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

[babyjo]

Dove when I was trying for No 1 I successfully used vitamin B6 to extend my luteal phase. It worked pretty fast if I remember rightly. I believe it is safe while breastfeeding as long as the dosage is not excessive!
Fx for your next cycle.

 

[dove830]

Do you remember how much b6 you took? I've been taking 50 mg, maybe I should take 100.

Because this is my first PP AF, the dr will tell me to give it 3 months, lol...I don't want to wait!!!

 

[canadabear]

Hello everyone! :wave: Can I join you all?? I have been stalking this thread for a while but in my TWW right now and DS is sick so more BF.
DS is almost 3 and EBF since birth. We started BLW at almost 6 months and he is a wonderful eater! Also HUGE for his age. Not fat but the size of a 4-5 year old. He has been BF only on the right breast since 13 months old.. And still going strong.
I have always had a good supply but find keeping up with my water intake, eating plenty of oats and still taking prenatal vitamins has helped.
For the past few days my breasts have been really tender and today sort of uncomfortable while feeding. Plus DS loves trying to fiddle with my other breast while feeding- which already bothers me - but now finding more irritating. I am worried that if I am pregnant that I will have a strong bf dislike.
Has anyone else experienced that strongly?

 

[babyjo]

Do you remember how much b6 you took? I've been taking 50 mg, maybe I should take 100.

Because this is my first PP AF, the dr will tell me to give it 3 months, lol...I don't want to wait!!!

I used to take 50mg in morning and then 50mg in evening. x

 

[BunnyN]

Babyjo- congrats on your BFP! That was quick!

Dove- sorry af got you. If it's any consolation I found out I had a 6 day LP and got pregnant the next month. A short LP is pretty standard for your first cycle PP it's even possible you didn't actually ovulate this cycle. It seems to take a lot of women 3 or 4 cycles for things to get back to normal. I had 3 periods before my BFP. I get how crazy it makes you though, I was in the same possition a couple of months back.

 

[BunnyN]

Canadabear- My LO Loves to fiddle with the other breast too and it drives me insane. I usually tuck myself about with a blanket so she can't get at it. I've always suffered from a bit of nursing adversion at times, especially when I'm tired or she is nursing more than normal. I usually find distracting myself with reading or using forums on my phone is enough to cope with it . I get it more since I was pregnant but so far it's not been too bad. I get the feeling more often but it's not really more intense. LO is 1 and was a very frequent feeder so is at a good age that with only slight encouragement she has cut down naturally on frequency and length of feeds which has helped.

 

[Nikki_d72]

Hi all, do you mind if I pop in? I've been reading through a bit and it's really good to see info from ladies who are breastfeeding, none of the normal TTC boards really apply to me. Congrats to all those cooking another or already tandem feeding!

I'm looking for some help or wisdom if possible? Sorry, I don't know where better to ask, you all seem a knowledgeable bunch.

My DS is 17 months and I am on my 3rd cycle TTC #3 if I count the first OV. That one took my body 3 goes, exactly 2 weeks apart each time (DS went on a manic feeding frenzy each time and managed to delay it) but Af came about 14 days after so I took it as a real one. Doesn't matter, we didn't catch it anyway. Since then I seem to have had fairly regular cycles, within a couple of days of my pre-pregnancy norm anyhow.

DS has reduced his milk feeds to usually only twice a day now for nap and sleep with the occasional extra afternoon nap or extra feed. My supply has always been good but now is very much balanced to his needs with none extra, but he gulps his milk normally and I usually feel a let down, albeit way less than when he was a prolific feeder. He is a good eater of solids though and drinks quite a bit of water too.

Here's the weird bit that's really worrying me: My supply last few cycles has dipped a bit around OV and maybe again for a day or so around AF but always has recovered. This time it took a huge dive around OV and hasn't recovered, despite him feeding his usual. It's pretty much tanked, he is not happy - today he started slapping me while he was trying to feed, there is no swallowing at all nearly and no letdown at all. Then he refused the breast today completely, just shook his head. I managed to get him on again at bedtime but he maybe swallowed a tiny amount twice. I have felt like I have no milk virtually at all since about 6DPO, I'm now 10DPO. I have been drinking water as much as I can, trying to encourage him to latch, pumping (only get about 10ml if I'm lucky), hand expressing, eating porridge oats - all the usual and nothing seems to be making a difference. I did a FRER with FMU this morning but was negative, I don't really have any pregnancy symptoms either.

Sorry for this essay! Has anyone found their supply to drop this drastically before their AF? Or anyone had it happen before they even got a BFP? IF my milk has gone permanently I'll be gutted, if it's gone permanently and I'm not even pregnant I'll be beyond gutted!! The only thing I changed this cycle was to take EPO to OV, which seemed to make me OV 2 days early and I had no CM virtually! I usually have a bit, I was just trying to get a bit more, serves me right for being greedy! Has anyone heard of EPO drying milk up? Everything I've read says it helps supply. I switched to Flaxseed oil after OV but have dropped it too, just in case. I take a breastfeeding and prenatal with fish oil in and a bit of extra folic, which I've always done. I'm a vegetarian too (well, apart from the fish oil, which I would normally never take but feel is important to give good cover for DS)

To complicate TTC a bit more DH works away from home Mon-Fri so I was gutted the EPO pulled OV forward as it was lining up very nicely before I got blazing pos on the Thurs so was hoping OV happened on Fri, we managed to squeeze DTD in on Fri eve. Also we are both 42 (well, he is, I'm nearly).

