Anyone TTC while Bfing

[Eman'smom]

I just wanted to know if I'm the only one and what I could expect. I had no problem getting pregnant with Ds, who is now 19 months, and nurses between 3-5 (somedays 10) times a day.

My lutent phase isn't 14 days, does this mean there is no chance or are we going to have to try a little harder. I wasn't charting with ds so I don't know if that's normal for me or not.

[Shakti]

We are! My daughter is 21 months old and still nursing. I am 45 next week and we really want another kiddo so we night weaned about a month ago to try to get my ovulation going again. I was having very regular cycles, but that does not mean that I was ovulating. My temps after Oing, or when I should have O'd were all over the place, but I still had my period 11 or 12 days later. I think night weaning has made a huge difference in my ovulation! Just after night weaning, my luteal phase temps stayed up, and again this month.

Night weaning may or may not help you, though. In my case, I was not Oing very efficiently even 3 years ago when trying to get pregnant, and we had to do Clomid. We got pregnant on just one round.

Are you charting your temps now? If not I would recommend it. You didn't say how long your luteal phase is, only that it is not 14 days. How do you know when you O?

Patti

[MaWhit]

I think as long as your luteal phase is at least 10 days, you should be okay. Maybe someone else knows better.

I too am TTC while. I am nursing my 8-month-old son. I only just started charting this month and as of CD19, I still have not o-ed. I have started taking evening primrose oil today (which I've heard helps bring on O while bf-ing).

Good luck to you.

[1jooj]

I'm TTC--but I don't do any of the science stuff, and I am starting to think maybe I should. Ds is now 18 months and bfs I'd say 4-6 times a day most days.
I've had regular 27-day cycles for the last 4 months, in fact, and this month my AF is now 5 days late (no + :( ). What's going on here??
Ds was conceived in my 3rd month off bc...I'm 29, and I have had my period back for 6 months now. It's kind of discouraging, and when you "know" full weaning would up your chances...well, at least for me, it sometimes makes me feel ambivalent.

[Sahara]

DS is 20 months and he is nursing 4-5 times a day. We got pg on the first try with him, and have been trying for 6 months. Last month was the first LP I've had that was over 9 days long. For me it's been frustrating because I thought when AF returned, fertility would too, but it seems like it's taking awhile for my body to get back to normal.

UmNuh, it could be that you ovulated later in your cycle, sometimes when DS nurses frequently for a day or two it will make me ovulate later. Which makes AF seem late if you don't know when you ovulated.

Good luck everybody!!

[chrissy]

I'm nursing my 1 year old and will be starting ttc our second as soon as I start to ovulate again. I still haven't even have a period, though. I'm going to start charting as soon as I do. I am so impatient but I am determined to not wean to try to bring my fertility back. However, I am only 28 so I have the age factor more on my side.

Here's hoping for eggs (and then babies) for us all!

[seagan]

We're on a break from TTC'ing after a miscarriage last month (I was 9 weeks along, ugh it still makes me so sad to say that). Anyway, DS is 28 months and we're still breastfeeding, about 2-3x times a day, typically in the early AM and to go to sleep at night, and occasionally when we reunite after being apart because of work/daycare (oh, and on the weekends maybe 1-2 times more, before naps).

Our hope is to start TTC again in a couple of months, and in the meantime try to wean DS very gradually and very gently, though I'm not willing to push it if he seems upset by it.

My motivation for weaning is manifold, but also ambivalent; I so wanted to do child-led weaning, and I know DS gets so much comfort and closeness from it (as do I!), particularly since I work full-time now and we're separated for such long stretches during the day. But I also sense he's at a good point for a gradual weaning, and I also have an intuitive sense that I need to wean fully in order to maintain a pregnancy. I try not to "blame" the breastfeeding for the miscarriage, and deep down I don't -- it's more that my gut is telling me it will best to have as few sources of worry as possible, and if I'm breastfeeding I'll worry about it, particularly since I know this next pregnancy will be filled with anxiety now.

That said, I'm willing to face those fears if the weaning doesn't "take"; if DS seems to still need nursing, I'm unwilling to push it. We'll just try again, and cross our fingers.

