to nurse or not to nurse?

[myrainbowgirl]

Hi ladies,
Looking for a little advice, needed asap if you have a minute. :) I am bf my 12-month-old, only once before bed. I still don't have af back. Got it back with DS1 at 12.5 m (first O came when nursing him 1x/day). Got it back with DS2 at 14.5 (first O didn't come till he had been weaned 6 weeks). I am 36, so really need to TTC asap, if possible.

My dilemma: DS3 LOVES nursing, although I will admit, weaning him down to 1 feeding hasn't really been difficult. BUT, when he nurses at night, he gets super excited. :) Well, last night I didn't nurse him because DH and I went to a baseball game...babysitter said he was fussy, but fell asleep after fussing about 10 minutes. I had initially been thinking I would just be done after last night, but after reading a few days ago about nursing swaying pink, it made me wonder if I should just keep doing it. Boobs are hurting today...so I know I'm still producing a bit. I don't want to force weaning, but it's a good time, since he went without last night. Problem is, I am not sure that I will O without weaning, not to mention I have lost a significant amount of weight and my BMI is a little too low.

At the same time, it seems like MAYBE I'm getting closer to O...no positive OPK yet, but CM is increasing (it had dried up a lot since starting LE diet) and I'm getting some crampiness/ovary pain.

What would you do in my situation? Be done nursing, or start back tonight?? Help, please! TIA!

[Emily]

That is a hard one. I would probably keep on BF until your baby wants to stop as O will probably come back soon even with one feed a day. I am not sure why BF sways pink but unless it is due to the hormones produced it might just be due to the nutrients you are losing - so one feed a day wouldn't sway much anyway. Not much help sorry - didnt want to read and run.

[Wanting-a-girl]

I would keep nursing... Especially if he really enjoys it that much... I'm a sucker for Sad babies tho lol

Good luck hope you get O soon :)

[suregena]

Your cycle should return... I would keep nursing, to be honest. I didn't get my cycle back until my son was 22 months old. I continued nursing while TTC and I'm now expecting a girl any day. Maybe keep going for another 5 months or so and see if your cycle returns. It should return at some point, so I'd keep nursing!

[Jasmine]

I think you have to focus on your son's needs. If he loves breast milk and isn't interested in weaning off it, let him be - he's getting good nutrition from it, so it's not doing him any harm.

I think you have to just wait for it, your period will come back. I know time is running short but obviously your son has to come before TTC.

Hope you have it back soon! (you'll be wishing it away again hehe)

[Emily]

Oh and by the way time isn't exactly running out! At 36 you still have th eluxury of waiting it out a few months if you want to. I am 38:) so I am bound to say that though!!

[myrainbowgirl]

Great advice, ladies. Yeah, I decided to nurse him tonight. TBH, my boobs were killing me! Ha. Also, I am getting my first real EWCM today...so pretty sure O is right around the corner. Yay!

One more question about nursing and supps...I have been on a prenatal because of nursing, but now that he's 1 and drinking whole milk, and we're only nursing 1x/day, would you drop the vitamin? Can I go on Atomic's basic recommended supps now? I think 2000 mcg folic acid, iron and zinc every other day? I shouldn't do aspirin, right?

[HopingWishingPraying]

I would keep going a) because its great stuff for your baby and he loves it b) because it sways pink and every extra % across into the "pink zone" is a % in the right direction I think and c) because the average time that AF comes back for most women is 13 months post partum so it is probably around the corner even if you dont wean. For most women one feed a day is not enough to inhibit the cycle from returning, so hopefully it wont for you either. Also, if last night was pretty easy and painless it will be easy to replicate that circumstance again whenever you decide that you are both definitely ready (with less chance to regrets if you are sure). It might be a great prescription for another night out sometime!

