Extended nursing, RE: fertility

october_artist · December 2013

Hi everyone - It has been soooo long since I've posted, I have no idea what my siggy looks like so please forgive me if it's super out of date...I'm assuming it is. Anyways, I've been struggling with who to ask and it finally popped into my head - The bump!

We are still nursing at almost 19.5 months. I'd like to try and get pregnant again soon but still haven't had a PP AF yet! We night weaned at 18 months, in an attempt to kick start things but nothing has happened yet. So - any tips? Anyone else in the same boat? Forcing/pushing her to wean is out of the question, and honestly I dream of tandem nursing if that ends up being possible... I'm putting my trust in the universe but wouldn't mind giving things a little nudge. Thanks!

brideinsummer04 · December 2013

My AF didn't return until a few weeks ago, the day after DS turned 23 months. I reduced sessions to three times a day and then weeks later AF came. However my supply took a huge hit from reducing to three sessions. Good luck!

october_artist · December 2013

theresat858 - Hi lady! Do you remember me from Pgal? Thanks for the info - yeah I am trying to stretch out the nursing sessions but she really is a little milk fiend still. lol

I'm sorry to hear TTC your next LO is taking a while for you.... we haven't used protection since DD was 9 months and I was sort of hoping things would come back soon but ah again, I am given the lesson that you can't plan anything! Who knows, maybe we will both have luck in the new year!

kristen714 · December 2013

I am in the exact same spot. DD is 19 months also. I will admit I am scared for AF to return because it has been wonderful without worrying about it, but like you my DH and I would like to get pregnant. I will be following to see if anyone has more tips. Good luck!

october_artist · January 2014

I want to add in here for those of us jumping in and reading - please don't take my situation and get nervous it will take your body that long to get back to fertile as well! We have made it this far nursing our current babies [high five!] that (for me) it is not worth completely throwing that out the window to try to have another child... that may in fact never be. Focus on the here and now, trust that things will happen and enjoy your current LO without anxiety. I do very much want to be pregnant again but I also know how good extended nursing is for a toddler- I do feel less lonely in my predicament after starting this thread and I hope the same for you ladies but let's not get carried away with cutting back too quickly for the hopes of pregnancy. I'm all for a gentle nudge but please don't be drastic with weaning because I planted the worry in your head.

winecastle14 · January 2014

My DD is almost 14 months and I just got my first PP period the week before Christmas. At 12 months, I gave her a gentle nudge in the direction of night weaning. She was waking up around 4 every morning and now she'll go until about 5:30. At 12 months I went from pumping 3 times a day at work to two and now I'm at one. When I'm home on the weekends she nurses about 4-5 times a day still. I think for me it was cutting out the extra pumping session at work and stretching out the MOTN feeding.

My period was extremely light and I feel like my hormones have been all over the place for a while. Whenever she is sick or teething she wants to nurse constantly. I'm not sure if I'm ovulating yet because DD is so sporadic with nursing. I am testing with the ovulation strips each day this month to see.

I'm in the same boat as you because I'm not willing to wean in order to get pregnant again. It's tough, but I think we're just going to have to trust our bodies to know when it can handle another pregnancy. Good luck to you!!

october_artist · January 2014

@AmberEA14 - Thanks for the kind words! We nudged towards night weaning starting at 18 months and were doing awesome - she was sleeping 8-530 and then the past week or so she is teething again and so we are back to waking and nursing

I will wait till these teeth pop through and then go back to nudging. I was enjoying sleeping again!

I stay at home with her and so just being available is tough, when I'm at yoga or something she is fine with my husband but if I'm home - it's quite often "mama milk! mama milk!" It's good but also at times overwhelming. I figured at almost 20 months we'd be a little more spaced out with nursing. I am still very much enjoying it, I guess I just have to adjust my expectations. You're so right in that it is important to trust our bodies and not to compare to others. Good luck to you too!

october_artist · January 2014

@Theresat858 - I have such a hard time telling her no. I'm home with her and honestly breastfeeding at this point is often challenging. We are working on nursing manners (again) ... like your DD, she is now wanting to nurse more than ever! We don't have any kind of schedule so maybe that would be a good thing to try. She won't take a pacifier and I sort of wish she did because that would help cut back a lot. Often she just wants to suck and so I'm at a bit of a loss for that. Ah well.

I have been doing seed cycling for the past few months, and it may be worth a try for you to kick start ovulation? I do it with the moon since I don't have a cycle yet, but you can just sort of slide it in with your body's schedule. For the first half of your cycle you eat a tablespoon each of freshly ground flax and pumpkin seeds every day and a teaspoon of fish oil. The second half you eat a tablespoon each of freshly ground sesame and sunflower seeds and a evening primrose oil capsule. Google it, "seed cycling for hormone regulation" I obviously don't have my period back yet but I have noticed that things are trying. Way more changes in CM and CP, so I'm sticking with it. I will put it in a smoothie or in cereal etc.

Edited: for clarity

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