Nursing Mamas TTC

[chrissy]

Before I was hoping for AF because we weren't trying, but now I'm hoping to catch that very first egg so I'm hoping for no AF.

Who else out there is in this boat? Anyone?

Here's a little scoop on me:

I'm Chrissy, married to Brian, mother of Noah- who is almost 16 months old. I've not had a period since I had Noah, which was just fine with me until right around his first birthday when I started feeling like I was ready for another baby. Since then I've had all kinds of signs that my fertility was returning- except a period!

Now that we're trying, I've started charting so I'll hopefully have some idea of what's going on.

Anybody else?

[AnnR33]

Hi Chrissy,
I'm still nursing my 17 mos old pretty actively (6x per day) but I've had AF back since she was about 9 mos. This surprised me since she was still actively nursing and even once at night. I always thought those mamas that didn't get AF back were lucky, but now that I'm TTc I'm glad all is back to normal.
Can't help with any advice but my good friend said she was feeling all the signs of O as well but no period. She got her first period and bang-she was pregnant! (this was 2 weeks after they decided to wait for another year to TTC for another LOL)
Just wanted to wish you luck!
Ann

[OneTrickPony]

FYI I am nursing a 13-month old and got my first postpartum period when she was about 10 months old. I got pregnant after my third postpartum period.

My understanding is that once babies start sleeping longer at night (and thus reduce their nursing), your fertility is much more likely to return! So perhaps if you would like your period to return, you could reduce night nursing? (Just a thought...I don't know what your night nursing practice is now!)

[Oceanone]

Hi Chrissy,

I am nursing my 18 month old, but only morning and night. He still loves nursing and mama hugs at night. I got my period back 5 months after he was born. It is really irregular though, between 24 & 36 days! so, I think bf'ing is affecting my o, but I still am O'ing. Impossible for me to chart due to waking for mama hugs....

[AnnR33]

Oceanone,
Mine has been regular but it alternates between 28 days one month and 32 the next. It's been like this for about 9 mos. I know for sure when I O in the 28 day cycle but the 32 day one is a little iffier. Wierd, huh?? I'm nursing a 17 mos old OFTEN.
Ann

[Oceanone]

Hey, Ann, that is weird, but it's a nice rythym. My trouble is , I have no idea how long my cycle will be and when to expect O. As I can't chart I am just using the other two signs and my intuition. Last time I was much more scientific about it, but I am ok going with this for now.

[jenniferB]

i'll join you all. i'm also trying to catch the first egg. i have had one pp at 13month. now it's 18 months and counting.

i had some spoting 29 days ago. light bleeding (no gunk) for 2 days. I was so sure it was implantation bleeding. but two tests came up BFN. maybe the spotting was af that had second thoughts?

i do have af symptoms: pimples, bloating, weight gain so i'm hoping that it will just show and then i can get it over with.

i have no pg symptoms. frustrating.

i've cut down on the day feedings (nothing from morning until late afternoon) and dd went four hours last night without wanting to nurse! this is extraodinary for my little milk junkie. she normally cannot go 30 minutes.

Chrissy, didn't you post on another thread that you had pg symptoms. are you sure you didn't already catch that egg?

~jen

[traci5489]

I am currently ttc #3 and bf my 28 month old dd (mostly just at bedtime and in the morning), AF showed up (finally) when dd was 24 months old and was erratic the first month (36 days), but has been 28 days like clockwork since. With my first two kids I got pg so easily that I guess I am spoiled, I just got AF today so another month to wait, I guess maybe bf is messing with my cycle too, but I just can't bring myself to wean dd before she is ready so I guess wait and hope and wish is all I can do. Good luck to all of you waiting for a +.

[chrissy]

Jen,
Yeah, I was thinking that I was having pg symptoms but who knows. I bought a 2-pack of tests yesterday but I'm going to wait a week and see what happens. I'm actually thinking I might have o'ed last Thursday. I've been pretty dry with a low firm cervix since then. I just started temp'ing this week so I'll see what my temps do and if I haven't started a period and haven't had a big temp drop by next Thursday I think I'll test then.

Good luck to us all!

[owensmom]

Hi all - Ds is almost 14 months, no AF yet. We are TTC - if you can call it that. Sex is pretty random around here!! I wonder when AF will return, but I don't really miss it. I don't have much optimism in catching that first egg though... it took up 9 months the first time, after a little help to lengthen the lp. But, I'm not worrying about it.

I've had a few times where at night I feel crampy, and wonder if I'll see AF in the morning, but I never do. I've also lately had something that feels like O pain, but nothing has come of that either.

What a waiting game! Ds still nurses 4 - 6 times a day, and anywhere from 2 to 8 x a night.

[Mommiska]

Hi there - I was on the 'wanting AF' thread a couple of months ago, and then found out that AF didn't appear because I was pregnant (nice surprise).

I had absolutely NO pregnancy symptoms prior to AF not showing, however...which was one of the main reasons why I thought I was just having weird cycles and didn't think I was pregnant.

I was a week late before I started to have those PMS-type symptoms that are actually pregnancy symptoms.

So...I thought I must have ovulated a week late or something. But when I went in for my scan, it turns out I ovulated a week EARLY.

