Fertility after weaning - X-posted in main fertility forum

[SKJ2011]

Hi Ladies.   I'm looking for some info on the return to fertility during and after breastfeeding.  My DD is 18 months old.  She weaned herself about a month ago.  I got my first PPAF in April and have had pretty regular cycles since then.  The first was a little long, but the rest have been about 26 days, which was normal for me before I had her.  My DH and I have been ttc since June.  I charted for a few months and noticed that my LP was about 8 days only.  I started taking B6 and am up to 150mg, including a B50 complex.  I am also seeing an acupuncturist and am taking herbs and drinking 2 cups of RRL tea a day.  I have had NO change in my LP. Two cycles back, my LP went up to 10 days, but I had 2 days of spotting before AF showed up.  This past cycle, my LP was only 8 days, and I also had 2 days of spotting.  Also, since starting the RRL tea, my periods have been heavier and longer, although this coincides with when my daughter really started weaning.  

I'm going to be 34 in January.  On the advice of my midwife, I have an appt with an OB on Jan 4.  I really don't want to do any interventions, but I also want to have another child in the next year.  My question is whether or not what is going on with my cycle seems normal.  I am willing to wait it out if there is a good chance my body just needs more time.  I'm just discouraged by the lack of change over the last 7 months.  It has me worrying that something is wrong.  When I got pg with DD, my cycles were about 26 days long and the cycle I conceived her, I O'ed on CD 13.  My O date has been b/t CD 15 and CD19.

Thanks for any thoughts.

[Jaimee]

After my first child, my cycles came back around 8 months post partum, but did not fully regulate until she was about 2 years old.  So that is a total of 16 months of regulating.  It can just take some women longer.  Granted, I was still breastfeeding through that time, but I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that there is something wrong at this point.  It's likely that a doctor is going to offer you progesterone, but if your body isn't ready, you might still have difficulty conceiving and sustaining a pregnancy even with the progesterone.  Just something to think about. 

Good luck!