In the meantime, I'm cheering for all of you -- I love seeing breastfeeding moms able to get preggers and bear healthy babies! It can happen, it can happen!

darcy

[seagan]

Re-reading my post, I realize it might frighten someone trying to TTC while breastfeeding, and I certainly don't want to scare anyone, or even make them worry! I was just relating my own, very personal and intuitive read on our individual experience, and should add that I know MANY women who've had wonderful pregnancies and babies while breastfeeding (and going on to tandem or even triple nurse!).

Also, I wanted to add that another key reason I'm interested in trying to wean comes from how exhausted I was during the pregnancy this time around -- it just felt like too much (for this old bod, that is!) to work fulltime, breastfeed, deal with nightwaking, and be pregnant all that the same time, and if I can eliminate even one of those factors the next time around, I'd be in much
better shape.

And, like Columbo, one other thing: it only took us two months to get pregnant -- a positive thing to report!

Good luck again, everybody!

darcy

[stafl]

I'm breastfeeding my 18 month old DD between 4-10 times per day, though I think she only nurses nutritively maybe 2 or 3 times each day. She started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks, so that had no impact on my fertility whatsoever. I've had three periods, but only ovulated this last cycle (and had a 16 day LP). It's different for each woman, though.

UmmNuh, it might help to get Toni Weschler's book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Charting has given me a feeling of empowerment and I haven't been obsessing near as much as I did when ttc #1. Plus I have irregular cycles, so it's not so hard on me when AF is late, because I know when or if I even ovulated.

[zac'smom]

I'm still breastfeeding my 26 mo old and wishing TTC#2 for a while. Got my period today first since he was born!!! Helped along with Provera, I am hoping with lots of help (herbals, accupuncture etc) that this months I will O.

Good luck every one

[Eman'smom]

I do get a raised temp, and it stays raised however it lasts about 10-12 days. Hopefully that will be enough, we'll know next week :p

[snuffles]

I'm not really TTC yet, but i am tandem nursing my 23 mo and 8 mo and I've really got the baby fever. I haven't had a period yet, I think it may be a sign my fertility is returning?? We'll see. Right now DH doesn't want to try for another (he wants to wait a few years) and I did too until recently I've had dreams about being pg, and I miss it so much!! I was reading in a book that this is a sign of rising estrogen levels. My cervical mucus tho is really greasy like and not abundant, so not sure if I'm fertile or not. Meanwhile we are still using condoms but I am hoping that I can convince DH not to use them anymore..

Mel

[chrissy]

Mel, I agree with you that "baby fever" is a sign of returing fertility. My son is 1 and, though I still haven't had a period, I really believe it's coming. Within the past month I developed a serious case of "baby fever," have had lots and lots more cm, and have felt a lot more lovey with my husband. This has got to be a sign that something hormonal is going on in there.

Eman'smom, keep us posted! I so hope you are pregnant!

So is bf'ing dangerous to a pregnancy? I guess I just believed that once you started ovulating again, you'd be all set. Wrong?

[snuffles]

lawy--- no i dont think breastfeeding is dangerous during pregnancy. i nursed my second child all throughout my 3rd pregnancy (the 2nd child was only 5 1/2 months old when i got pg) and had no problems whatsoever.

in fact my obgyn's office told me it was dangerous and that i should stop, i called a lactation consultant who told me to keep nursing unless i had a history of preterm labor or recurrent miscarriages (i did have 1 miscarriage in the past). so unless you have these risk factors, keep on nursing!

Mel

[jenniferB]

UmmNuh, my situation sounds similar to yours. i've had 2 periods so far since dd was born. She's 14 months now. we started ttc right after the second af because the second af came on cd26 which is my normal cycle length. However now it's cd37 and no af. (at cd29 i tested neg.)

i'm bfing 3-4x day and all night.

i refuse to test again because i like the feeling of "maybe..." better than waiting for my cycles to become normal.

the only symptom i have is that i can eat chocolate like there is no tomorrow and my face doesn't break out. maybe that's more of a indication that i'm not o'ing????

