BF'ing and TTC - any tricks?

Hiya - I am currently BF'ing as required ( on demand just sounds unpleasant) for my 6 month old. I know that lactation affects the hormones that cause ovulation, and it seems to be the case for me.

Just wondering if anyone has any tricks for how to still BF but do things that will promote ovulation - maybe TCM, accupuncture? Just hoping for some ideas. I am super keen to TTC again, but I don't want to put our BF relationship at risk either, and that is the relationship that will come first until self weaning....


Thanks for reading and replying.

Do you have AF back dory?? I'm not sure there's anything you can do if you don't other than cutting down feeds which it sounds like you don't want to do. I fed DD1 on demand too and didn't get AF back until she was 14 months I think. But then I got pregnant first cycle after that :)

Acupuncture could help, it helped me get pregnant with DD1! Good luck!!

Acupuncture helped me get my cycle back. Well what I should say - I had one period, one session of acupuncture, no period when it was due, another session, a period, a session, pregnant. So I think the acupuncture helped regulate it - I think I'd already started having periods...

thanks for the replies and so quickly I think I will try accup****ure.... no cycle yet.. keep hoping to catch that egg before I get AF... wishful thinking.

umm.. why did it edit acupuncture? LOL I think your letters got mixed around!

I know what you mean dory! I haven't had af yet this time... And I half keep hoping I've just gotten lucky... but then I smack myself upside the head and go "don't be ridiculous, you've got enough on your plate as it is!" ;)

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umm.. why did it edit acupuncture? LOL I think your letters got mixed around!

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:rofl:

Must have ... hehe....

Have you looked into billings? it can help you identify the return of your fertility. I've read that the earlier it is, the more likely it is you'll have a 'warning' af before you resume ovulating. Usually mums need to cut back a fair bit to get af back... though of course it varies a great deal.

Australian Breastfeeding Association - Breastfeeding Through Pregnancy and Beyond

we had a talk at our ABA meeting on this last week! Breastfeeding, fertility and pregnancy.

Generally speaking after 6 mths, breastfeeding becomes less affective as a contraception. If AF hasn't returned, I guess you can just moniter your CM. Kelly wrote an article on this: Cervical Mucus, Ovulation and Your Fertile Period.

Hey Dory,
I was like you, and in fact am still breastfeeding DD at nearly 3. My AF didn't come back til around 16 months after I had her, but then once it was back I fell pg straight away, and was able to keep bfing throughout the pregnancy. In fact taking maxalon for really bad nausea and vomiting actually helped increase my supply whilst I was taking it. In saying that a girl in my mother's group got her AF after a month and she was bfing. so when it's ready your body will let you fall pg again. Until then I guess just enjoy the feeding with your beautiful little girl... but I know what you mean when you say you are ready now. Sometimes I think it's natures way of letting our bodies recuperate etc after the demands of pg.
Good Luck.

Hi Dory :)

I 'heard' you need to go pretty consistently >6 hours between feeds before AF will return. I don't know if there is any truth to that but it kind of makes sense to me.

xx

Hi Dory! I'm having the same issues, and my DD is nearly 11 months now. I'm going through HPTs and HOKs like its going out of fashion, and still no luck! Guess I will just have to wait til first AF and then I will know for sure... now just wondering when it will show its ugly head! Never thought I would be wanting AF to come back ahaha

When I was TTC my second I was still BF DS. I had AF back but the LP was all wonky from the feeding. I ended up using Vitex to help regulate my cycle. I don't know if I would do that with such a young bub though because it can dry up the milk supply. My DS was older (over a year) and I wasn't too fussed if he stopped.
This time round I was still BF, had the wonky LP again and thought I was reasonably safe. Then I cut out night feeds and a month later was staring at an unexpected BFP.
Apparently the BF method of contraception isn't as reliable if you are not feeding overnight.

Tubbles - LOl indeed, hope you get a O surge and then a BFP soon!

Artechim - hmm, still night feeding here, usually only once but for the past week it's been more than that as HB has been sick. :( Congrats too on your sneaky bfp.... a september bubs - actually WOW, you have two september bubs already - that is amazing, and 2 years apart. Here's a quick question - how did you stop the night needs? It's just such an easy way to sooth a baby, and she eats like a someone possessed during the night, so I am thinking she needs it. But I have been wondering how to cut them out? Spose I could express during the day and use EBM at night?

