Extended BF and fertility

missisue · May 2012

LO is 11 months in a few days. We had always planned to start trying for #2 when she turned a year old. Problem is, my period still hasn't come back, and frankly, LO shows no signs of slowing down on the breastfeeding any time soon. We are using BLW for solids, and she still doesn't eat very much. I'm torn. I assumed I would let her wean as she was ready, but I don't want to wait too much longer to start trying for #2. Anybody willing to share their fertility/extended breastfeeding story?

SilliRy · May 2012

Great question! I had never heard the term 'ecological breastfeeding' but the information on Kellymom was really interesting. I am ready to start trying for #2 but DD is now 15 months and no sign of a cycle in sight. I'm not going to change her breastfeeding routine but good to know that the average is a little more than 14 months for most women's cycles to return.

3003girl · May 2012

I didn't get my cycle back until LO was 18 months, and then it was irregular for a while. Now it seems to be normal.

LO was an AVID breast feeder for a long time, and we just night weaned her at 21 months, which seems to coincide with my regularity.

Just providing some info! Good luck with whatever you decide!

danienross · May 2012

Well I got my first PP cycle back at 7mos PP. The first few cycles were annovulatory. Then my LP was short (7-9 days). DD was still nursing every 3-4hrs around the clock when I got pregnant when she was 15mos old.

tarheelborn · May 2012

We also wanted to TTC when DS1 turned 1. I did not get my period back (and I was not taking BC). I decided I would start to gently wean him very gradually because I thought my chances of fertility returning would increase as number of nursing sessions decreased. My son was nightweaned around 10 mos. but was still nursing 5-6x a day at 11-12 months. (We also did BLW but I had introduced cow's milk in a sippy at 11 mos.). I stopped offering sessions just after his birthday, and he never asked. So for me, the entire weaning process took about 2-3 weeks. I didn't think he would wean that quickly or easily at all. I got my period about 5 weeks after my last nursing session, and I got pregnant on the following cycle.

Good luck

drcolleen · May 2012

I worked full time so didn't really practice ecological BFing to the word but nursed and pumped. We too were TTC after DD1 turned 12mo, no period until she was 16mo then 2 anovulatory cycles then got pregnant with every ovulation as below. DDs are 2y9mo apart.

GL

FancyFrenchie · May 2012

We also wanted to TTC when DS was a bit over 1 year, but it wasn't until we fully weaned at 18 months that I got my period 1 month later. It's been regular but now due to other issues, we're holding off TTC. I think it's different for everbody!

whirli · May 2012

I think it really varies by person. I did ecological bf with DD and got AF back when she was 14 months (still nursing a ton night and day). We have had no luck TTC. I weaned DD at 2 1/2 partially in hopes that would help but no luck yet. I know some women can conceive while BF as long as AF returned but I wasn't one of them. Good luck!

jolynn326 · May 2012

I got AF back when DD was 9 months old. I actually conceived in month ten, but I lost the baby.

I got it in my head that I may have lost the baby due to my hormones being out of whack due to breastfeeding, and I seriously debated weaning. Thankfully, I didn't, and I got my next BFP on Mother's day! Praying I get to hold this LO in my arms in January!

damabo80 · May 2012

This is one of those things that is different for everyone. I've known people who needed to wean 100% to get their period back, and other people like me who got my period back super early when DD was still nursing every 2-3 hours around the clock.

Just in talking to friends, it seems like most of us followed in our mother's footsteps. My mom got her period back super early as well, and my other friends are similar to their moms (if their mom bf).

terri_doula2010 · May 2012

My cycle was artificially jumpstarted at 5 months due to Mirena. It fell out on its own when DS was 17 months old and we decided to start trying when he was around 18 or so months.

While I was having periods, I wasn't sure if I was ovulating, since prior to pregnancy I'd been super irregular (especially ovulation). I used ovulation test strips to find out when I ovulated and got pregnant the first cycle we did that (DS was 19 months). He was certainly older than your LO, but still nursing like he did at 9 months...4-6 times during the day (depending on how busy we were) and several times at night. I was rather surprised I was ovulating!

Hopefully you'll get a similar surprise!

Oh, since I was waking up so much at night, I found temping to be impossible. I bought OPKs from Amazon and took them daily til I ovulated.

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