Nursing Momma's TTC- February - Page 3

[Chloe'sMama]

So sorry for what you are going through Carmen.  That is heartbreaking.  I am sure the ladies here would love it if you stayed if you want to.  

An OPK question....

I took a first response at 11am today (picture below) and then one at 3pm and 5:30.... the one at 3 was STARK white, while the one at 5:30 had  a light line. Lots to drink before 3, so that explains it, but why is the 5:30 one so light?  I have not been taking OPKs, but got some today since I had tons of EWCM and  having ovulation pains.... Could I have missed the real peak on the OPK?  We  DTD last night and will tonight.... that covers our bases, right?  Ovulation pains intense in the afternoon and are tapering off now.   I am temping, so I guess we will have an answer hopefully in the morning.

Thanks

[jj1107]

Carmen - I'm sooo sorry to hear about what you're going through.  It must be really tough to have exerienced so many losses recently.  Definitely stick around even if you've weaned as we are here to support you! 

Chloe's mama - that OPK looks almost positive to me, I would BD but then keep taking them around the same time each day to make sure you really O'd. 

[icy02]

Carmen- I am so sorry for your loss   You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

[gardenbelle]

Carmen, I am so sorry for your loss. :(  Waiting to miscarry is the worst.  It's like you can't move on and get closure because things are not done and final.  I hope things happen soon for you and that you can start the healing process.  Hang in there, we are thinking of you and please keep us posted.

[Chloe'sMama]

my temp went up by .2 degrees this morning.... highest this cycle.  i am hoping tomorrow it goes up more. 

my fmu opk is lighter than my dark yesterday, but darker than the 5:30..... and o pains are gone completely. i am crossing my fingers.

[jj1107]

Juliee - It is tough to time BD when your periods are irregular due to nursing.  I don't check my cervix.  I try to monitor CM, but it can get confusing with all the BD.  I would try for every other day from day 10ish to a postive OPK, then BD 3 nights in a row.  I would buy some cheap OPKs online and just use those until your cycles regulate. 

[Julieee]

Thank you jj, that's a good idea... I haven't thought of trying OPKs mostly because it's not THAT big of a deal if I don't get pregnant... I mean, I desire it so badly and my husband is ready... but i haven't thought of trying those.  It took us 3 months to conceive our baby.. but I don't think I o'd in the 2nd cycle we "tried".  When we're done having kids, (maybe #3?) I want to be a surrogate so I guess the sooner I can get pregnant this time, the better!

My husband has a very low libido (for whatever reason! He's only 26!!!)  I know when we were trying for our son, he would get really frustrated and it was really hard for him.  :/  Hoping that doesn't happen this time around.  BD on day #12, today is #14, will BD again and then every day until he can't take it anymore!!!  HAHA.  It's not really funny, I don't know why I'm laughing. Sigh.

Are OPKs easy to use?  Do most BFing moms use them?

 

[boomer78]

Thanks guys for replying about changes in bf. I don't want to cut back (I mean I can't do that to our dd and I guess I'm not ready), but I would like to try for a winter baby so the time is running out.

Carmen: I'm so sorry for what you're going through! Although I don't come here all the time I do remember you. Maybe it's still going to work out? And if not, all I can do is send you hugs and hopes that next time it's finally all going to be right.

Julieee: I haven't used OPKs yet. I try to track ovulation by cm and cervix position. I don't know if I'm off by a day, two or more but it's all I go by. 

[kelantan]

Boomer- I did have to cut back to 1/2 nursings a day and i was able to get pregnant. I firmly believe that is why i got pregnant. I have been able to increase some since then and am back to 2-3 nursing and will probably increase more in another month or two. At this point (ds 18 m/o) is nursing just so fun and not for sustenance. But it's an incredibly personal decision. I can say at this point though on the other side (i'm 8.5 weeks pregnant), still with a little monster who i think likes to nurse more now than before, I am at peace with what i had to do and feel it was totally worth it. (dunno if that helps)

Juliee: I did temp so that helps but i can also recommend OPKs that you can buy from amazon.com (or other places online) for 40 or 50 for less than $10. When your cycle is long (mine was between 35-46 days while TTC) it does take a lot of OPKs but for me it was totally worth it knowing EXACTLY when i O'd. It made me a little more patient and able to time better.

Carmen:I really am so sorry. I have been praying for you in this. You know you are still MORE than welcome here! Ava's mama wasn't nursing anymore and i had majorly reduced. I hope you are able to find peace in all of this.

I sure am hoping for all of you! Starlight, try to stay positive. I'm really sorry! I hope it happens for you soon!

[northwoods]

Carmen: Hugs to you. I'm so sorry to hear it.

Kelantan: Once you cut back on your nursing sessions, how long did it take for your cycle to return? I know everyone is different, but I'm trying to get a sense of what I can hope for.

[themothership]

New here 14 ppaf, 1st month trying, dd is almost 24 months (on the 21st)  my chart : http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/themothership
I have been trying to temp, but my daughter has an uncanny ability to wake up about 30 minutes before my alarm almost every time I set it, and I never remember to temp before I attend to her needs. Any one else have this problem?
 

