TTC/Pregnancy while Breastfeeding and Tandem Nursing: Information and Support

[AmeliePoulain]

I had 3 months of weird 2 weekly cycles where my OPKs would almost be positive but not quite make it, it is a good sign something is building up to happening

OurLittleBump - my first cycle was like that. It got stronger and stronger but never made it to a positive. Keep testing though, because I also found that sometimes I'd have two surges in a cycle, where the first one wouldn't get there, but the next one would.

Ozzieshunni - Did you get another test? Can't wait to hear the result!

You say your first cycles gave test results like mine. I'm just curious did you have your AF before you started TTC or were you testing before it came back as I am? Thanks for your support

We didnt really use any contraception from when Ivy was about 6 months old and would have been happy if I had fallen pregnant.

Once she got to a year and AF was still a bit AWOL I began to get a bit more twitchy and wandered if anything was going in (some months I would get AF like cramping and more CM)

It was the end of December I just bought IC OPKs and did one a day and I discovered these odd once every 14 day 'almost' surges.

I got a postive OPK on 29 February (so Ivy was nearly 14 months) and I actually conceived but unfortunately it was a chemical pregnancy.

I hope that explains a little! I would only say we are actively TTC now I have cycles to actually aim at

 

[Ourlittlebump]

Thanks I think I may be having the same mini surges you had then, I'll just keep up with testing every day and see if I can make sense of any kind of pattern that might show up

 

[Spunky]

Don't know what's going on. I have used these before and gotten plenty of negatives. Before James, and the last ovulation I had I will normally get 2.5-3 days of positives. I'm on Day 5 and they're just getting darker. It was clearer when they were fresh, but here they are: Top down Tuesday - Saturday

 

[Tacey]

OurLittleBump - my first cycle was like that. It got stronger and stronger but never made it to a positive. Keep testing though, because I also found that sometimes I'd have two surges in a cycle, where the first one wouldn't get there, but the next one would.

Ozzieshunni - Did you get another test? Can't wait to hear the result!

You say your first cycles gave test results like mine. I'm just curious did you have your AF before you started TTC or were you testing before it came back as I am? Thanks for your support [/QUOTE]

I was testing before AF too. I got a couple like that but then no period, and then one with two surges, and my first AF. Annoyingly, I then only had a 4 day LP!

 

[tommyg]

All the places were closed *sigh*

Have you tried again yet?

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Nope, I will though if it's not here by next weekend.

 

[Tacey]

Well here's a turn up for the books. Having whined about how much I'm struggling with nursing, now I'm missing it! Alice has been staying with my parents since Sunday. She's back tomorrow and I can't wait to see her, and I'm weirdly keen to nurse her too! I suppose it just feels weird as she's never gone more than 12 hours without it. Evidently she's not fussed as she's not mentioned it at all.

Only about a month until I'll (hopefully) be tandem feeding now!

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Yay!!!!


Oh.......the came! Never been so happy to see AF in my life!

 

[Spunky]

Tacey! How exciting about wanting to nurse again! Wow, can't imagine going a couple of days and not nursing now How exciting for a new baby! Are you worried about Alice getting jealous? I worry about James...but I'll have to get pregnant first

Ozzie - congrats on the witch.

 

[Laughing Girl]

Hi everyone, not been about on this thread for a few weeks, but really hoping that some of you might be able to give me a bit of support and reassurance.......basically, I am drawing very close to the end of my pregnancy, and the closer I get to the end, the more difficult both physically and emotionally I am finding the night times with Isla.
We have a family bed and are committed to co-sleeping and I am committed to nursing Isla until she self weans. The main problem I am having is that I find it nigh on impossible not to react negatively to Isla when she wakes at 4am and I can't get her to go back to sleep. I have had no milk throughout this pregnancy, and dry nursing just isn't working for her to get her back to sleep. I am being the mother from hell if I can't get her back to sleep in the early morning as invariably, I have only had 4 hours sleep max and just can't face the day on this. We generally do manage to nap together at lunchtime which always helps, but I just seem to be behaving like a witch between 4am and 6am if we have to start the day then and I hate myself for it.
I am hoping and praying that when I have milk again, I will be able to nurse Isla back to sleep - she is certainly still tired at that time of night/morning but just needs nursing and can't self settle. There is no more support available to me than I have already.
Has anyone had a similar experience? What was the outcome? How can I find more patience in the early morning? I am at my wits end and feel so crappy about this aspect of my mothering, I just don't know what to do.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I've not had experience of this myself, but from what I've read in AITN, it is very normal to feel an aversion or anger towards the nursing toddler. Could you explain that Mommy is very tired and she needs her rest for the new baby? Would Isla understand something like that?

 

[Laughing Girl]

I've not had experience of this myself, but from what I've read in AITN, it is very normal to feel an aversion or anger towards the nursing toddler. Could you explain that Mommy is very tired and she needs her rest for the new baby? Would Isla understand something like that?

Hiya, and thanks SO much for replying. Have to admit that I've tried that and whilst she does understand, she just cant deal with not nursing. I think that I am going to have to find a way of maintaining my temper - you would think that at 42 I would have coping mechanisms in place, but this seems to be beyond me- I am usually pretty placid and patient but this is apparently my achilles heel. The fact that you mention that it is normal to feel an aversion or anger does give me hope that it is a temporary state of being and I am so hoping that new milk will bring the answer..........