[HopingWishingPraying]

I dropped my prenatals in the leadup to the sway as my son was eating enough stuff from a varied diet. Also from what I have read the milk gets the best of everything anyway and unless a mum is significantly malnourished (ie in a famine etc) the milk will still retain a good quality of vitamins as they are taken from mum's stores. Vitamins will help mum more than change the quality of milk. I personally DID take low dose asprin whilst swaying .... I know Atomic doesnt recommend it but I looked up Thomas Hales' recommendations (he is a leader in lactation pharmacology) and he was ok with a low dose asprin as he felt that little crosses into the milk. Neither my son or I had any bruises. I you google I know that Thomas Hales has a web forum somewhere where recommendations about different types of medications are listed. You can read my sway in my sig if you want to read my sway whilst nursing a 15 month old. I just made sure to take my supps (and the majority of my aspartame) after my last feed of the day so that there would be a big gap and less drug would be in the milk by the time by baby next fed. He was feeding between 3 - 5 times a day I think when I fell pg. Best of luck!

[Bigwish]

Did you try vitex to get your cycles back? I know AS used it succesfully, right?

[myrainbowgirl]

Bigwish, I didn't take vitex...but I've taken it before and it really didn't help. So, not planning on it. But, since yesterday I've been getting lots of EWCM, so expecting a positive OPK any day. Yay!

Question about aspirin: since I'm only nursing DS 3 once at night, if I took my supps after we nurse, it would be 24 hrs before we nurse again. Surely aspirin metabolizes quicker than that. Anyone know?

[atomic sagebrush]

I would always keep nursing until you are ready to wean for other reasons. I would never keep nursing or wean for swaying, it's just too unreliable.

[atomic sagebrush]

Bigwish, I didn't take vitex...but I've taken it before and it really didn't help. So, not planning on it. But, since yesterday I've been getting lots of EWCM, so expecting a positive OPK any day. Yay!

Question about aspirin: since I'm only nursing DS 3 once at night, if I took my supps after we nurse, it would be 24 hrs before we nurse again. Surely aspirin metabolizes quicker than that. Anyone know?

It's probably ok, personally I would just not chance it.

500 mg Vit C can also lower pH and is safe while BF

[atomic sagebrush]

Oh and by the way time isn't exactly running out! At 36 you still have th eluxury of waiting it out a few months if you want to. I am 38:) so I am bound to say that though!!

I agree I was thinking this as well. I had my 3rd at almost 37, my 4th at 39, and my last at 42 (blessed and lucky.). While I don't think you should approach it like "oh I have all the time in the world" at the same time, you aren't quite at the "beat the clock" level either.

[atomic sagebrush]

Great advice, ladies. Yeah, I decided to nurse him tonight. TBH, my boobs were killing me! Ha. Also, I am getting my first real EWCM today...so pretty sure O is right around the corner. Yay!

One more question about nursing and supps...I have been on a prenatal because of nursing, but now that he's 1 and drinking whole milk, and we're only nursing 1x/day, would you drop the vitamin? Can I go on Atomic's basic recommended supps now? I think 2000 mcg folic acid, iron and zinc every other day? I shouldn't do aspirin, right?

Yes go ahead and stop the prenatal (well actually wean off, stopping vitamins suddenly is not good for you)

The 2000 mcg folic, iron, and zinc are for people who have just had a miscarriage OR if you have heavy periods/history of anemia (the iron) OR if you have gone 3-6 months on a sway diet without getting pg (zinc) - the average person does not need them and can go with 1200-1600 mcg folci (I would do 1600 because you are over 35).

Re the aspirin, my kids had bleeding and bruising when I took an aspirin a couple times - my baby had a miniscule cut on his thumb that bled badly off and on for two days. Now, I am very susceptible to bleeding from aspirin as is one of my older sons so it may just be our family, but personally I think it best to err on the side of caution where children are concerned.

Aside from the bleeding/bruising, there is also the possibility of Reye's Syndrome which can be caused by some componenet of aspirin.

[myrainbowgirl]

Thanks for the advice! The supplement info really helps. Ok, so all I need to do is 1600 mcg folic, and 500 mg Vit C? That's pretty easy. :)

[atomic sagebrush]

And fiber