# Need help -hoping to start ovulating again soon



## Nightswimming (May 11, 2009)

Hi,
I have a 21 month old and breastfeed on demand when we are together. We bed share and he typically nurses a lot at night. I work 3 days a week and do not breastfeed him those 3 days for about 9-10 hours. I would like to get pregnant in the next year or so and am looking for ways to encourage my ovulation/period to return while continuing to breastfeed. I am not interested in daytime or nighttime weaning at this time.

Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Thanks.


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## MaerynPearl (Jun 21, 2008)

unfortunately... the only real known way to get your fertility back IS to do a partial weening... to spend 6-8 hours every single day without having a feeding... not just 3 days out of the week. If you only do it every now and then and not every single day your body does not get the signal that feedings are decreasing and allow your fertility to return. Its sort of a safety mechanism built into your body to avoid you getting pregnant when you are still nourishing a child.


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## babygrey (Jan 12, 2010)

The herbal Vitex (chaste berry) reportedly can encourage regulation of hormones and possibly encourage ovulation. Effects are not immediate, maybe 3-6 months. I just started taking it in hopes of ttc#3.
My midwife says safe while bf'ing.
http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/vitex.html
Maybe something to consider.
Good luck.


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## Nightswimming (May 11, 2009)

Thank you for the information/suggestions. I appreciate it!


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## stellamia (Oct 18, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MaerynPearl* 
unfortunately... *the only real known way to get your fertility back IS to do a partial weening... to spend 6-8 hours every single day without having a feeding... not just 3 days out of the week.* If you only do it every now and then and not every single day your body does not get the signal that feedings are decreasing and allow your fertility to return. Its sort of a safety mechanism built into your body to avoid you getting pregnant when you are still nourishing a child.

Not for me. I went a 7 hour stretch at night but many days nursed every 3-4 hours during the day. A lot of research suggests night weaning has a bigger impact than daytime....

*Nightswimming*: My little nursling is almost 21 months and I just got my BFP this morning!!! I used Maca, Vitex and natural progesterone cream (for my luteal phase). The Maca/Vitex combo is what got me ovulating and the NPC extended my LP from 6 days the first cycle to 9 the next cycle to getting my BFP the next!

As for night weaning, I read all the info on askdrsears.com and I used Dr. Jay Gordon's method of night weaning, only I didn't graduate to the step where you don't pick your baby up. I always picked him up and walked him till he fell back to sleep. We only had a couple of hard nights and since I was right there holding and comforting him the whole time, I felt much better about it. It took less than two weeks for him to sleep through the night on his own (he's still in our bed, but he doesn't wake to nurse constantly like before). He is teething now so he usually wakes at 1am and I give him Hylands tablets, some water and then rock him to sleep. He doesn't cry or fight. He relaxes and goes right back down. This is a MIRACLE for us and has helped me sleep better AND brought my fertility back!

I have more info but I'm a zombie ATM as I got barely any sleep last night in anticipation of testing this morning.









Best wishes to you and PM me if you'd like!


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## bcblondie (Jun 9, 2009)

I agree on the night weaning. Could you try just rocking and comforting your baby during the night instead of feeding? I recently started doing this because my baby was starting to nurse hourly and I was having none of it! lol. It was purely comfort nursing for him.

If you think he does need the food could you pump and give him a bottle?

Other than that. If you aren't worried about your milk supply drying up you could try clomid. It's pretty hard on your milk supply but will very likely get you ovulating.
the lowest does is 50 mgs. (5 pills) I took only one pill and ovulated a week later!! ( I was 13 months postpartum)


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## Nightswimming (May 11, 2009)

I know this thread is old but I wanted to share that I got my first post partum period yesterday. My son is now 25 months and 1 week old and I did not change our breastfeeding relationship at all. Possibly, he wakes a bit less at night than he had been doing but he still nurses at least 2-3 times/night and many times during the day when we are together (tons for naptime and bedtime).

I know it might take some time for my cycle to stabalize but I am excited that it is possible for me to be able to get pregnant!

Thanks for listening.


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