ugh - forgot what a PITA having a period is!

redshoegirl

Started my first period (not counting the 6 weeks of post partum bleeding) the day before yesterday. I forgot what a pain in the ass having a regular period is! Oh well...at least now I can use tampons again...

myday1708

I know... As soon as she was STTN it happened. Arg. 3rd one started today. Hate it!

redshoegirl

I was hoping that even though I'm not BFing, my period would take a while to return. I should have known better, since I have a seriously determined body (it didn't stop while I was on the implant and I could never even get it to stop while I was on the pill - I'd try skipping the placebo pills every once in a while but it would just come anyway - lighter, more like heavy spotting, but still arrive right on schedule).

It started almost 4 weeks to the day after my pp bleeding ended, and I'm fairly certain I ovulated during that time too. I guess my body is determined to be fertile, if nothing else.

myday1708

I got mine at 6 months, when I returned to work and was pumping more than nursing. Plus, Alexa was STTN shortly thereafter, so that also helped.

I have one friend who's baby is almost 1 year and she still hasn't had it! And my friend whose baby was born the same day as Alexa... Still no. And another friend whose baby is 8 months - no. JEALOUS! Of course they are all SAHMs or only working PT.

OK, off to bed... XOXO! 

mrs.winter

I still haven't gotten mine

mrspresley

lisa - that's amazing that you got it almost exactly 4 wks later! your body is like clockwork!

myday1708:

I got mine at 6 months, when I returned to work and was pumping more than nursing. Plus, Alexa was STTN shortly thereafter, so that also helped.

I have one friend who's baby is almost 1 year and she still hasn't had it! And my friend whose baby was born the same day as Alexa... Still no. And another friend whose baby is 8 months - no. JEALOUS! Of course they are all SAHMs or only working PT.

OK, off to bed... XOXO! 

I haven't gotten mine yet but i would totally trade having her STTN consistently in exchange for getting my period! consider yourself lucky   (she sleeps 5-6 hrs consistently so she's technically STTN but not 7-8 hrs consistently which is what i'd prefer)

redshoegirl

mrspresley:

lisa - that's amazing that you got it almost exactly 4 wks later! your body is like clockwork!

I know, it's crazy right?! I feel kinda guilty complaining (especially to you!) but I wish my body wasn't so determined to be fertile...

Now I'm actually terrified that birth control will fail and I'll get knocked up again right away - I know it's irrational, but I am. And I know it will sound awful but I would be devastated if that happened...I'm sure I'd get used to the idea, but it's the last thing I want!

mrspresley

redshoegirl:

mrspresley:

lisa - that's amazing that you got it almost exactly 4 wks later! your body is like clockwork!

I know, it's crazy right?! I feel kinda guilty complaining (especially to you!) but I wish my body wasn't so determined to be fertile...

Now I'm actually terrified that birth control will fail and I'll get knocked up again right away - I know it's irrational, but I am. And I know it will sound awful but I would be devastated if that happened...I'm sure I'd get used to the idea, but it's the last thing I want!

don't be silly, you don't need to feel guilty... why don't you do some casual charting so you can TTA during your fertile window as a back up? or...totally TMI but if you want to be even more casual about secondary birth control you could just use a lot of lube since isn't that stuff not so sperm friendly?

redshoegirl

mrspresley:

don't be silly, you don't need to feel guilty... why don't you do some casual charting so you can TTA during your fertile window as a back up? or...totally TMI but if you want to be even more casual about secondary birth control you could just use a lot of lube since isn't that stuff not so sperm friendly?

I was actually thinking of hauling out the ol' basal thermometer, although I don't think it would be terribly accurate because I get up at different times during the night/morning (generally between 4-5.30am but last night it was 3.30am so you never know!). I have been keeping a casual eye on my CM, which is why I'm fairly positive that I ovulated more or less on schedule (EWCM + cramping = yeah...)

Had to laugh a bit about the lube, since (TMI ALERT!) we've had to make good use of it lately anyway. Ahhhh, the joys of a post-birth body...

MrsNJSwimmer

redshoegirl:

It started almost 4 weeks to the day after my pp bleeding ended, and I'm fairly certain I ovulated during that time too. I guess my body is determined to be fertile, if nothing else.

This was me, except my body decided it didn't like my old pills, so it was like having pp bleeding again!  First they had me take the rest of my pack one every 6 hours or something.  Then they had to switch me to a different kind.  What a pain that was having to go back to the dr several times! 

myday1708

mrspresley:

lisa - that's amazing that you got it almost exactly 4 wks later! your body is like clockwork!

myday1708:

I got mine at 6 months, when I returned to work and was pumping more than nursing. Plus, Alexa was STTN shortly thereafter, so that also helped.

I have one friend who's baby is almost 1 year and she still hasn't had it! And my friend whose baby was born the same day as Alexa... Still no. And another friend whose baby is 8 months - no. JEALOUS! Of course they are all SAHMs or only working PT.

OK, off to bed... XOXO! 

I haven't gotten mine yet but i would totally trade having her STTN consistently in exchange for getting my period! consider yourself lucky   (she sleeps 5-6 hrs consistently so she's technically STTN but not 7-8 hrs consistently which is what i'd prefer)

OK... You're right... :-) I was at a bfing class today (about weaning strategies) and when you sleep longer your body triggers the hormone to start ovulating, which brings on your period. It's also related to nursing, but there is a sleep combonent as well, which I didn't know!

