TTC while breastfeeding anyone?

[leade]

Hiya
Anyone on here TTC while breastfeeding and don't have AF back? My daughter is 12 months and is only feeding once in the evening. I still don't have AF back but I we are still actively trying just in case!
Never thought I'd say this but really want AF back now. Where are you?!!
Feel bad completely weaning dd to get pregnant when don't think she is ready.

 

[VJean]

My daughter just turned 4 months old, I don't have AF either, but I'm ready to try for another. We are delaying solids until 6-8months so I'm hoping when she starts foods AF will come back. It does feel weird to wish for AF, doesn't it? Ideally I'd like to get pg before I get my first post partum AF!

 

[KjConard]

I am in your exact same boat! My dd is 15 months and we really want to start ttc! I feel bad weaning my daughter because she is still very attached to breastfeeding, especially over night, we do sleep. I have been stressing about this for months! I never knew I would want af back so badly! It is nice to know I am not dealing with this alone!

 

[Tanikit]

My DD is now 26 months old and I have still not had AF return. I have weaned her down to only 1 feed per day now and while things seem like they may be starting again, I have still not had AF. I would like to try for a third child, but suspect I will have to wean totally to do so - we have some other issues that need sorting out first though that will affect fertility so I am not in a huge hurry to wean until some tests have been done on my DH and until I can get my own medical issues more under control.

 

[leade]

I have been feeling for months as though AF is going to arrive as I keep getting cramping, but still nothing. I've read a few things that say to wean completely and they should come back. Not sure how I am going to get rid of the last feed before bed though as that's the one that chills her out and gets her off to sleep!

 

[MillieJoan]

My DD is 14 months and I got AF back when she was 9 months-old (even though she nursed on demand until she was 12 months, when we started weaning--now she's down to one feeding in the morning, which I'm planning to keep until she self-weans). But my periods are sooooo all over the place, and I'm pretty sure I didn't even ovulate last month. It's driving me nuts! It's tempting to wean her completely in case it's that last feeding that's keeping me from being regular, but I feel so guilty every time I have that thought.

 

[KjConard]

I find it so stressful because I want to keep nursing but want my af back to get pregnant again! I feel like I am being pulled in two opposite directions and neither one is the right choice! Has anyone tried cutting out feeds from midnight to 6am? That is my next step I'm going to try before completely weaning. My daughter currently nurses all night (mostly for comfort and we co sleep so it is always available) and then usually has a nursing session in the late afternoon and then when I'm getting her down to sleep at bedtime. I've tried cutting out her nighttime feeds before but she was so upset and literally cried for hours. It was too hard on me, but I think cutting out the nighttime feeds as opposed to all of them might spark my body to bring af back! Anyone have any tips on how to get things going again?

 

[Ganton]

I was in the same position as most of you a couple of months a go. I was feeding my LO morning, evening and on demand through the night. I was planning to try night weaning to see if that reduction in feeding would bring back AF. Then I got a really bad infection and had to stop for a few days to let things calm down. I expressed during that time to maintain my supply, and I'm sure I could have returned to feeding, but as my LO had then got used to taking milk from a cup and was sleeping better, I decided that that was the end of direct breastfeeding for us, and I'd express for as long as I could instead. It only lasted a month though, and my supply just dropped away steadily to nothing!

Writing this now has made me think again about how upset I was when I had to stop and how confused I was about whether to continue feeding. Ultimately, I think I made the selfish decision (more sleep, more flexibility with childcare, and the possibility of the return of AF) but I felt like I'd given my LO a really good start and I was ready to make that choice.

Anyway, AF returned 2 days a go. I had no idea how long it should take after stopping feeding, but it felt like such a long time (9 weeks from stopping feeding, when I dropped to 2 expressing sessions a day, and 5 weeks from a complete stop to expressing). I don't know if it was the sudden drop in milk demand, or the complete stop that caused the return of AF, but I hope AF returns for all of you soon so that you can get trying again.

The feeding v. TTC decision is such a difficult one to make so I really hope you all get to do both!