Breastfeeding and Ovulation????

[misty]

Is there anyway you can kickstart ovulation whilst breastfeeding? Or do you just have to wait for it to happen / weaning to occur?

I have never started ovulating until 12 month after each of my kids, and although my current baby is 8mths now, I am breasfeeding almost solely (she has barely any interest in food) and very often (never more then 2 hrs between feeds, often less). Needless to say, I am not showing any signs of ovulating anytime soon. I am no inclined to wean or to cut down on breastfeeding in order to start ovulating, at this stage. But I was wondering if there were some other way to overcome this and start ovulating, or if I am just going to have to wait it out?

I uderstand it is the prolactin levels that causes this lack of ovulation while breastfeeding, is there anything you can (safely) take or do whilst still breastfeeding to combat this?

[onthefly]

no, I don't think so But good luck with it

[juniper76]

To the best of my knowledge you have to wait it out.

[OceanPrincess]

Sorry, probably not what you want to hear, just gotta wait or wean. If you don't want to wean, wait it is.

[misty]

sigh. thought that was probably the case. Oh well, it's really not all that long in the scheme of things.

[~TT40~]

is there some plans you aren't completely sharing with us Misty =P

hope you start spitting out eggs soon =)

[HomeStyleMumma]

I know you said you didn't want to wean yet which is undetstandable, but if you are still night feeding stopping or cutting back on just that apparently usually works for most women. Going any longer than 5hrs between feeds is said to work. Seemed to be fairly accurate for me as ds1 was sleeping through at 6wks & I was pg again when he was 4 1/2mths! Personally it seems to take around 3mths from baby sleeping through to ovulate again. Hope that helps.

[misty]

unfortunately she still feeds between 4 - 8 times each night!
I wouldn't mind cutting the nightfeeds, but it is the easiest and quickest way to get her to settle so I can get some sleep!

[Cranky Kitten]

I understand the frustration - I'd like to be ovulating again too But alas for me, my body doesn't seem to want to come to the party despite DS usually not feeding all that much over night.

[HomeStyleMumma]

LOL I totally understand about the night feeds- atm all 6 of us are sleeping within a few metres of each other so everytime de makes a noise I have to jump up and grab him to put a boob in his mouth before everyone else gets woken up haha! Got to the point a while ago I was getting terrible migraines from having him snuggled next to me half the night... But he's sleeping all night or just one feed now so it really will get better

[juniper76]

I know you said you didn't want to wean yet which is undetstandable, but if you are still night feeding stopping or cutting back on just that apparently usually works for most women. Going any longer than 5hrs between feeds is said to work. Seemed to be fairly accurate for me as ds1 was sleeping through at 6wks & I was pg again when he was 4 1/2mths! Personally it seems to take around 3mths from baby sleeping through to ovulate again. Hope that helps.

That didn't work for me. DD started sleeping through the night (10+ hours) at 10 weeks and AF didn't return until 5 months. However, I think it was when she started spacing out her day feeds (3 hourly instead of 1-2 hourly) at 4 months that my fertility returned.

The problem is, it varies greatly from one woman to the next. Some have to wean completely to have AF return and others will get AF in spite of feeding around the clock. Since you've done it before, you should have a reasonable idea of what to expect from your body.

[~ Mylitta ~]

Fingers crossed that things start "working" again for you soon.

It can definitely differ after one child and the next, so hopefully this time it will come back quicker for you. AF returned after about 9-10 months for me after my first bub while he was still breastfeeding around the clock. Then after my second was born I was breastfeeding both of them so assumed it would take longer for AF to arrive. Well, 17 months later and I haven't had an AF yet... I have had another baby though, LOL! Turns out I must have ovulated when DD was 4-5 months old and we conceived a surprise baby before AF got a chance to show her face Hmmm, breastfeeding three kids now so it'll be interesting to see how long before AF comes back this time...