TTC and Breastfeeding

Hi. I'm new. I've got an 8 1/2 month old and I'm trying to give birth before the next school year starts (We're already looking at July).  My DS sleeps 9-11 hours at night. He gets about 10oz of food throughout the day and nurses five times. I still haven't gotten AF yet, but I had two "faux ovulations" 29 days apart that would have qualified as o's under Taking Charge of Your Fertility regulations, except that I didn't get AF. For the last 17 days I've hit a straight shot which has been completely uncharacteristic of my temps since April when I started charting. So hopefully a change is coming soon. I can't go by CM because I haven't had hardly any for the last twelve years due to BCP. I was hoping my first pregnancy would change that, but so far not really. I've read the TTC Fact Sheet and was wondering what my next step should be? Can you take a prenatal and B complex vitamins at the same time? Right now I just use a multivitamin. Should I try vitex? Where do you get vitex and red raspberry leaf tea? How successful is a 24 hr nursing break? Any suggestions would be welcomed at this point.

Hi!

It sounds like things could be right around the corner for you, but with the window you have, I can understand wanting things to happen now. Some women don't get full fertility back, regardless of what they do while breastfeeding, and others only do on their own body's timetable. So, keep in mind that whatever you do, might or might not work. Even full out weaning can take months to work.

I have no experience with 24 hour nursing break. We still nurse every 1 1/2- 2 hours....

You can take prenatals with b complex- it's a lot of b's, though. I  started with red raspberry leaf and vitex. I take rrl in capsule form, and vitex in drops(blech). Most health food stores will carry those. Vitex might be calles chaste tree berry. If you do a rrl tea, just make sure it has real raspberry leaf in it. I have found both to be very effective- I started taking rrl and got ppaf 2 weeks later, then had 2 anovulatory cycles. I started taking vitex at the start of this cycle, and it looks like I did ovulate (waiting on my 3rd temp, don't want to jinx it). I think also a good efa- flax, fish oil, or evening primrose, is important. EPO is supposed to increase cm, but did nothing for me.

The other thing to know when ttc with lo's as young as ours, is that when you do become pregnant, your milk can dry up, or lo can start refusing to nurse.

Good luck. HTH.

HI and welcome :) I have never heard the term Faux ovulation but love it and will have to keep that in my vocab from now on !

As for getting AF to come back I would definitely recommend vitex as your body seems to be trying hard to get there.......vitex might give you the push it needs to happen. If you are not charting/temping your cycles you definitely should if you are going to try vitex as it is dangerous to take if you are in fact pregnant. It is important to take up to O and then stop after that until you see AF.
Most of us buy a ton of cheap OPK's off the internet too to help pinpoint when we are about to O.

Also very helpful, vitamin B complex (must be in a complex, start with 50mg. and move up to 100 mg. if you need to) This one helps with your luteal phase to make it long enough to get pregnant.
You can buy vitex and RRL tea at most health food or vitamin stores (Whole Foods etc.).....vitex can also be bought on line - buy the liquid not the capsules as they don't work as fast or effectively.....

Oh and I don't think a 24 hour nursing break is a great idea for you little one if it will cause too much stress on them BUT spacing out more or skipping a feed here and there is a good way to push your body a bit - do you supplement ever or pump?

Have to go as my kids want to be fed but let us know if you have any questions. Hope to see you on the board more :)

Jasmine

Thank you for your thoughts!  I know it's likely that he'll wean, but my minimum goal is a year and he's old enough now that if he weans or my supply stops we can use up my freezer stores and switch to cows milk. Plus, I've got a really large supply and still experience painful let down, so I'm hoping that my supply will hold up. And Gideon LOVES to nurse, so I doubt the taste will deter him that much. But I will still be very sad if he does and hold out hope that he'll want to try again when my milk comes back. (I have dreams of tandem nursing.)

I'm so glad you said rrt in capsule form (I would have been looking in the tea section--shows what I know!)

Good luck to you. Hope you caught that eggie!

I pump at work and nurse during my dinner break. No suppliments, but I do give him a sippy cup at dinner with water--which he LOVES! He only gets an ounce or so. I don't think the nursing break would be tramautic, as much as it would be inconvienent for me! I think I would be in a lot of pain if I did that and I really don't want to unless everyone has gotten good results.

Thanks!