getting cycles back when BF

[rainbowflower]

Sorry, I know this isn't swaying related but 6.5months in to BF and still no sign of AF! All of this is pushing my ttc pink start date back :(

Already taking 30mg of vit b6 plus some pink supps, 2cups of peppermint tea daily, dont want to take vitex in case it can affect my sons hormone levels too via my milk. We are weaning (started at 5 mo) and he has 2-3 small meals a day, sleeps at least a 6hr block at night following a dreamfeed and one night feed too. Daytime milk feeds are 3-4hrs apart.

My cm is wreaking havoc - getting sticky and ewcm in the same day and sometimes white ewcm.. so think my hormones must be all over the place especially as still feeling like I have morning sickness most mornings at the moment. Argh!

What I was wondering is would taking a contraceptive pill for a month kickstart my cycles again? Or would that further confuse my body?

Sorry for the rant, finding my body so confusing and know I ought to be patient but so broody and just want to start my sway prep!

[atomic sagebrush]

Do NOT take a contraceptive pill while breastfeeding. It DOES affect your breastmilk, even though it is believed to be safe. http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/birthcontrol.html Vitex is also believed safe during breastfeeding. I took it with both DS 3 and 4 and felt good about it, and I am paranoid about taking anything while I'm nursing.

6 months with no AF is perfectly normal and it's just one of those things you have to wait out. Nursing at night, even with the 6 hour block of sleep, keeps AF away longer. I suspect at that level of nursing, AF will be on your doorstep shortly.

[purplepoet20]

Just this last week I took 3,000-5,000 mg a day for two days straight because I wasn't keeping track and AF came 4 days early.

I am pumping so DS2 was drinking the pumped milk at the time but my naturalist said it wouldn't affect a nursing child (who is eating solids) and it would help the milk production. My milk did increase a lot. I am still pumping and will continue to nurse DS2 after BFP until he is 2, I am dumping the current milk because I am afraid of the sudafed I am taking getting in the milk.

[Lilian78]

I only got AF back while breastfeeding when breastfeeding a toddler just a couple times a day. Sounds like you're down to not much more than that, so hopefully you won't ge waiting too long :)

[rainbowflower]

thank you. It's interesting as I read that some (not all) contraceptive pills are safe when BF but that vitex is a questionmark as noone knows what affect the hormones will have on the baby in the long run. This just makes me want to take neither!

did vitex work for you?

pp20 - what supp did you take that much of? vitex?

Lilian - thanks! TBH I still feel that I feed him quite a lot but when I RTW in Sept I'll be going at least 10hrs a day (3 days a week) without BF during the day, and hopefully a good stretch at night as well... so maybe that will make a difference

[atomic sagebrush]

Taking neither is the best option for someone who is terribly concerned about it.

Vitex restored my cycles very nicely and certainly helped me get pregnant but didn't sway pink for me obviously.

I really think that the best advice in your situation is a big dose of Vitamin P - patience!

[rainbowflower]

just a little update - I have had some very very light bleeding the last 2 days... I'm hoping this is an AF although there are no clots or cramps like usual and it's so light!
I drank RLT Weds morning, and Thurs morn, the bleeding started on Thurs evening, but this morning it has virtually stopped... could the RLT have caused the bleed and not an AF?

[rainbowflower]

oh, and I've always had a vitamin P deficiency lol

[atomic sagebrush]

just a little update - I have had some very very light bleeding the last 2 days... I'm hoping this is an AF although there are no clots or cramps like usual and it's so light!
I drank RLT Weds morning, and Thurs morn, the bleeding started on Thurs evening, but this morning it has virtually stopped... could the RLT have caused the bleed and not an AF?

Good idea on the RLT, I'm gonna rem. that one. :agree: RLT is like having an O - sometimes it can "knock AF loose" (sorry I know that's crude :p) but if there wasn't anything there to begin with, nothing would have happened. If you hadn't been just on the verge of having AF anyway, you wouldn't have had the bleeding.

It is totally normal that your first PPAF will be odd or different and the sooner after having your baby you were, the weirder it will be. Some are light, some are superheavy, extra clots, or whatever.

I know you don't want to do vitex but my advice for anyone reading this who does, would be to take vitex for 2 weeks on, two weeks off, starting now. For you, since vitex is off the table, just take a note of when this mini-AF was, and assume that your cycles will resume on a similar pattern (they may not - they may go away again for a few months and start up again on a whole diff. day but most people's stick with the same dates.) Then plan your attempts around when you think O ~might~ happen, even if it doesn't.

[atomic sagebrush]

oh, and I've always had a vitamin P deficiency lol

Boy mom! ;) The only nutrient that doesn't sway blue is Vitamin P!

[rainbowflower]

;) if that's the case I'm destined to always have boys lol

but saying that I'm in less of a rush to TTC than I have been. I'm going to use cheapie OPKs this month, keep tracking things, and then start using my CBFM sticks again in a couple of months ready for TTC in December


thanks for the info about 1st AFs and stuff that's really reassuring to hear! I'm hoping the B6 and the fact that he's eating (weaning) more now than ever will mean my cycles resume normally, and hopefully will be much more regular by the time we start TTC as I've always been irregular in the past.

[atomic sagebrush]

I think by starting so far in advance that will only help. You're going to have plenty of time to figure all this out and then RELAX before your sway starts.

I had irregular AF before I had DS 1 (hence his existence because he was not planned!!!) and then afterwards they were like clockwork.