It's tricky to cut night feeds this early, I reckon. Most babies still need to feed during the night and, as you say, it's certainly a lot easier for you to just feed rather than using a bottle. I guess you could try that though. Or would you feel ok about waiting a few more months and seeing where you are then?

dory, I'm probably just going to say what I said somewhere else - but I reckon just enjoy your time with HB. AF will return (I was feeding only x1/day and had to have mine triggered though, everyone's different) and pg will follow that, but nothing can replace the beautiful time with HB :) I think DS gave up his night feeds not long after 6 months - I expected AF to come back then!

You could wind up like a woman in my mothers' group - while training to be a midwife, she was like, there's something wrong with my tummy. I'm bf-ing a 5 month old, No AF back... what's going on? She talked her GP (who said her belly felt normal) into letting her have an ultrasound, only to find out she was 21 weeks pg! Made us all laugh after we got over the shock!! GP - feels normal. for goodness sake - maybe normal if you have a massive uterus with a BABY in there!!

I have been told of stories where mum's had stopped bfing all together and AF didn't return until 6 months later!! Everyone is different, and apparently we just have to wait for our hormone levels to drop to start ovulating again, and that could happen at any time.
Not really the news I wanted to hear, but I guess I will just have to wait til it can happen.

Mad B - I know... think I'll just tough it out.... I was just thinking aloud.

WBM - For a while I was so desperate to be UTD again, that I considered stopping BF'ing..... but then like you said, this is a pretty precious time and so I decided to enjoy it. It is so precious.

Doesn't mean I don't want to TTC though... how did you have yours triggered? Just curious.

And OMG - in a way that is like a dream for me to get to 21 weeks pregnant and find out ( only cause then the time to worry is less) but in reality I am a super early tester and wouldn't have it any other way. Feels normal, a 21 weeker is a decent size, plus the placenta and amniotic fluid.... blimey. Luckily it wasn't a cyst or cancer... feels normal. Luckily she wasn't sent for an x ray or something. And by 21 weeks there would be no HCG... but presumably you could still tell by a BT?

Tubbles - everyone is so different with this stuff. And waiting that long for AF is NOT something I want to do.... Yikes! My little eggies are not getting any younger..... can anyone hear the tick tock of my biological clock? LOL.

But the other thing I have to balance is any future pregnancies will have the same precautions that I had for HB and I am fast realising, being on "rest" will be very much different and harder to do with HB around.

One of the ladies in one of the threads has a 3 month old and has just gotten another BFP. She's happy, but a bit blown away. My obs says though he has a surprising number of women come in for the 6 week check already UTD.

Anyway,better go. Love your thoughts, and I appreciate that you share them with me.

lol - I can't imagine being utd at 6weeks post partum!!

I went to my naturopath and she started me on vitex (I'm pretty sure that's all I took at that stage), two weeks later I'm fairly sure I ovulated, two weeks later first AF came. It's 100% safe with bf. AF came not much before DS gave up bf, but he'd gone down to one feed and I think supply was an issue at least on one side. Can't say AF returning made him give up, but it may have been a factor. My naturopath was very keen to trigger without stopping bf though - doctors said to give up (um, no) - so might be a way to find some more info unless your doctor is happy to help while maintaining bf.

My friend who found out she was pg realised then that's why her DD gave up bf - she wanted to feed for AGES but DD rejected her around 3 months - which is about when she was pg but didn't know it. DD2 she's still bf-ing and loving it. Oh and she felt a little cheated by "missing" the first half of the pg. And foolish that as a training midwife she didn't know!

One of my friends was on bedrest for part of this pregnancy, we all rallied around to look after her 18 month old DS and cook meals etc. It is possible, but yes, much more difficult!

Enjoy every minute with HB - she is so precious! I hope a bfp comes for you soon, a wonderful Mummy deserves lots of babies! In the long run though, when we had our loss (took ages to get DS), DH and I decided that whatever happened, we were blessed just to have him :)

Yeah I was going to suggest vitex also, worked brilliantly to start my cycle back up after 11 years on the pill and 8 months of no AF. It's safe to take while feeding but I suggest you see a naturopath to have it prescribed in the correct dosage and at the right times. Good luck!!