My first thread re lactating

I want to throw this out there in order to get some advice from maybe people who have been in my shoes or have some tips

My current LO will be seven months on the 26th and I have been exclusively pumping since he was a week old. I do have a PCOS so the fact that I am able to provide enough milk for him to drink was a miracle in itself. That said I'm also 36 and this is only my second child Born 13 years after my first one so I would like to continue to try for a daughter as my signature line states but need to have cycles and ovulation in order for that happen. My original goal was to provide only breastmilk for the first six months and I have been able to do that. On March 13 I did drop to only pumping every six hours and that still did not trigger a cycle. I have been pumping about every eight hours since May 3 still no cycle. I'm well aware that they say low-carb and or grain free and no sugar is what PC OS people need but in the past even eating that way didn't really help me. How this LO is here I really don't know other than the fact that may be due to age I just spontaneously ovulated.
That said I'm torn between going back to pumping four times a day or staying at every eight hours and only pumping three times a day it means a little less breastmilk for current LO but I'm hoping that I can at least ovulate because if I don't ovulate I don't have a chance of even trying to conceive a daughter.

I read a post on this board about breast-feeding and trying to conceive a girl it said that you could breast-feed around the clock and take vitex a.m. and p.m. first half of cycle and ovulate ....

But you would like to know that it is the first half of your cycle and since I'm not cycling that would mean either wasting pregnancy test or opks which don't work for pcos.

Thanks for brainstorming with me

Ya I feel where you're coming from mama. I was there too. I had to wait a full year before my cycle came back. It's all you can really do imo. You could try the Vitex for 2 weeks and just stop and wait and see what happens I suppose but definitely don't take it longer than that.
Waiting is always the hardest part and I get that you feel you have a time bomb under you....


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What about pumping a bunch of milk for a month or so (like power pump) and then TTC? That way babe will have some freezer stash.

Is clomid safe when breastfeeding/pumping? if so: maybe you could consider clomid?

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Originally Posted by Dana-Alicia

Is clomid safe when breastfeeding/pumping? if so: maybe you could consider clomid?

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It is as long as the baby is over 18 months- that's what my RE said.


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Originally Posted by Dreamingofpinkafter2blue

What about pumping a bunch of milk for a month or so (like power pump) and then TTC? That way babe will have some freezer stash.

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I would be hesitant to power pump- that might send signals to your body that you need to make more milk for the baby and your cycles might be delayed further. If your get regular cycles while nursing now and got regular AF early on, it might not effect things for you. With DS2, I got AF at 6 weeks postpartum and it always came like clock work. No amount of nursing effected things for me. If you're that way too, then go for it, but if you're still waiting for your first AF I would be hesitant.

FX and GL to you!!


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Ya Clomid can dry up your milk a little too; it def decreases my supply... So if you go that route look out for that.


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It's a tough one, cause I understand you don't want to jeopardise giving your LO breastmilk for the possibility of a pregnancy only. I also got AF a few weeks after I gave birth and have been regular since, no matter how often I fed my boys. However, I think the average women get their cycle back while breastfeeding after 14 months or so. How long are you still hoping to breastfeed him? Do you want to ttc asap? You could consider maybe feeding him a few more months (or more, I get that, I fed both my boys several years) and then consider clomid? It sways pink!

But if you just power pumped for a month and then stopped, it would only be a month and you would build a stash. Sudden changes to nursing actually can bring on a period.

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Originally Posted by Dreamingofpinkafter2blue

But if you just power pumped for a month and then stopped, it would only be a month and you would build a stash. Sudden changes to nursing actually can bring on a period.

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You can not just stop breastfeeding without risking an infection, this can be very dangerous. You always have to reduce the feeding slowly to prevent this, especially when the baby is this young and mother is breastfeeding/pumping frequently.

No, that's not what I mean. I mean she can power pump and build a stash and then drop a pumping session. A lot of time simply night weaning can bring on a period. That's a change in nursing routine - similar to dropping a pumping session.

I think I'm gonna go ahead and add the pump back in at least for another month or so. No amount of less pumping so far has triggered a cycle. My midwife said if my bmi is too low that prevents cycles too....it is 19.9 at the moment....I think both times that I ever ovulated I was 125 pounds....less than that or more than that for some reason I haven't ovulated. My bmi at 125 pounds is only 21.5 ...so weird that only 9 pounds can have such an impact.

That's very sound advice.
I know how frustrating it is when you're waiting.... We're here for you when you're ready to roll, in the meantime Maybe check out the alternative diets for pcos. You def do NOT want to lose weight (obv); sounds like you have some time
To decide what you're going to do.



