Breastfeeding and OPKs (and quick intro)

blueeyedrose86

Hi ladies! I've been on TB for about 3-4 years now, posting on and off. First the infertility boards, then the loss boards, and then O13 when I finally had my rainbow baby. Now that DD is almost 2, we are ttgp. I haven't gotten my cycle back yet, we are still breastfeeding, but I wanted to start using opks to see if my body is doing anything. I have been testing for 10 days and every single day I have gotten a second line, though not dark enough to be considered positive. Does anyone have any experience with this or insight into this? The lines are about the same color every day. I've searched Dr. Google and it sounds like breastfeeding can affect the results, but I couldn't find a lot of information on it. TIA!

TheBorg7of9

I don't see how breastfeeding could cause a false negative on an opk. Breastfeeding can prevent the LH surge that causes the opk to be positive and causes you to ovulate. But I'm not really sure I understand your question actually. If you were to ovulate, the opk would probably pick up the lh surge.

crogers19

I think temping would be much more accurate for you. Take a look at fertility friend.

jnissa

Breastfeeding means prolactin., Prolactin suppresses fertility hormones including LH, which is the hormone the tests pick upon as above. Your body is likely still going through the motions of fertility, so there is a surge, though it may not be dark enough to be "positive" because the total amount is less than the test threshold because of the suppression.

But really, when fertility resumes during pregnancy, it usually comes period first with no ovulation so it would just make more sense to wait for your cycle. I know you're excited to start trying. We actually just weaned our daughter at 6 months so we could get back on track for #2. 

georgiagirl3050

I am also TTC while breastfeeding, but I am in the process of weaning because I was having AF every 40-50 days and likely was not ovulating. I'm in my first month of temping, so we'll see. How often are you nursing? We're down to twice a day, I really hope I don't have to stop completely in order to conceive #2!

blueeyedrose86

Thanks for the input so far!

@TheBorg7of9, I guess I'm just wondering why I'd have so many days with results. I used opks for a year and a half before DD, and only had a few days of lines before getting my positive.

@crogers19, temping is not my friend lol. I did that for a year before switching to opks the first time. My temps were all over the place because I don't wake up at the same time every day and I naturally drift in and out of sleep a few times before truly waking. I was not successful.

Thank you @jnissa. That's what I always thought would happen, but my sister recently got pregnant without AF coming first and her nursling was 22 months. That's what made me want to see if anything was happening with me.

@ebartenfeld, good luck ttc! She is still very much attached to the boob. A few times throughout the day and she sleep nurses a couple of times at night. She's very tiny, so I don't mind getting her the extra calories. I know night weaning completely would probably help. I'm not really expecting to get pregnant any time soon, as nice as it would be. I just don't really understand what's going on with my opks lol.

TheBorg7of9

blueeyedrose86 said:

Thanks for the input so far!

@TheBorg7of9, I guess I'm just wondering why I'd have so many days with results. I used opks for a year and a half before DD, and only had a few days of lines before getting my positive.

@crogers19, temping is not my friend lol. I did that for a year before switching to opks the first time. My temps were all over the place because I don't wake up at the same time every day and I naturally drift in and out of sleep a few times before truly waking. I was not successful.

Thank you @jnissa. That's what I always thought would happen, but my sister recently got pregnant without AF coming first and her nursling was 22 months. That's what made me want to see if anything was happening with me.

@ebartenfeld, good luck ttc! She is still very much attached to the boob. A few times throughout the day and she sleep nurses a couple of times at night. She's very tiny, so I don't mind getting her the extra calories. I know night weaning completely would probably help. I'm not really expecting to get pregnant any time soon, as nice as it would be. I just don't really understand what's going on with my opks lol.

Oh, it's normal for there to always be a line. We usually have "some" lh in our bodies. It doesn't mean anything.

Google Kellymom and return of fertility for some good information.

PrimRoseMama

blueeyedrose86 said:

Hi ladies! I've been on TB for about 3-4 years now, posting on and off. First the infertility boards, then the loss boards, and then O13 when I finally had my rainbow baby. Now that DD is almost 2, we are ttgp. I haven't gotten my cycle back yet, we are still breastfeeding, but I wanted to start using opks to see if my body is doing anything. I have been testing for 10 days and every single day I have gotten a second line, though not dark enough to be considered positive. Does anyone have any experience with this or insight into this? The lines are about the same color every day. I've searched Dr. Google and it sounds like breastfeeding can affect the results, but I couldn't find a lot of information on it. TIA!