QUESTION
has anyone successfuly charted while night-nursing? dd stirs'n'slurps about every 2-3 hours.

[1jooj]

Suspiciously familiar, JenniferB...;)

I've had regular periods, though, for about 4 cycles, after 3 loooong cycles. I, too, tested neg around day 29. I got my period pimples around my expected AF time. They have since cleared up. Now I'm a week late for AF, and still no indications either way. And my ds seems to night nurse the same as your babe. Oh well. Have to just wait and see.

[Eman'smom]

Can you take temps while night nursing (sorry I can't quote) well I did. We night weaned ds at 15 months, I couldn't keep waking up and I can't sleep through nursing. Anyway, even though Af returned when he was 7 months those months from 7-12 were pretty strange. There was a "pattern" but not anything that I'd call fertile, I think that just meant that I wasn't O'ing.


My CNM actually is encouraging me to keep nursing, there is no reason to stop unless you have a medical problem.

[Shanghaimum]

We are trying too... my ds is 14 months old and AF still hasn't come for a visit... ugh. It is stressful. We nightweaned two months ago (ds doesn't nurse between 830 pm and 4:30 am), but still nurses 6-8 times a day (sometimes more - every hour). For the past two weeks I have started "Don't offer, don't refuse". So far it has made no real difference. I am 31 and it took almost 4 years to get pregnant with ds.
I love nursing ds, but I do want to get pregnant.

From reading your posts, I feel a bit more positive. I am going to start charting.

Baby dust to everyone!

Emma

[theedswife]

Me, too! I'm still bf'ing 14 month old DS on average 4-6 times a day and, like Jennifer, *all night long*!!
I have been charting since 6 months; have yet to O.:crying but....I can't bring myself to wean DS, so guess I'll just have to hang on...
I'm 37, so I don't really have time on my side;)
**************
***baby dust*** to everyone!!!
**************

--Jenn

[irksten]

I have thrown my thermometer out the window until I can sleep in longer stretches. My 2 y.o. dd wakes up at different times and it is too hard to explain that I need to take my temp.

Good luck, Kirsten

[Sahara]

I've been pretty lucky with charting and night-nursing. If I get 3 hours of sleep and take my temp between 5 and 7 it is pretty reliable.
I do the 'don't offer, don't refuse' too, but DS is a little older (20 months) and nursing 4-6 times day/night. I feel bad because as soon as I know I've ovulated, I start trying to wean a little bit, mostly the pre/post nap nursings.
I'm 31, too, and I was kind of hoping to be pregnant by now. Ah well, when he's ready to let go enough I guess it will happen.

[Shanghaimum]

I am feeling quite frustrated. DS is now 14.5 months and AF still hasn't appeared. Until a few months ago he nurses hourly day and night. For the past couple of months he hasn't nursed at nighttime. For the past two weeks he has nursed less frequently - only 5-6 times a day. Still no AF.

Frustrated

Emma

edited to add - is it worth charting if AF hasn't visited?

Babydust to all

[Sahara]

Hey Emma! Don't get down, it will happen. I got my first cycle when DS was 15 months old, and it lasted 56 days. I've had 4 cycles since then, and they are just now getting to be somewhat normal. I started charting the first day of AF, it still didn't make much sense for the first 40 days or so, but I did it anyways.

[Shanghaimum]

Thanks Sahara ...

[stafl]

Emma, how good an idea it is to chart yet or not depends on how much you can handle a crazy chart that doesn't make any sense without obsessing over each and every temp spike and patch of cm! If you can look at it as practice for when your fertility returns, go for it!

[Shanghaimum]

I think maybe I will just start charting - look at it like practising. If it seems like it is driving me crazy (more so than I already am...) , then I'll stop.

THanks

Emma

[Wooby]

I am bf my 17 month old 4-6 to 12 times a day:D and 2-3 times at night. We got pregnant this summer on the first try but sadly lost that baby. Now TTC again. I also have a bit of trouble with temp taking. It is hard to sit still for a whole minute when we all wake up. DD wants to get out of bed and play! Last month, my babe used the thermometer as a "screwdriver" and popped the top off! So goes it in toddlerhood! Best of luck to us all!