So I didn't have ANY pregnancy symptoms at all until I was 2 weeks late (so 4 weeks past ovulation).

With both of my previous pregnancies, I knew I was pregnant before I took the test, because I'd had all those pregnancy/PMS symptoms.

All of that to say...you just never know. Our bodies can do strange things sometimes...

Lots and lots of baby dust to you all!

[JavaFinch]

I'm nursing ds (turns 4 next week) but usually only at night, once in a while in a.m., too, but that's it. I'm pretty sure that nursing isn't causing any of my fertility problems, though (thought I NEED to get my prolactin levels checked just to be sure ... I've been forgetting to do that!)

[owensmom]

I've taken two pg tests over the last 4 months or so because I felt weird - they were always negative though. Guess sometimes I am just tired, extra cranky and nauseous for no reason!!

[jenniferB]

carolyn, thanks for dropping in to share your story. i was actually thinking of starting a thread to ask those with 2 or more pregancies if each one was more different than similar.

but i didn't because i'm trying to beat this waiting game by putting this thing out of my mind. (yeah, right)

i'm even getting anxious about you testing, chrissy. i think that the fatigue is the key symptom for me. there seems to be no getting around that one.

i know how you feel owensmom about having symptoms. i feel waves of nausea now and then which only gets my hope up. then i go days with feeling chipper. what a drag...

[citizenfong]

Can I be in both groups? I'd love to catch that first egg, but I'll take af!

We are getting ready to try nightweaning. I think we're going to start next Friday or Saturday night. I had a talk with ds (22mos) a couple of days ago and he agreed to try it. I'm really hopeful that this will be what works and he has really been exhibiting signs that he is ready to try it, regardless of my fertility hopes.

I do think my body is gearing up to O. I've been having a revisit of some of the symptoms from last month--I'm broken out, O pains, etc. Plus, I keep thinking just how long can I go without my fertility returning??? I've come across VERY few people who have gone longer than me--the 24 monther on this thread makes me hopeful!

Maybe I'll get there in time for a Christmas baby...

Tracy

[chrissy]

I'm anxious about me testing too Jennifer! Even though I am pretty sure I will get a BFN. Just wishful thinking I am sure. My nipples are only sore when he is nursing lots. If I got a period I would certainly be psyched!

My temp'ing has been so odd. I've gotten the exact same temp- 97.7 the last 5 mornings. Isn't that odd? I don't even get up at the exact same time- somewhere between 6 and 7. I was sure my thermometer must be broken so today I used a brand new one- 97.7! My cm is still very scant so that and my temps give me hope that I might have o'ed (because since November I have had mucho mucho cm), but then I am afraid that I am just getting my hopes up only to be dashed once again.

Citizenfong, you sound so positive right now! Good for you! I hope your nightweaning goes well and brings O too!

I hope it's sunny where yall are,

[snuffles]

add me.....

i haven't had a period since march of 2000! i had a dd in dec of 2000, and then didnt have a period before i was pg with my other dd, who just turned a year old! no af yet!

mel

[LizHarrison]

TTC #3 while both of my boys are still nursing..

Dispite Breastfeeding only for the first year (NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING but Breastmilk for the first yeat) I still managed to get AF back at 6weeks PP with #1 and 6 Months PP with #2 (and that was nuring 2 kids)

so not on the SAME SAME boat.... but almost there
Liz

[AnnR33]

OK, this is it-the 2 week wait. I hate this part! I think we hit the "window" dead on according to all the signs so hopefully...
I really don't think nursing has affected ovulation at this point since I've been regular for at least 9 mos-but I can't help but wonder sometimes with the hormonal differences and since we're still nursing a lot (6 x per day)???
Let's hope some of us end up at the pregnancy forum soon!
(I have not visited there so I don't jinx myself! )
Ann

[Spark]

Hello, all! I am officially officially TTC as of today. In just an hour, I'll have my IUD taken out. It's non-hormonal and so my Dr. told me I could concieve the night it was taken out. But...I'm not really counting on that.
DS is 15 mos and nursing ... well, I don't think I can really count. Hmmm, during the night it's down to just 3 or 4 times. I have not gotten AF back. So, I, too am trying to catch the first egg.
I'm trying not to put pressure on myself, but I feel like I have just a 6 month window to get pregnant. I teach at a University & i can take off the Jan Semester, but can not take off the September Semester. So, baby by June of 2004 would be great. We plan to stop trying at the end of September. I reallly hope we get pregnant by then. I don't really think I could stop trying once I started!
I'm temping right now & hopeful that cycles will return. Christy, I shrieked when I read your last post. I get up anywhere from 7 to 10 in the morning and my temps have been 97.7 just about every morning!!! Crazy coincidence. Guess i won't go buy a new thermometer. I've been interpreting the temp to mean that I have not O yet, but that it will come. I have had creamy, then egg white mucus then sticky or scant, but no O yet. I've read in Tony Weschler's book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, that while lactating, your body works up to O over a series of weeks, trying and trying until all the hormones line up. The good news is, we are no longer having annovulatory cycles. It's just a matter of time, I figure.
Best wishes