Breastfeeding, fertility, and weird "feelings"--help me out!

[EmmaJean]

My dd2 is 11 months old. This is the exact time that I got my period back with DD1. She nurses at night 1-2 times at least. Average, I guess. Anyway, last wed I was extremely moody and anxious. Oh my. I thought I just was having a bad day. And maybe my hormones were shifting. Then the next day, I have all these weird feeling in my uterus area, not sure what all. Warmth, dull achiness, almost crampy but not. It was less the next day, but I am still noticing weird feelings. I associate this to what it feels like when I'm about to get my period. But could it also be ovulating and expect a period in a couple weeks? I noticed fertile-quality CM for a few days, then today nothing, but cervix is now higher and more open than on Thurs. I'm concerned that I ovulated at some point and it's possible I could get preg. b/c of when we DTD.....

Is it more likely that my body's been trying to (or has) ovulated or that it is trying (but not succeeding) at having a period? I'm confused and TCOYF isn't much help since I haven't charted my temp.

It just freaks me out b/c this is exactly how I felt when I was preg. w/ #3. My body gave me all kinds of mixed signals. I'm going to wait till thurs to test if I haven't gotten my period. If it's neg, I'll wait another week and test again and then consider myself in the clear if it's neg. Does that sound reasonable??? If it's positive we'd be totally excited which totally weirds me out since dh was planning on getting the vas. soon.

Just wondering if anyone has advice..... I'm about to lose my mind.....

Thanks!

[twilight girl]

Hi Emily,

You just described my situation almost to a T. Except that I don't know when we might have DTD!

DS is going on 1 y.o. (next week), and we've been on a 2 month family vacation road trip. At one point one day I remember feeling pains in the ovary area and thinking "oh, that feels like O pains."

That was at least two weeks ago, maybe three. Now I've been noticing the achey/heavy feeling in my uterine area, and I was wicked tired for a week or so, and rather moody.

I don't usually get very physical PG symptoms like sore bbs or nausea or anything to clue me in. But, we've been going with pull 'n' pray and other non-intercourse mutual entertainment for now until I get my cycle back, or DH gets his V. So, I can't even say if we DTD traditionally around the time I felt that possible O pain.

Then I had a dream last night that I went for an MRI, and the tech told me I was 3 weeks or 3 months pregnant, I can't remember which. Freaked me out. So, I'm thinking a $7 HPT for peace of mind is pretty cheap, right?

Just was wondering how your situation turned out. Did you test? Did you get your cycle back? GL!

[EmmaJean]

oh wow, how interesting!! I tested on Wed, and it was neg, but that doesn't really mean anything. it would've been really early. No period so I'm strill curious. All the weird feelings and cerical changes and fluid stopped like Thurs, I think, although my cervix still feels very open.... strange.... but it all lasted for a week, but really only the first day was most noticable. so I am going to test again next Friday ish, see what it says and go from there. If it's neg, I think I'd still need to test again the next week to be totally believe it. I'm getting used to the wait and see thing right now. it's annoying. At least dh admitted that it would be driving him crazy too if he were me. did that even make sense?? this whole time i've been like "oh it would be fun to be preg again, if it's really neg, then we should "try" sometime soon, I never knew I wanted #4 etc". Then today is like "ugh, no way." lol

we'll have to keep each other posted, right?!

Emily

[twilight girl]

Mother of all evap lines?

Let me explain the progression this morning, and tell me what you think. I'll see if I can find the camera to take a pic of the line ... (oh, wait, I haven't looked at it again since I got back from taking DD to school ... maybe it disappeared



It's still there.

POAS this a.m. with FMU. Start feeling immediate relief, because I don't see a line showing up as the strip gets wet. Control line comes up, still nothing in the test window. Go wake up DD. Go back to check and stash it away ... and do a double take because I *think* I see a shadow while the whole thing is still wet ... think I'm imagining it. Get DS up. Go back and check again within the 10 min time lapse, and sure enough there is a line.

I don't know what kind of line. It's the full thickness, I *think* it's pink ... but I'm really hoping against hope that it is a wicked nasty evap. I've never had one before on this brand test, but I'm still hoping ... maybe a bad batch of tests...