[kelantan]

northwoods: My cycle actually returned when we nightweaned at 9 months. That is when we officially started trying to get pregnant (that was the end of may). I started temping in August so i know i was ovulating, but I wasn't able to get pregnant until I reduced my nursings more. I read a great article a few months back about how every one has certain levels of prolactin especially that it can tolerate being getting pregnant. For me, night weaning (which is HUGE for most women) lowered by levels enough to start my cycle but not enough to get pregnant. I had to reduce to once a day in order to get pregnant. But now, pregnant, i can nurse 2-3 times a day (though my milk is seriously reduced causing ds to want to nurse ALWAYS!). Does that help? I really hope you are able to get your cycle back soon! I know how frustrating it can be!

Welcome the Mother ship! For me i just found it needed to become a habit. If you co sleep you just need to get in the habit of grabbing the thermometer and throwing it in your mouth. If she is in another room you could have dh get her or just wait 10 seconds. I find that the "exact" time thing isn't crucial. For me as long as i wasn't off by more than 3 hours it was accurate enough that i would get a positive ovulation reading. Also, as is often recommended, try OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kits) because they help coincide with temping to know when you are ovulating and when to DTD.

[jj1107]

Hi Everyone,

CD 14 today - still waiting for my positive OPK - hopefully I will get it within the next few days. 

Welcome mothership.  It is hard to temp "by the books" with a baby/toddler in the picture, but I've found that even if I don't get the 3 hours of sleep before temping or temp at the same exact time everyday, I can still observe an increase in temps to confirm ovulation.  I use OPKs to help time BD.  No

Northwoods - I was nursing 4x/day for about 6 weeks when I got a "warning period" (very light, probably anovulatory)...at the same time I reduced to 3x/day and ovulated about 30 days later. 

[sere234]

Themothership- Welcome! Hope your time here is short! I don't temp but go by CM. Have you tried checking your cervix? Not something I've done much but if temping doesn't work, maybe that would?

Kelantan- Still hanging around?  Nice to have success story in our midst to advise us! 

JJ- You are getting close! Hope you get a positive OPK soon.  You and I have nearly matching cycles right now!

AFM- DH and I had the stomach flu last week! Ugh. We've had more sickness in our house in the past 3 weeks than we have in the last 3 years! Maybe we're done being sick for this year now?  Anyway, I'm on CD 12, using my OPKs, and waiting to O in the next few days. Looking forward to BDing since DH and I have been so sick, exhausted, and too busy to connect much lately. We really need to carve out some DS-free time together soon!

BTW, having lingering queasiness after the stomach flu sure made me dread pregnancy. All I could think about was morning sickness! And when I was sick and had a fever and my hips and bones ached, it reminded me of trying to sleep in the last trimester. Wow, I'm a Debbie Downer today, need to go eat some chocolate!

Also- we're going to interview a new homebirth midwifery practice tonight. We really liked our last midwife but have heard great things about these two ladies. I'm excited!

[alexaskj]

Hi, ladies!  I'm alexas.  We're not "officially" TTC, but we never prevent.  I am nursing my 20month old DD, and I have PCOS, so there's a lot going on with me, ha!  i have not gotten a cycle yet, but my PCOS has been making my ovaries crazy in the past couple of months and causing me lots of pain.  I started progesterone cream this past month to try and get myself under control.  I was expecting to have started a period this weekend, but I'm on what I would count as day 31, and no sign of any period, and 2 negative tests.  Does anyone have any experience with progesterone cream?  I'm extra confused now that I didn't start a period.....I have no idea when to start the cream again.

here's a link to my chart if anyone wants to take a peek!

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/3ba0f

[carmen358]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I'm going for my follow up u/s tomorrow morning. I've had no more spotting but I'm not feeling terribly pregnant anymore so I'm not expecting a miracle. I'm reading along and cheering you on! If we do try again it likely won't be until April.

[jj1107]

Hi Alexis - Welcome.  I don't have any experience with PCOS or progesterone cream so I can't help there.  Hopefully someone else will chime in.  Would you like me to add your name and chart under "waiting to be ready" or "hoping to catch the first PP egg"

I am CD 15 - no positive OPK yet.  My temps have been very erratic this cycle - very up and down- I'm hoping its because I haven't been sleeping very well.  Praying for a positive OPK very soon!!! 

I have an appointment with my RE at the end of the month, just sort of to check in and re-evaluate how things are going.  I really don't want to wean  my DD but I'm eager to get pregnant.  Such an awful dilemma! 

[jj1107]

carmen - thanks for the update.  please let us know how your ultrasound goes tomorrow AM!  you are in my thoughts...

[alexaskj]

Originally Posted by jj1107 

Hi Alexis - Welcome.  I don't have any experience with PCOS or progesterone cream so I can't help there.  Hopefully someone else will chime in.  Would you like me to add your name and chart under "waiting to be ready" or "hoping to catch the first PP egg"

I am CD 15 - no positive OPK yet.  My temps have been very erratic this cycle - very up and down- I'm hoping its because I haven't been sleeping very well.  Praying for a positive OPK very soon!!! 

I have an appointment with my RE at the end of the month, just sort of to check in and re-evaluate how things are going.  I really don't want to wean  my DD but I'm eager to get pregnant.  Such an awful dilemma! 

waiting to be ready would be great!

[Ava's Mama]

Congrats Icy and Pittnurse.  Carmen, keep us posted.  I just stopped by to see how everyone is doing.  I am 10 weeks now.  We had an ultrasound about 3 weeks ago and got to see a heart beat and we have our first homebirth midwife appointment on Friday.  So I am anxious to hear that heart beat again.  Wishing you all good luck this month!!