Help!

[intunement]

I am 30 and nursing my sweet 28 month old nurse-a-holic son. My period has been regular for over a year, but we just started to really try a few months ago. I just sadly night weaned to try to help things along, in case that will help. I don't really know much about trying to conceive and I don't have time to read tons of books to figure it all out, so I need some wise guidance! We both work full time, I'm in school part time, and we are starting a business with the hope of me being able to eventually work from home. I'm sure we are too stressed out, but we're doing everything we can to relax, including trying not to stress out too much about ttc.

I have never charted anything and don't know where to start, or if that would really help. My son was conceived miraculously the first month we stopped using protection, so I naively thought it would just happen the second time around the same as the first. I would love to know if there are tests that can be done, if I should see a doctor (I don't have one) or midwife... or if I could do some kind of tests myself to find out if anything is wrong. I really hope that I don't have to wean my son in order to conceive - I don't know if I could do that.

Any suggestions or tips would be highly appreciated. Thanks!!!!

[forthekids123]

I'm not ttc and nursing so I have no advise on that, but can I say something. Full time job, part time school, starting a biz and raising a child. WOW WOW WOW, that sound super stressful, and yes that would cause my cycles to go screwy.

I would definitely start charting right away, take the fertility friend charting course it's free. Then you will know where your at, and have a few months of charts to show the Dr. or midwife.

oh and join the nursing mom ttc thread, I'm sure they have a wealth of info for you.

[ZoeJane'sMommy]

If charting would not put more stress on you I would highly recommend it. You would have to take your tempurature at the same time every day and I would recommend getting a basal body thermometer. I got mine at Walmart for like 8 bucks and I like it. I use Fertility Friend because it is very user friendly and they will also send you emails as soon as sign up telling you it works. If you click the link about you can see my chart. Now my chart looks weird because my cycles are long and I do not ovulate but you can get the idea. You can sign up from this link also. Before you do any expesive testing I would chart for atleast one month to see if you are ovulation. It takes the average women 3 cycles of TTC and that is DTD(doing the deed) on your ovulation day each time. I do not know how so many women just randomly get pregnant because it really is an art. But by charting you can actually learn some things about your body and if there are problems your chart can help find them. Like if your lutel phase is too short or long, if you don't ovulate and what not. I took my charts to my doctor and it helped her tremedously. I would go ahead and start charting and then start looking for a Doc or midwife because you will need one anyway. Let me know if you have more questions I will keep checking back.

[sarah2881]

I second (or third ) charting before doing any expensive testing. It will really give you an idea of what your body is doing. I have used FF in the past and it is a great online tool and easy to use. Plus with everyone here to help you can figure it out.

I also got PG with my first relatively quickly, I can't remember if it was two or three cycles. My second I thought would be the same, but I was also BF a boob-o-holic, DD1 nursed all the time day and night. It was closer to 7 cycles that time and I had started cycling regularly 8 weeks after DD1 was born, my charts looked great, they showed ovulation, temps and mucus were good... I think BFing was just about all the nurturing my body could could handle at that point. i know many ladies do get PG while nursing and continue to nurse, but everyone is different. i am pretty positive we night weaned the cycle before I did get a BFP, maybe that was what my body needed, more rest. Maybe that will work for you to! Good luck.

[intunement]

Trying to get serious...

Okay, I ordered some LH test strips from Amazon that will get here by Tuesday - that will be my 11th day of this cycle. I will start taking my temperature in the morning before getting up tomorrow in case that helps. I'm not sure where to take that free course, so if anyone has a link, I will do it. For the last couple months, we've just tried to make love every night, or at least every other night for the whole month. That does cut into our sleep quite a bit, so we'll need to start timing our efforts a little better if we have to keep it up (no pun intended) for many months. I night weaned a little over a month ago and my sweet little one still asks me at least once during the night every night. Today I tried not to nurse him all through the day (after two morning nursings). It was a little hard to do, especially because he asks frequently and says "nurse a mommy peeeeease" in such a sweet way. It melts my heart, especially since I don't want to be weaning - I just want to cut back in case that will help me conceive. I know he will love having a sibling...

[kalamos23]

I have gotten pregnant 3 times while nursing my totally addicted to the boob and frequently nurses for hours at night 24mo DD - so if you are having regular cycles, you are more than likely fine and I wouldn't worry about the nursing. At his age, it's probably not going to effect ttc.

The only way it would is if it is affecting your luteal phase tho - as prolactin (which is the nursing hormone) competes for the same receptors as progesterone (which makes the phase in between when you ovulate and when you get AF long enough to sustain pregnancy). If it is too short, you may have a harder time getting pregnant. Charting for one cycle would tell you if it's too short and if if you are timing dtd correctly. If it is short, taking b6 can help as it helps suppress prolactin.

[intunement]

How do I change the date on Fertility Friend?

Thanks! What does AF stand for by the way?

[ZoeJane'sMommy]

Originally Posted by intunement

Thanks! What does AF stand for by the way?

Did you figure out how to change the date? Once you hit enter period/signs you can arrow back and fourth and if you know the day you started your period I would enter that. THanks by the way for signing up under my home page It gave me 5 free days of the vip membership. AF means aunt flo or your period. DTD means having sex. DH is darling husband and DD is darling daughter adn DS is darling son. O is ovulation CM is cervical mucas. There are more but I cant think of them now.

[intunement]

Yes I got my dates all correct!

Thanks so much for the help with all of the acronyms. I have been doing lots of guessing and you filled in quite a few gaps for me!

So, this is my 9th day and my temp was 97.7. I'll keep measuring each day. Does it matter if it is not exactly the same time each morning? Like this morning, I woke up at 5:30 and needed to go to the bathroom, so I measured before getting up. I might not always wake up that early...

[intunement]

Other tricks?

Okay, are there other tricks I should be using? For instance, I read somewhere that you should sleep in complete darkness until it's about time to ovulate and then turn on a night light, or regular light in your bedroom. I used to sleep in darkness, but now that I cosleep with my son, we always have a fairly bright night light on in the room. Since I've night weaned, I could go sleep in his room or the guest room and make it dark. Would that really help, or is it just an old wives tale? Also, are there other things like what I should eat or drink etc.?

I'm already working on reducing stress and I am thinking about taking some vitamin b6 supplements if they might counter the effects of prolactin. I'm down to nursing my toddler just two times a day - though he asks at least a hundred times a day and I cuddle and hold him and shower him with kisses and offer him other milk... He's taking it pretty well - not crying - just giving me kisses and sticking his hands in my shirt to hold my breasts and putting his head on them like a pillow. He's so sweet.