opks when I got pregnant with dd so it might be because of the nursing or it might be just me.

I have heard that bfing has an impact on ovulation but it must vary from person to person because my twin sister got pregnant again when her dd was a few months old and she was ONLY breastfeeding, no solids, no formula, no bottles of expressed milk, etc. so obviously nursing didn't effect her fertility. I am not sure if she/we are the rule or exception though as far as being able to get pregnant while nursing a lot.

Good luck!

 

[Lilly12]

I am still bf'ing my 2.5 year old and just got pregnant on first cycle TTC!

She's still feeding a few times a night and a couple times during the day, my cycles were pretty regular.