TTC While Breastfeeding

Hi there,
Maybe Im a little premature in asking this information, but due to my age, my DP and I would love to have another bub quite quickly after having this bub.
The problem I have with falling pregnant again, is that when Im breastfeeding this tends to delay ovulation and therefore I cannot fall pg again for some time. My longest time between having bub and my AF arriving was 14 months! This was great, but in this case where I will want to fall pg quite soon after, I was wondering if there is a way around this?
I know if I didnt breastfeed then I am sure I would ovulate sooner, but I just feel that it is better to give the bub the milk that nature provided.
Hope no one thinks Im being rediculous or greedy perhaps, I just wanted to give DP his wish of having another bub. Oh and another thing, because it took us 2 years basically to conceive this little one, I think that perhaps there is something that we may need to do anyway as I have never used contraception when I have DTD with DP and he has never had any children before and he is 28....so maybe we will have to see a professional or something to help us out here.

Hi LJ268,
I totally understand what you mean. I still struggling to conceive #1 and I am wondering how long it will take to conceive #2 if I am lucky enough to be able to. It seems a bit like putting the horse before the cart but a reasonable question if you really want more babies and it's hard not to wonder.
A good friend told me recently when we were chatting about this subject that once baby starts taking some solids at 6 months or so you suddenly are much more fertile even if you dont get AF, she said there is meant to be a surge of fertility!!!! I am not sure if thats right or not, she read it somewhere I guess, but I think it sound pretty good to me:). Hope that helps.

Hi lj268,

No harm in being prepared.

I have just weaned DS at 14 months because we wanted to TTC. Yes, I feel a bit guilty about it but I simply did not get AF while breastfeeding more than twice a day and I didn't want the complication of breastfeeding while TTC because my cycles are screwy enough!!!!. This is my first cycle without breastfeeding at all.

If I were in your shoes, I would breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months and then take it from there. There is an article on AustralianDoctor.com.au (sorry can't post links), that GPs should be advising women should to wait 6 months postpartum before TTC due to increased risks of complicated pregnancies and births, so you'd probably be advised to wait this time anyway. Your body needs some time to recover.

Don't know if there is anyway around the ovulation problem and breastfeeding if you are sensitive to the breastfeeding hormones. If I were you I'd be seeking medical advice ASAP after having bubs if not before, especially as it took 2 years to concieve this one.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.
TICKLISH

Hey lj268,

I'm so glad you asked the question because i have been thinking the same thing. Due to HUGE problems i have had with AF's, i was advised to try and fall pg again as soon as possible because my body can't cop with such bad AF's and the fact i have cronhes (Way too much blood loss) Our little lady is almost 8 months and i'd like to keep BF her as long as possible. She went on to solids a coule of months ago and i could feel my body change. My hormones went crazy to the point where i thought i might have been pg again, but no... So i'm guessing that i might be able to TTC now!!!
We just need to keep in mind that you can fall PG while BF!! if you couldn't i wouldn't be here!!! WTMI from my mother ;)

Good luck and i look forward to your announcement post
Lele x

Well after me being so interested in finding out how I could possibly fall pg soon after having bub, it seems that perhaps I was a little too premature as I m/c'd not long after posting this!
Anyway, back to DTD and hoping with everything crossed that I may soon become pg again and this time it sticks so I can once again experience the wonderment of nature....

Sorry to hear about your loss lj268. Been through it myself.
Look after yourself.
TICKLISH

Thanks Ticklish,

I too am sorry to hear about your loss, but apparently these things happen for a reason! Not quite sure what that reason is, but it just seems to?

Thanks for your reply and all the best.