BF but BFN...Hcg??? :(

[eva0897]

Hi Ladies!

I'm getting really discouraged I am breastfeeding my DS who is 14 months. Still have not gotten my first period, but desperately TTC #2. My DS loves to nurse throughout the night. I really did not want to night wean, and just when I was contemplating trying to I started feeling as if my body began changing (cramping, tiredness, increase in CM), so I decided to start taking OPK. I couldn't start temping bc we co-sleep and DS wakes me throughout the night. For about 3 weeks I had various levels of darkening of the test line. Then one day when I had extremely fertile egg white CM I tested and O test came back defintely positive. Within 5dpo I had spotting (which I never had since AF almost 2 years ago), and it was typical implantation spotting (very light, brownish, for about 2-3 days). I was convinced I was pregnant. I had very low abdominal cramping, tiredness...just a similar feeling I did with my DS. It's been 16dpo and still BFN and no AF Is it possible that I can be pregnant? Do you think bc I nurse so often Hcg levels off? Or was the very light spotting, positive O test etc typical for BF moms who still haven't got AF? Any advice....what can be going on...I'm starting to feel really down. Thank you so much!!!

[MaerynPearl]

that's typical of an anovulatory breastfeeding mom, sorry. Likely you did not ovulate when you got the positive OPK but rather geared up to... and your spotting was sort of like your body resetting itself.

Of course... taking another test in a week from now wouldn't hurt... but would likely still come back negative... and by then you may be getting symptoms of O again!

[Vegan Princess]

I'm hoping it was implantation spotting!! That said, my first PPAF was very very light...could be classified as spotting. My 2nd was heavier, but still not as heavy as pre-baby. So that could actually have been your first PPAF. Also, my luteal phase is super short (I am nursing a 17 month old) - like 4ish days right now! That is very common while breastfeeding. So even though it was really soon after O, it could have been AF. And the only way to know if you did O is by confirming with temps. I had a very long annovulatory cycle and thought I was going to O a couple times but never had a temp shift. It does sound like things are happening though - if you aren't prego yet, hopefully your body will sort itself out in the next few months.

Cindy

[eva0897]

Thank you so much ladies! I really appreciate your responses. I can't wait to understand my body like I used to. I guess I'll just have to be patient. If I do start temping, how can I do so accurately since my DS nurses throughout the night and especially early morning? Any advice? Thank you so much again!

[Vegan Princess]

You just need to sleep for a 3 hour stretch to temp. My times are sort of all over the place but my temps still stay below a certain level if I haven't ovulated. So if I wake up and it's been 3-4 hours, I temp, even if the time of not my normal time. Then if I make it to my normal time w/out DD waking up, I temp again.

Cindy