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

[Spunky]

Span - I'm sorry I don't know why the men can be such women sometimes. I hope that once was lucky!!! 2ww, eeek! Best of Luck!

 

[fifi-folle]

Looking for some advice... DS has been reducing his feeds over the past few weeks, refusing the left boob, today he's latching on to the right and coming off after only a couple of sucks. He is teething and has cold symptoms but is hardly taking any milk. Since about 8wks pregnant he's been having a bottle of formula before bed but I really don't want to give him more. Don't know what to do. I think he doesn't like the taste of my milk just now (he did this fussiness at the start of pregnancy too but it passed). He takes plenty solids and drinks water through the day. Should I be pumping? Should I just give up and FF til baby comes? Feeling really guilty that we got pregnant when he still needs me so much

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Could it be a small nursing strike? I know your milk doesn't change until third trimester.

 

[fifi-folle]

It could be. I've tasted a spot my milk and it doesn't taste as sweet. It's just so stressful. BFing has been a battle since the start and the preggo hormones are not helping me cope I hope it goes better with the new baby and DS keps feeding. I really don't want him to wean before 12 months at the very earliest.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Hang in there I know the hormones are a bitch when you're preggie.

 

[Mork]

Hey fifi-folle,
i dont have any evidence of this, but the mw who runs all the bfing groups in my area, told me that breast milk changes at about 18 weeks pregnant and becomes more salty tasting - which some babies like and some babies dont. I dont know if this is the case or not as never seen it mentioned anywhere before, but thought it may give you some help? xxxxx

 

[fifi-folle]

I've read that it can taste salty but hadn't heard of 18wks being key. I've decided to try and pump to maintain supply/up it but I've not managed to get much when pumping since around 3 months. Argh.

 

[summer rain]

Cd26 and still no sign of AF-not really sure whether I am 'fixed' (last three cycles were between 14 and 17 days long!) or what is going on. xx

 

[Tanni_Pants]

Hi! :wave:
I just found this thread
I just got my first PPAF yesterday
Now we can get down to some serious business!

We'd been trying regardless of lack of PPAF, I got a couple of faint lines in January which disappeared.
Don't know what happened there, dodgy tests? The rest were fine, so don't know....

Good luck to all who are trying!!

 

[motherofboys]

Hi! :wave:
I just found this thread
I just got my first PPAF yesterday
Now we can get down to some serious business!

We'd been trying regardless of lack of PPAF, I got a couple of faint lines in January which disappeared.
Don't know what happened there, dodgy tests? The rest were fine, so don't know....

Good luck to all who are trying!!

I was the same, trying even though I hadnt had AF. mine didnt return for 17 months. was a killer when i wanted to get down to some serious ttc LOL

 

[Tanni_Pants]

Hi! :wave:
I just found this thread
I just got my first PPAF yesterday
Now we can get down to some serious business!

We'd been trying regardless of lack of PPAF, I got a couple of faint lines in January which disappeared.
Don't know what happened there, dodgy tests? The rest were fine, so don't know....

Good luck to all who are trying!!

I was the same, trying even though I hadnt had AF. mine didnt return for 17 months. was a killer when i wanted to get down to some serious ttc LOL

I've never been so happy to see !!

She appeared as if from no where, no cramps, no warning, no nothing!

 

[motherofboys]

LOL same here. I was expecting the worse one ever but nope. and even now they are very light and only last 3 days. the only other time i have been happy to see AF was this saturday, she was 3 weeks late and i was getting bfns and going crazy not knowing if i was pregnant or just broken or what lol

 

[summer rain]

Well just did a HPT and I am not pregnant so waiting for AF now, hope it is that I am fixed and my cycles are returning to a normal-ish length! xx

 

[austinsmom]

When does the BF aggitation go away?! I'm committed to feeding her 3 times a day, but any other time she wants to nurse, I avoid her, give her a cup of milk instead. Doesn't help that she's teething, makes everything so much more sensitive. I want to give up most days, but in my heart, I can't do it... I keep telling myself, it's best to let her wean (I don't really want to quit).
Ahhhhhh... venting, just venting ladies. And LO's been up since 2am. With no signs of going back to bed. Tough night!

 

[motherofboys]

I know that even with out the added pregnancy hormones i have phases when i just dont want to do it anymore, i want to just quit. BUt thankfully you cant quite 'just like that' and i dont have the heart or the will power to wean him.

 

[Spunky]

RE The change in taste of breast milk: My lactation consultant told me that her son told her her milk was "yucky" and that's how she knew to take a pregnancy test. So for her, the hormones of early pregnancy were enough for her son to detect a change and not like it. He was old enough and wanted to self wean so she didn't worry about it. James so far has not cared if there is a taste difference. I hope that DS has stopped his nursing strike. Do you have any prepregnancy frozen milk? I have some in the freezer and figure if he starts disliking I can try that in a sippy cup and maybe pump and transition him to the new flavor, cause like you, I don't want to wean till a year.

Still way early days here as we're only 5 weeks today (I think?). No issues yet, but James has been super grumpy and fighting sleep for like 2-3 weeks now. He's kinda driving me crazy. I had a good cry last night. He was so difficult all morning, slept all afternoon (great - like a 2 hour nap! weirdly long for him) then was happy in the evening. Then he decided to bite my shoulder and I sobbed cause it had been a long enough day and then he thanks me for being a good mom by biting me. LOL, was a little ridiculous, but couldn't help it.

 

[motherofboys]

aw spunky bless you. I once cried over maccaroni cheese when i was pregnant with my 1st, so a long hard day with a baby and then being biten as a thank you isnt the silliest thing to cry over lol

 

[mumandco]

Hey girls just a quick question, my af returned about 9months ago and have been regular ever since. Does bf play a part in me ttc now or would it be the same as if I wasn't bf?

 

[tommyg]

Still no sign of AF. I had one in December when I don't think I ovulated, then January and February where I'm not sure. Then nothing since.

Could nursing be affecting my cycles?

My cycle have never been the most regular, so could be that, could be me stressing TTC, could be Smurf never giving me a full nights sleep, could be my change of job and increasing my days to 3 in Feb. Could be combination of all of the above.

Tell me its not normal for af to disappear again because of nursing?

 

[Spunky]

Nursing does effect ttc. Some women will not be able to conceive at all while nursing, and some will. Something to do with the prolactin levels the sucking creates or something.

I've read it's also normal for AF to come and then go away if nursing picks up again.

I also read the average first post partum AF return is 14 months. Don't know where they got that number, I was so hoping that wouldn't be me (I got mine at 9 months so was happyish with that)


I think the resources that Ozzie posted in the first post can go into more accurate info than I can provide (I read a lot but my memory is sketchy) and I'm sure the other ladies might be more educated about it than I am.

Best of Luck