Can you tell when your cycle is returning while bfing?

I kinda know what the answer is here, but I'm hoping to be wrong. ;)

Can you tell when your cycle is returning while you're bfing by CM or other symptoms? So before AF?

We've made the decision to not use hormonal contraceptives and neither of us are fans of condoms, but that's what we've got. Closer to DD2's birth we figured we were fine (so far, so good), so we're trusting my ability to know my body. DD2 is still bfing a couple of times overnight and I am not getting any signs of fertility, but then again, I don't want my first sign to be two lines on a pg test just yet!

Complicating the issue is the fact I would love another baby in a couple of years, DP not so much. Or at all. He knows we're taking a chance now, but at least he can hardly blame me. ;)

So did you know before AF? And how old was your bub?

(I had a Mirena after DD1, which worked fine, but not in the market for any contraceptive use for me any more).

Hi J,
Tmi ahead!!
Sorry no help with your question but a contraception suggestion. We used a diaphragm and love it. Doesn't change how things feel and has the same level of contraceptive protection as condoms. Had to get fitted for it but haven't looked back. Might be a good solution to nor liking condoms while giving you some control over fertility.
:-)

im curious too. not that we have to worry about it. but it would be nice to know.
but i have no answers jen =)

sent via my vortex manipulator!

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I am not getting any signs of fertility, but then again, I don't want my first sign to be two lines on a pg test just yet!

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Iz was still feeding heaps during the day and overnight and I fell pg with J with no symptoms at all! So my answer would be no I wouldn't be using signs as a clue to when it might return, unless you want a wee surprise like we did :rofl: Some people may get symptoms I guess but you may not ITMS!?

I had no idea after ds1... Well in all honestly I think I did but talked myself out of it because he was still SO YOUNG! So after the other three I keep a closer eye on it all. Cm will give an idea that things are gearing up so to speak but once I get that first suggestion I try track cp and bbt as well so I have a better idea :)

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Hi J,
Tmi ahead!!
Sorry no help with your question but a contraception suggestion. We used a diaphragm and love it. Doesn't change how things feel and has the same level of contraceptive protection as condoms. Had to get fitted for it but haven't looked back. Might be a good solution to nor liking condoms while giving you some control over fertility.
:-)

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I have a little sister thanks to my Mum's use of a diaphragm, but might investigate this one anyway! ;)

Thanks girls. Might be about time to stop tempting fate.

Oh and PS please don't take the age gaps to mean awareness doesn't work because we never used it as a form of contraception just more so I would have an idea of when to expect af or know when to date any potential pg from :D

My short answer is naffed if I know!

I have the opposite problem, I want my fertility to come back as we're wanting another baby - had one ultra short period about 6 weeks ago and nothing since, but POAS says neg still. CM is all over the place and there's no real signs of whether I'm fertile or not, so I wouldn't chance it to be honest if you're definitely not ready for another pregnancy.

i thought it might be coming back, and it was. clearly tandem feeding and with not more than a 3 hour gap between feeds is not enough to keep AF away.

AF came back at 4 months pp after DD, 6 months pp this time.

i don't know what contraceptive i am going to use but prob should sort something out, eh?

Only if you want to, Hot1. ;) Or we could both jump right back into the HBing discussion!

I could tell both times because I got ewcm again :)

Both girls were around 14 months when AF came back.

Nope I couldn't tell. I had lots of phases of Oish like signs for months before I actually got AF so it was impossible to tell which one of those times was the real thing.

I just had my first af since having DS2 and I had no signs at all

I had no idea AF was on her way with either of my girls. It returned around 11 months with DD1 and at 7 months with DD2. Both were/are BF, DD2 exclusively. I had EWCM return early on with both girls but that was the only sign my cycles were kinda happening again.

I get tender nipples when I ovulate. Thats how I knew what was coming.

I had a huge indicator that my cycle had returned while breastfeeding DD1 - a positive pregnancy test. I was feeding full time and DD1 was only 10 weeks old when my cycle kickstarted.

With DD2 my cycle didn't return until I stopped feeding her at about 5 months, despite me having gone on the mini pill (which I hated)

I flat out refuse to take any form of oral contraception anymore so this time around we're not taking any chances - DH is booked in for the snip and until then he is gazing at me longingly from across the bedroom ;-)

I was charting my CM for a while and eventually fertile CM appeared and several days later AF arrived.... This happened after two babies... So my answer is yes you can tell if you keep checking.

Before having kids I used to have rather painful ovulation pain that was strong enough that I knew what side I had ovulated from. Since having kids though I haven't really felt that pain noticeably. My cycle resumed after 9ish months after my DS was born and at the time I was still breastfeeding him around the clock.

After my daughter was born I assumed that seeing as I was now breastfeeding two kids around the clock it would take longer for my cycle to come back. We certainly thought it would at least take as long as after my son.

The first sign of my cycle returning was two VERY dark lines on a pregnancy test, lol! Turns out I have a sneaky egg break free from my ovary when my DD was about 4-5 months old right around the one and only time we DTD that month as I was ill. I had absolutely no inkling that I might have been about to ovulate, and didn't feel any ovulation pain. We were totally shocked when the pregnancy test came up positive and only took the test partly as a joke after I had felt a bit nauseous for 3-4 days in a row.

The first time I wasn't really paying attention as I wasn't having sex so there was no real need to know but looking back it made sense cemented by the fact my Mum's cycle returned at a similar time (6months and there is 15months between me and my brother). The second time I was caught completely off guard when it showed up 6w whilst I was tandem feeding!!! I originally thought that no way this could be it but it has been regular ever since.

I was charting CM before TTC so I will get back to that. It used to be a very reliable indicator of my cycle. Thanks for the reminder, Tanya, and the rest of you for feedback.

Since we're not doing anything permanent and are clearly not as committed as we could be wrt contraception, I would not be at all surprised if there's a DD3 in our future. ;) I refuse to cut back our PHI so that I still qualify for HB!

Just not yet, preferably.

Sorry a little off topic but can I ask what phi you are with that covers hb!? Mine apparently did until the month after dd1 was born... Then cut it out coz gov putting more $$ into cmwa but I doubt ill wanna go thru them again (if there is an again ;))

Australian Unity are really good with homebirth cover, I know of women who have had their homebirth covered but best check recent info to make sure they still do.

Dont forget you need to have a 12 month waiting period for midwifery/obstetrics too.

Yes, I'm with Aust Unity and the HB cover is $3K. Covers most of the cost, depending on your m/w. it was at risk if the m/w indemnity ins exemption was not extended, but should be okay for now at least.

You need 12 mths because no other health insurer has this cover, so it would require the waiting period to be past. All other obstetrics would be covered if you previously had that with another insurer.

The level to get HB cover is exxy, but their benefits are much higher than what we had with our previous insurer, so we're getting our money's worth.

Hmm well may have to have a look into that... Of course if that is the case with waiting periods I'd be pretty peeved if I switched then got pg straight away :rofl: our phi now is pretty expensive but I think that'll be the case with any that have children covered. Very depressing sometimes though when the only time we've had to use it was with 1 1/2wk hospital stay when dd1 was born 4 1/2yrs ago! Oh well dems da breaks I guess ;)