# BF'ing and fertility



## mommymia (Apr 12, 2007)

I'm sure this question has probably already been addressed in previous threads but here we go...

... my ds is almost 1 year old and still going strong with breastfeeding. AF hasn't arrived yet which has been a nice treat but dh and I have been discussing ttc for a second fairly soon. I don't want to do anything to disrupt my breastfeeding relationship with ds as things are going so well. He nurses through the day and night, and I'm content with it.

My question is - are there any safe, natural ways to jumpstart my cycle without cutting down on BF'ing?

If anyone has any experience or knowledge about this I would love some feedback.

Thanks so much!


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## mum4vr (Jan 31, 2007)

Have you checked out progesterone cream for this? Use a quality brand (see what your dr may not tell you about menopause by John R Lee, or the website, www.johnleemd.com for good ones if you're not familiar) use max dose 2x a day for 2 weeks, then STOP abruptly. AF should arrive shortly (1-3 days). And not sure whether you know this from experience or not... but the first one after bf'ing for a year tends to be HORRIBLE. Sorry, but I have to warn you-- it's not bad bc you use the prog cream, it's bad from NOT getting one for almost 2 years... ( I also like the info Toni Weschler offers about this in Taking Charge of Your Fertility...)
Good Luck!


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## cal195 (Jan 30, 2007)

Actually, maybe I'm the odd one here, but I didn't have a period for almost 2 full years after dd, and my first one was nothing special. Maybe a little heavier than usual but if so, not by much.

Catherine


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## birthjunkie27 (Jul 6, 2005)

My first post partum AF wasn't bad either (at 10 mos pp). The second one was awful though. All the rest since than have been normal. I think it just varies person to person.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

If you're concerned about milk supply, you might consider waiting a bit longer to TTC. When I got pregnant (m/c last month) my milk was GONE within weeks. If dd had been any younger it would have been very traumatic.

-Angela


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## jillmamma (Apr 11, 2005)

If I were you, I would probably wait it out a few more months and see if it comes back on its own. Mine did at 15+ months PP both times, and I think the average for it to return if you are breastfeeding on demand is 14 or 15 months. I also concur with Angela that my milk supply went WAY down once I got pg with #2, but my DS was already 2 and getting most of his nutrition from regular food so he was okay.


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## haleyelianasmom (Nov 5, 2005)

Personally, I think PP amenorrhea/infertility is your body's way of saying "you're not ready for another baby yet".


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## chelsmm (Apr 10, 2005)

I just wanted to add to what the others have said. I got pg when dd was 12 months old. She was still nursing strong, but when I was 4 months along, my milk dried up completely. She toughed it out about a week, then stopped nursing all together. I didn't plan this pg, although I obviously wasn't careful. I had only one ppaf before getting pg. I'm certainly thrilled to be pg, however, I do feel guilty that my dd weaned so early. I would have chosen to wait until she was 2 before ttc again. Just my 2 cents. I know everyone has their reasons for waiting/not waiting.
I don't think there's anything really that you can do to make af appear. I have friends who nurse day and night and have af, others who have kids who sleep 12 hours at night and don't have af yet. I would say that it's best to wait until your body is ready.


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## mommyddeville (Nov 28, 2005)

I got pregnant when my son was 11 1/2 months old. My milk supply immediately tanked, and it was really, really difficult for us. He wasn't eating solids reliably yet, and lost lots of weight. I felt horrible guilt for hurting our breastfeeding relationship.

In the end, he nursed through my pregnancy, even though the milk was almost gone. He's now 27 months, and nurses all the time, as does his 7 month old sister. If I were to do it again, though, I think I'd wait until he was at least 15+ months to get pregnant again. I'm definitely waiting until my daughter is older to try for #3.

Good luck in TTC. I found that nursing less at night brought back my fertility immediately!


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## mommymia (Apr 12, 2007)

Thanks everyone for your advice. We were planning on number two fairly soon...probably when ds is around 15 months old. After hearing some of your stories we may wait a little while longer now. I really worry about our nursing relationship being disrupted even though I plan to nurse through my next pregnancy.

I think I'll just wait and not try to rush things too much.


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