I'll go to the lab for a beta tomorrow before DH gets back from Panama. Tomorrow is DS's 1st birthday : and I really did not want to be pregnant ... ever again.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8357248@N05/?saved=1

what do you think?

[Livviesmom0207]

I think that if that showed up within the time frame, people will be congratulating you!

[twilight girl]

Uy, congratulating us for what ... ending up in a situation we both very much said we didn't want for us?

Criminy, we didn't even have the satisfaction of DTD with wanton abandon. We haven't "consummated" since DS was born ... only pull out, and other forms of mutual satisfaction ... How can this be? I thought there was only a 3% chance of getting pg while breastfeeding and before AF returned!?!?!

If we're not even "following through" the few times we actually have vag. intercourse, wouldn't that reduce the risk to practically ZERO?

Oh, man, my DH needs a vasectomy!

[EmmaJean]

looks like the evap line I got with the first test I took for baby #3. two days later I took another one or two and definite negatives. Then a week later one was a definite positive. So not like that's much help to know I got an evap line and then a week and half later a positive but that's the story.

And for me, AF showed up in full force yesterday, so I had to dust off the ol' Diva. Ugh. And it's HEAVY! Oh my. If I were in pads I'd be a MESS! sorry if that's TMI.

But this whole situation just showed me that I was right in telling DH I want to wait a while before him getting the V. And in some crazy way, it makes me want #4 and want to do it now, since I'm used to the baby thing and we're already in that mode. but in the same sense the timing isn't great and I probably wouldn't be able to get preg. for a while anyway. Esp. since we DTD at ALL the "right" times this cycle and nothing happened. And I had to have ovulated if I got all those feelings. Anyway... "our bodies are marvelous things" or something..... ugh.... they sure give us plenty to worry about, right?!

lmk what happens w/ you!

[twilight girl]

Blood is drawn ... results tomorrow morning. Might as well have some company while I wait

[twilight girl]

EmmaJean,

*whew* It was an evap/false positive. I just got my bloodwork back and it was 0.00!!!

I am so unbelievable relieved ... practically dialing the urologist as I type to schedule DH's vasectomy. This little scare really solidified for me that we are finished!

Good luck to you, and keep me posted with any new developments!!

[EmmaJean]

yay! what a relief for you! did dh know about any of this drama?? So interesting that our little scares had opposite effects on us!

[BUNGALOW10]

You guys both have very similiar experiences to me... but I don't know the outcome yet. DS is 11 months old, still nursing, but I've been having achy feelings, heartburn, a little acne, tired, hungry, my son is unhappy with my milk... so far I took a test and it is negative.

Maybe this is just the way it is when AF comes back?

[januarymama]

I'm glad to see this thread - I'm 7 mos pp, EBF my DS, and no AF yet, but every once in a while I have weird nausea and cramps that send me into a tizzy thinking I might be pg. (And then I test, test, and test again just to be sure - we want another LO, but not for a few years!) Maybe bungalow10's right and this is what happens when AF returns? Sure does make me nervous.

[zjande]

Haha, I shouldn't be surprised that there's already a thread going on this very topic on my mind. I could have written most of what you all have/are experiencing. Eight mos PP, no AF, weird symptoms that very well could be my fertility hormones working their way back.... but here I am lurking in the fertility forums. LOL I've been having the weirdo physical feelings for several days but keep pushing them from my mind. I'm sure it's my hormones being crazy because I do this after *every* baby! I get so paranoid during the time before my first AF returns. My PMS before my first PP AF lasts F . o . r. e. V. e. R . But anyway, just today I decided I'm going to take a trip to the Dollar Store for some tests just to put my paranoid brain to rest.

[twilight girl]

But did you all look at my "put my mind at ease" test? It was totally positive, but I had a zero beta.

False positive I guess ... Here's hoping that doesn't happen to anyone else!!!!

[januarymama]

LOL. Yeah, I hate the tests with lines. I had a very not reassuring moment with a false positive and an absolutely zero beta when DS was just 3 months old. From now on, I just get the digital if I'm really worried. It's worth the money to put my mind at ease.

[miss_nikki]

Originally Posted by twilight girl

Uy, congratulating us for what ... ending up in a situation we both very much said we didn't want for us?