Breast feeding can inhibit ovulation all together. So you may not see any variation in LH surge because you are not cycling. I have the same until I ovulate.

My cycles are long (longest being 162 days, shortest being 63 days long). It's possible to conceive while BF, but honestly I'd hump it out 2-3 times a week. I would also see if temping works for you. BBT temping seems to be hard for me because my sleep is unpredictable.

Good luck! We've been passively TTC (not really worrying about timing & just kind of winging it) since August 2013.

PJpeppercorn

Just wanted to say hi and good luck! We're in a similar situation. I have a 27 month old who is still BF and I have yet to have my cycle return-- although not sure if that's from the BF or because I had an IUD up until April when it was removed. I'm temping and using opks-- but nothing yet. I really don't want to wean to TCC. I hope everything goes well for you and that you get answers soon!

blueeyedrose86

In case anyone cares, this is out that turned out! The tests never showed what I would consider to be a positive, so I stopped testing daily and started doing it about once/week. Not the most accurate way to do it, but there you go. I also still haven't gotten my period, but we all know that doesn't mean anything... especially because I got a bfp this past Monday (the 29th)!! I'm still waiting for my appt to confirm the due date, but my best guess is we are due about the 12th of March. We don't dtd often enough for it to be hard to figure out, sadly lol, but that's life with a toddler.

mommygrams0730

Lulucooks

Zoom....

blueeyedrose86

There were ladies here in the same boat as me (ttgp, yet their cycle hadn't returned), so this was mainly an update for them.

mommygrams0730

blueeyedrose86 said:

There were ladies here in the same boat as me (ttgp, yet their cycle hadn't returned), so this was mainly an update for them.

I see they responded.


But in all seriousness this would have been so much better received if you would have said something even remotely close to that....instead it felt like (another) zombie bfp rubbed in our faces. The last one was closed by admin.

Lulucooks

mommy grams said:

blueeyedrose86 said:

There were ladies here in the same boat as me (ttgp, yet their cycle hadn't returned), so this was mainly an update for them.

I see they responded.


But in all seriousness this would have been so much better received if you would have said something even remotely close to that....instead it felt like (another) zombie bfp rubbed in our faces. The last one was closed by admin.

It really does feel that way...

PrimRoseMama

Congrats, but I'm not sure the drive by was necessary.

kerriesan

For whatever it’s worth, I didn’t take this as you rubbing it in any one’s face and was searching for some hope to give my friend TTC while breastfeeding in 2022, 7 years later from your post, because her body is going through wonky changes so I screenshotted your answer to show her how it can just HAPPEN without the signs you think should be there so thank you!! @blueeyedrose86

kiki047

 kerriesan said:

For whatever it’s worth, I didn’t take this as you rubbing it in any one’s face and was searching for some hope to give my friend TTC while breastfeeding in 2022, 7 years later from your post, because her body is going through wonky changes so I screenshotted your answer to show her how it can just HAPPEN without the signs you think should be there so thank you!! @blueeyedrose86

@kerriesan I'm sorry, who are you? And why would your SINGLE and ONLY post on this board carry any weight compared to the many women who are actually a part of this community and understand and respect how it works? I've been here for 4.5 years, what this person did 7 years ago wasn't ok and it's still not ok now. And it certainly isn't worth resurrecting a zombie thread for you to just to come here and say that. You effectively just did the same thing the OP did, just as a third party. That's nice for your friend but for those of us who are actually struggling TTC, that's not a hope story, that's a slap in the face. Just because you don't think it is doesn't mean it isn't offensive for others. 

bearmomma1

Seriously, what the what??

stashattack

Your the one who made an account and dragged up a dead post to call a "bully" out who btw was enforcing the rules of the community. Idk about you but following rules in a community isn't being a bully. 

kiki047

sarahcastilloabc said:

@keke> @kiki047 had to make an account just to respond to you bully. She has the right tk have her opinion just as much as you do. You cannot tell people what they can and cannot say. Grow up.

LOL who the actual fuck are you? Thank you complete stranger that came out of nowhere for your unsolicited opinion that I don't care about. 

stormageddon-darklordofall

@sarahcastilloabc


Seriously!?!?  What is with people?  Is the full moon coming?  I mean, creating a NEW account just to drag up a post from 2015, that then was posted on again as a zombie post half a year ago!!!!  Besides me, how many people have even been around on this board since 2015!?!?  Give it a break man...

knottie0bf5cb5794aa806c

This is a great update! I wondered how it turned out