That's my ramble, sorry again it's a bit of an essay, happy to receive any and all wisdom... xxx

 

[BunnyN]

Welcome Nikki! Quite a few ladies have joined this thread while TTC (including myself). As you say there isn't a load of info out there an TTC and BFing. I am certainly no expert, as I am just learning as I go and read what I can find about the subject. My milk supply doesn't seem to be effected much yet, though it's hard to say because I've always had a slow letdown and LO has cut back on frequency of feeds a lot recently but I think thats mostly her just getting older. It seems most common for supply to dip mid pregnancy and increase again slightly toward the end of pregnancy. I have read posts from women who noticed a difference very early on, even before their BFP. Having a dip in supply around OV is common and some women notice a drop when af is due too. I know pregnancy eventually changes the milk and some LO's don't like the taste but I'm not sure how early that can happen.

 

[BunnyN]

Hi girls how are you all doing?

Things are fine here. Just really suffering with morning sickness. My boobs are getting huge! I lost weight last pregnancy and then again after she was born so my boobs never really got much bigger. I've been loosing weight again from the MS but this time because I'm feeding and pregnant I've started bursting out of my bras! Think I need to do some bra shopping.

 

[misspriss]

Well, unfortunately we suffered an early loss at 4w2d.

My milk supply dropped before I got my BFP, I was going from 9-10oz pumped per day, to 7.5 oz per day. After my second full day of bleeding, I pumped out a full 5oz in my first session. I was thinking after the loss, my milk might be returning to "normal". But no, I am back to barely getting any pumped milk per session. It just seems to add insult to our loss to have lost some of my milk supply as well. Has anyone gone through this? Do you think it will be back to "normal" ever? Or have I lost some of my milk supply as well?

 

[too_scared]

I'm so sorry for your loss

I'm sorry I have no experience with milk returning after a loss. I have had losses before but that was before my son.

I hope your milk gets back to normal soon

 

[BunnyN]

So sorry for your loss.

It's common for women for women to have a drop in milk supply at the time of menstration or ovulation and then it returns to normal. I know that isn't what you are asking but if it's a hormonal thing I would have thought you would have a good chance of getting it back. Of course milk works on demand too so if your body feels the need to make more it usually will. A drop in supply can also happen if LO is feeding less.

Hugs.

 

[misspriss]

Thanks. It usually drops after ovulation and picks back up after the first day of menses. I track my pumping output in a spreadsheet, I can literally see the pattern. The week before I ovulated, I averaged 10.5 oz. After ovulation, 9.5. The week of BFP, 7.9. The week of loss, 7.2 (so far). If this were a regular menses, it would have picked up by now, if following the usual pattern.

DS is still nursing as usual. I am just hoping this is temporary and I haven't suffered a permanent reduction in milk supply along with the loss of my baby.

 

[BunnyN]

I was just thinking the loss could have messed your hormones up and maybe it will take a bit longer to return to normal? These are just thoughts though, I don't really understand .anything about how it works.

By the way I'm in envy of how much you pump. I gave up because it took me a week of pumping twice a day to get 8 oz.

 

[misspriss]

Thanks BunnyN. I actually used to have oversupply pretty bad, so my idea of normal may be a bit distorted by that. But LO is still drinking a lot of EBM. Although at his age, he could always have some other milk during the day. I have actually just got a handle on some raw milk and should be getting some next week...

 

[Nikki_d72]

Hi Misspriis, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm also sorry but the only experience I have with milk after a loss was the opposite - milk coming in with no baby to feed and trying to dry it up.

I would think your hormones may take a bit longer to settle compared to when you have AF but I should think that if you keep pumping and putting your baby to the breast then it will recover. As far as I know HCG can leave quite quickly with an early loss so you may get your milk back up to full production in a week or so I'd guess. It really sucks though, I am so sorry.

I'm no expert though as I've only had 3 cycles and mine usually dips a bit at those times too but this time has just crashed (to virtually nothing). I was suspecting pregnancy due to the suddenness but just got AF today, so it is obviously quite sensitive to the change in hormones in some people. So far it's not returned to any great degree yet so I am feeling gutted that I may have lost my milk for no reason, I really hope it comes back. I hope yours recovers too. What I have read is that if a dip is quite marked between OV and AF then to take calcium magnesium supplements, so maybe that would help you too? And just to pump, express, feed your baby as often as possible to stimulate your breasts to produce.

Best of luck and be gentle on yourself xx

 

[too_scared]

Did anyone who's milk dropped find that their milk came back before baby came? I'm nearly 14 weeks and my milk is really low now. My little guy gets 5-6 swallows and that about it. I'm so worried is going to keep going down. I really hope it comes back before baby comes, I don't want my guy to wean himself earlier than he would want.

 

[misspriss]

Thanks Nikki. The hcg is already pretty much gone, I was getting BFNs on tests and barely faint lines on others before I started bleeding. I had a blood test done a few hours before the cramping and bleeding, but she didn't tell me the numbers just "very low".

 

[liz0012]

Hi everyone! I'm looking for some insight. My daughter is 9 months and I am half way through pregnancy. I still nurse my daughter 4 times a day and she drinks 2 frozen breast milk bottles a day. I am so nervous of my milk changing flavors. I am not at all ready to stop nursing neither is she. Do babies mind the flavor change? If I stop nursing her at 12 months will she want to start nursing again a month later when she sees her baby brother nursing from me? I don't want to tandem feed but I am going to find it hard giving up nursing her especially the morning n night times.

 

[BunnyN]

I think it's hard to give you solid answers to your questions because every baby is different. Some don't like the taste change, some are not bothered at all. If it hasn't bothered her yet then I would have thought it's an indication she might not mind.

As for starting nursing again after stopping I think some do, some don't. A lot of toddlers forget quite quickly how to nurse. I would be concerned about leaving enough time that there are not too many big changes going on at once and that it doesn't make her feel like it was the baby that took it away from her.

Have you considered keeping one or two feeds a day only? I understand if you are sure you don't want to tandem feed though.