Criminy, we didn't even have the satisfaction of DTD with wanton abandon. We haven't "consummated" since DS was born ... only pull out, and other forms of mutual satisfaction ... How can this be? I thought there was only a 3% chance of getting pg while breastfeeding and before AF returned!?!?!

If we're not even "following through" the few times we actually have vag. intercourse, wouldn't that reduce the risk to practically ZERO?

Oh, man, my DH needs a vasectomy!

Haven't read past this but had to say DS was a pull out method baby. I wasn't bfing at the time, but I wanted to let you know that yes it really does happen.You can get pg without "following through"

[EmmaJean]

well, I'm the OP, and I'm pregnant! two AFs, I'm late, and boom, total shock! and i was just about to go get on the pill! lol and that's mostly b/c we wanted to be more careful b/c we're moving again next summer and didn't want to stress over a baby like w/ #3--oh well! God had different plans!

so what does "Beta" mean? is that the blood test? i went to the doc on wed and did a urine test (i wimped out on choosing the blood) and it came back as inconclusive..... weird! so i bought the digital ones and it said "pregnant"--big letters that I couldn't deny. The tests I did the day before were faint lines. So my advice to anybody is to got straight for the digital ones!!! They were only $12 for 2 at Target, and I think that's what I paid for the others at the drug store. I thought they were like $25! Anyway..... that's my story. Still trying to wrap my head around it......

OK all that to say--should I go in for the blood test tomorrow?? Is it worth my time?? Is that what the beta is??

[La Rune]

Wow, EmmaJean!

Yeah, the beta is the blood test. That'll tell you your numbers if you want to know them.

I thought I would check this thread out because I'm BFing (EBF, actually, DD is only 5mo!) and about 2 weeks ago I had a weird heavy crampy feeling. Then a few days ago ... hello period! So not fair. I thought I had a few more months at least.

[Dov'sMom]

When DS 1 was 6 mo (and EBF), my period was late and I wondered if I was pg. Took a couple of tests (the $.20 kind -- had 10 that were expiring that month), both negative. Figured okay, it's just because I'm not settled yet. Then I started bleeding, said ok, a period! But the bleeding wasn't normal -- one day heavy bleeding, one day spotting, next day heavy. Took another test - negative. Waited a week. STILL bleeding. Another test -- negative. Figured maybe it was an early miscarriage? Bled for 12 days, bleeding stopped, another negative test. Two days later I had a sudden rush of blood that made me suspicious again, and after all my last few PG tests were expiring that week, so I did another. POSITIVE! At a minimum, that was two weeks after implantation -- it should have been positive long before then.

Is it possible the breastfeeding suppressed the HcG? Either way, I now have a beautiful 9 month old and am POAS every couple of weeks in the (so far) vain hope that we might get PG again even though I don't have my period back and I'm nursing a normal-intensity 9-mo and a 23-mo who thinks he's a newborn (in terms of how often he nurses, anyway).

[sbilady]

Originally Posted by Dov'sMom

When DS 1 was 6 mo (and EBF), my period was late and I wondered if I was pg. Took a couple of tests (the $.20 kind -- had 10 that were expiring that month), both negative. Figured okay, it's just because I'm not settled yet. Then I started bleeding, said ok, a period! But the bleeding wasn't normal -- one day heavy bleeding, one day spotting, next day heavy. Took another test - negative. Waited a week. STILL bleeding. Another test -- negative. Figured maybe it was an early miscarriage? Bled for 12 days, bleeding stopped, another negative test. Two days later I had a sudden rush of blood that made me suspicious again, and after all my last few PG tests were expiring that week, so I did another. POSITIVE! At a minimum, that was two weeks after implantation -- it should have been positive long before then.

Is it possible the breastfeeding suppressed the HcG? Either way, I now have a beautiful 9 month old and am POAS every couple of weeks in the (so far) vain hope that we might get PG again even though I don't have my period back and I'm nursing a normal-intensity 9-mo and a 23-mo who thinks he's a newborn (in terms of how often he nurses, anyway).

I don't think the BF has anything to do with it. Your story sounds exactly like some women's experiences (and their female family members) over on an old thread on pregnancy-info. I noticed a distinct correlation of women who were still bleeding, having pregnancy symptoms, but the tests were all negative (even the blood). They tests were eventually positive, but it was like 8-12 weeks into it when they got a positive.