Re STTN... I think it was around Miss A's age that My A started STTN... What time do you put her down? Earlier bedtimes (7ish) could help, at least that's what all the sleep books say! Also, I think when solids started filling her up, that helped too. Since we didn't start solids until 6 mo, it took a little bit for that to kick in. GL and hope you get sleep and not your "."!

mrspresley

myday1708:

OK... You're right... :-) I was at a bfing class today (about weaning strategies) and when you sleep longer your body triggers the hormone to start ovulating, which brings on your period. It's also related to nursing, but there is a sleep combonent as well, which I didn't know!

Re STTN... I think it was around Miss A's age that My A started STTN... What time do you put her down? Earlier bedtimes (7ish) could help, at least that's what all the sleep books say! Also, I think when solids started filling her up, that helped too. Since we didn't start solids until 6 mo, it took a little bit for that to kick in. GL and hope you get sleep and not your "."!

i'm not 100% sure on this but i think it's not that your sleep triggers the hormone to start ovulating.....rather, when your baby starts STTN you have less oxytocin released (which is stimulated during BFing)....the oxytocin suppresses ovulation and so when baby starts STTN and your oxytocin levels dip, your body starts to ovulate! but maybe you are right and it is a little bit of both?

i usually put her down pretty late...like around 9-10pm. whenever i have tried putting her down earlier (like 8pm), she always wakes up around 12-1am...and i guess i just shouldn't nurse her then but i am bad and feel like she "missed" a nursing session since i put her down earlier and i go ahead and nurse her. i am hoping that solids start to fill her up more too so she can STTN..... but, we're having sleep (and napping) issues right now, i think b/c we are in CA and her schedule was thrown all off, plus all the developmental changes she is going through right now (pulling herself up, walking with assistance, etc)

myday1708

i usually put her down pretty late...like around 9-10pm. whenever i have tried putting her down earlier (like 8pm), she always wakes up around 12-1am...and i guess i just shouldn't nurse her then but i am bad and feel like she "missed" a nursing session since i put her down earlier and i go ahead and nurse her. i am hoping that solids start to fill her up more too so she can STTN..... but, we're having sleep (and napping) issues right now, i think b/c we are in CA and her schedule was thrown all off, plus all the developmental changes she is going through right now (pulling herself up, walking with assistance, etc)

I would wait until you get home from your CA visit to do any sleep changes... But, honestly, I would think about putting her down earlier. There may be a "transition," but the goal is 12-hours straight and the sooner you move toward that the better!  

You can start by gradually moving her bedtime earlier. So do 4-7 days at 9pm. Then 4-7 days at 8:30. Then 4-7 days at 8pm. Keep going until you get to your desired time, probably 7 or 7:30. 

While you are doing this, introduce a "dream feed." If you go in and dream feed her at 11 p.m., she won't wake up at midnight because you will have preempted her!

There is definitely a "transition period" when they get used to the earlier bedtime and going straight thru, so you deal with what comes up... Alexa woke up at 3am, so we attacked that with a water bottle. Then she was addicted to her dream feed every night and if I didn't go in to dream feed her, she'd wake up on her own and demand it. We slowly took that away with a few nights of fussing or just going in and holding her but not nursing. I also tried pumping right before so that if she woke up and I went in to nurse her she'd get nothing and realize that there was nothing worth waking up for. Eventually she dropped it.

We also threw more pacis in her crib so she would always be able to find one. I got brightly colored ones and leave a night light on so she can see them. Can't remember if Miss A takes pacis...

Anyway... This is what worked for us. I don't want to come off preachy or offend you... Every baby is different and so you may find something else works for you. I just thought that it  might help to know what worked for us so you can get ideas! It can be done, even for small-ish babies! :-)

MrsZiz

I've had one AF in December and haven't had one since. I'm certain I ovulated in early Dec and then again I know I did since I got KU and then m/c. I WISH my body would be fertile again, I'm ready!

I'm actually almost certain I o'd, TONS of CM and it was O type... TMI but true. CM=SEX which will hopefully equal another baby! Time will tell... 

I feel your pain though, when I got mine in December I was like WTF I've been EBF and B wasn't STTN... weird, I thought by EBF/pumping, it would wait longer... my body... it's a battle constantly!  

SirenSong

I'm envious of all of you! Like Lisa, I get my period like clockwork after the 6 weeks of post partum bleeding!

Married2MrWright

Boo!  I still haven't had my post-partum period but anticipate that once we start Libby on solids I will since she'll probably drop her 4 am nursing session.

Jaime -- Libby also goes down aroun 9-10 p.m. (she'll usually nap from about 5:30-7:30 p.m or if not then, a little later, like 6:30-8:30 p.m.)...by at 9-10 p.m. she goes down for the night.  I nurse her and she falls asleep soon after and stays asleep until 2-3 a.m., nurses a little and then back to sleep until 8:30-9 a.m.  I have talked to J about moving her bedtime to 7-8 p.m. but right now this schedule works for us because an earlier bedtime means she'd probably be up around 7 a.m. which would not be as great for J who comes to bed around 1 a.m.

myday1708

Married2MrWright:

Jaime -- Libby also goes down aroun 9-10 p.m. (she'll usually nap from about 5:30-7:30 p.m or if not then, a little later, like 6:30-8:30 p.m.)...by at 9-10 p.m. she goes down for the night.  I nurse her and she falls asleep soon after and stays asleep until 2-3 a.m., nurses a little and then back to sleep until 8:30-9 a.m.  I have talked to J about moving her bedtime to 7-8 p.m. but right now this schedule works for us because an earlier bedtime means she'd probably be up around 7 a.m. which would not be as great for J who comes to bed around 1 a.m.

Libby is 5 months and pre-solids. Miss A is almost 8 months and eating solids. When it comes to bed times, those two things make a big difference!! :-) Just sayin'. :-)