 

[Tacey]

Laughing Girl, I really haven't got much advice but I do have masses of sympathy. I've been in the same situation, although it led to us night weaning and having separate beds by around 20 weeks. I've felt some very unpleasant emotions towards Alice through this pregnancy. Things I didn't think that good mothers felt, but hormones combined with lack of sleep have so much to answer for.

You're on the last leg of the pregnancy now. I'm sure that new milk will make a big difference to the situation. Don't be too hard on yourself, your body is just prioritising the new baby, and making you act accordingly, as difficult as that is.

 

[Laughing Girl]

Laughing Girl, I really haven't got much advice but I do have masses of sympathy. I've been in the same situation, although it led to us night weaning and having separate beds by around 20 weeks. I've felt some very unpleasant emotions towards Alice through this pregnancy. Things I didn't think that good mothers felt, but hormones combined with lack of sleep have so much to answer for.

You're on the last leg of the pregnancy now. I'm sure that new milk will make a big difference to the situation. Don't be too hard on yourself, your body is just prioritising the new baby, and making you act accordingly, as difficult as that is.

Thanks so much. I feel like a monster but hopefully in a few days things will come right. Poor Isla, I just hope that there is no long term emotional damage done by my being horrid and shouty.....
Its such a support and relief to hear that I'm not the only one to struggle - how have you managed not to inflict the unpleasant emotions on Alice? I think that that is what I am struggling with the most.....

 

[Tacey]

Laughing Girl, I really haven't got much advice but I do have masses of sympathy. I've been in the same situation, although it led to us night weaning and having separate beds by around 20 weeks. I've felt some very unpleasant emotions towards Alice through this pregnancy. Things I didn't think that good mothers felt, but hormones combined with lack of sleep have so much to answer for.

You're on the last leg of the pregnancy now. I'm sure that new milk will make a big difference to the situation. Don't be too hard on yourself, your body is just prioritising the new baby, and making you act accordingly, as difficult as that is.

Thanks so much. I feel like a monster but hopefully in a few days things will come right. Poor Isla, I just hope that there is no long term emotional damage done by my being horrid and shouty.....
Its such a support and relief to hear that I'm not the only one to struggle - how have you managed not to inflict the unpleasant emotions on Alice? I think that that is what I am struggling with the most.....

Erm... I haven't been entirely successful with that! We have had lots of shouty mummy moments at night. I just make sure to apologise to her after it happens. I have got a bit better at feeling it coming on, and I end up going to another room to calm down. DH sometimes takes her away for a bit too. Not very helpful really - sorry!

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Tacey, I love hearing what Alice comes out with sometimes in regards to nursing, like the time she said "Thank you Mummy, that was nice!"

 

[Tacey]

Tacey, I love hearing what Alice comes out with sometimes in regards to nursing, like the time she said "Thank you Mummy, that was nice!"

She's a big fan of it. I can't believe she's just not been bothered about it while she's away. Having said that, she did stare at my mum's chest for a while this morning while she was having breakfast, then finally said "Granny, you don't have any mukmee, you just have breasts and nipples." My mum agreed (!) then Alice said "Mummy drank up all your mukmee when she was a little girl, and now there isn't any left."

Just as well she knows this - I don't think my mum would be up for dry nursing!

 

[Laughing Girl]

Laughing Girl, I really haven't got much advice but I do have masses of sympathy. I've been in the same situation, although it led to us night weaning and having separate beds by around 20 weeks. I've felt some very unpleasant emotions towards Alice through this pregnancy. Things I didn't think that good mothers felt, but hormones combined with lack of sleep have so much to answer for.

You're on the last leg of the pregnancy now. I'm sure that new milk will make a big difference to the situation. Don't be too hard on yourself, your body is just prioritising the new baby, and making you act accordingly, as difficult as that is.

Thanks so much. I feel like a monster but hopefully in a few days things will come right. Poor Isla, I just hope that there is no long term emotional damage done by my being horrid and shouty.....
Its such a support and relief to hear that I'm not the only one to struggle - how have you managed not to inflict the unpleasant emotions on Alice? I think that that is what I am struggling with the most.....

Erm... I haven't been entirely successful with that! We have had lots of shouty mummy moments at night. I just make sure to apologise to her after it happens. I have got a bit better at feeling it coming on, and I end up going to another room to calm down. DH sometimes takes her away for a bit too. Not very helpful really - sorry!

God, that is so good to hear!! Thanks x

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Tacey, I love hearing what Alice comes out with sometimes in regards to nursing, like the time she said "Thank you Mummy, that was nice!"

She's a big fan of it. I can't believe she's just not been bothered about it while she's away. Having said that, she did stare at my mum's chest for a while this morning while she was having breakfast, then finally said "Granny, you don't have any mukmee, you just have breasts and nipples." My mum agreed (!) then Alice said "Mummy drank up all your mukmee when she was a little girl, and now there isn't any left."

Just as well she knows this - I don't think my mum would be up for dry nursing!

And she'll grow up to give milk to her babies It's so nice she sees it as absolutely natural and normal

 

[tommyg]

Tracy that is so cute with Alice.

Ozzie sorry you never got the BFP but at least your ready to start again. I'm still in limbo land. Just about got shot of the bug thing that Smurf gave me so hopefully my body will sort it's self out.

Laughing Girl. When your dead beat and in pain it's easy to grump at LO's esp when they demand attention and you can't work out what they want. I was grumping at my poor Smurf this morning he was tired wouldn't sleep and I had tummy cramps and a dose of the runs. No nice hopefully he'll never remember