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Originally Posted by Hitmebabyonemoretime

That's very sound advice.
I know how frustrating it is when you're waiting.... We're here for you when you're ready to roll, in the meantime Maybe check out the alternative diets for pcos. You def do NOT want to lose weight (obv); sounds like you have some time
To decide what you're going to do.



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You are doing the pcos diet aren't you? In trying to remember.


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Skillet, do you have a personal plan? I should def ask some advice from atomic, she can probably help you to ovulate again with lifestyle changes?

yes I purchased a custom sway plan. recommended I do the atomic fertility diet which is kind of hard itself the regular PCOS diet sounds so much easier but the afD diet is kind of hard to implement. Since 2003 when only an ultrasound was used to tell me I have PCOS no lab work I have tried low carb gluten free every supplement under the sun that soulCysters says is good for PCOS to help regulate induce conceive cycle etc and nothing ever work for me the two times that I have had two children I must have just spontaneously Ovulated. my first son was a result of spontaneously ovulating on cycle day 47 and my other one was a result of spontaneously ovulating on cycle day 26 this is all in hindsight I had no idea was ovulating I don't prevent so you know that's how things go

Im wondering about Clomid or femara for you. Have you considered or tried either?


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Currently not seeing a dr and those are prescription meds. Im probably gonna have to find out which actual labs are drawn to see what hormone/thyroid/intolerances/blood sugar and insulin/vit. And mineral etc things might be going on to contribute to what the ultrasound screen shows. Will have to order labs myself because again drs look at me and peg me textbook healthy and send me away. RE's cost $$$$$$ & infertility isnot covered my a majorityof plans here (but they will cover e.d. treatments for men and methods to prevent or end babies) <eye roll>
Thanks for discussing this with me....people irl so do not understand

I know it's frustrating, and even more so when the tests and doctors costs so much money. So often not obtainable to people.


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7 months old is pretty fast for your cycle to come back when breastfeeding.

What you can do is look back at what your cycle was before you got pregnant, and do the 2 week on, rest of cycle off pattern with the vitex. This has helped bring back some people's cycles while nursing.

Or, wait it out, and it will come back sooner or later. I personally would not stop nursing before I was ready to because like you said there are no guarantees that you'll get pg after this

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Originally Posted by skillet04

yes I purchased a custom sway plan. recommended I do the atomic fertility diet which is kind of hard itself the regular PCOS diet sounds so much easier but the afD diet is kind of hard to implement. Since 2003 when only an ultrasound was used to tell me I have PCOS no lab work I have tried low carb gluten free every supplement under the sun that soulCysters says is good for PCOS to help regulate induce conceive cycle etc and nothing ever work for me the two times that I have had two children I must have just spontaneously Ovulated. my first son was a result of spontaneously ovulating on cycle day 47 and my other one was a result of spontaneously ovulating on cycle day 26 this is all in hindsight I had no idea was ovulating I don't prevent so you know that's how things go

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You can absolutely do the PCOS diet instead if you want to.

I also think that in this case a small measured weight gain will only help. get back up to 125 and see waht happens! I know it's hard to believe but even very small weight fluctuations can matter.

Skeered to be 125 since that weight made xy pairs ;)

If I tried the 2 wks vitex, I would just have to pick a time.....if anyone else has pcos I'm sure they can empathize with the following (all most likely no ovulation because fertility friend shows lots of dtd all "month" long)

1/23/14 in hindsight ovulated cd26 result current LO

11/1/13 83 day cycle, 21 days before Af I added 1tsp flaxoil daily, per a weight loss diet I was following

9/6/13 56days
7/20/13 48 days
5/31/13 50 days
4/24/13 37 days
3/3/13 50 days
2/5/13 26 days
1/6/13 30 days
11/19/12 58 days
9/28/12 52 days
8/5/12 54 days
5/29/12 38 days
4/18/12 41 days


I don't temp, wake temps too low
It seems fertility friend doesn't even keep track of how many days if no info put in during a cycle hahaha

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Originally Posted by skillet04

Skeered to be 125 since that weight made xy pairs ;)

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Your body doesn't have a way to keep track of that though. I just tell people to get to their lowest conception weight to give a tangible goal to aim for and not because the weight itself is really that important.

How about we split the difference and make it 123. :)

So the cycle that you conceived your last little man, you ovulated around about the middle of February then?? So let's start vitex on June 1st and take till June 14, then take the rest of the month off. Do the same in July, Aug, etc (start on the 1st, stop on the 14th) unless you get AF at which point just do the regular pattern with the vitex where you start on CD 1 and take for 14 days or until pos OPK, whichever comes first.

kinda complicated so pls let me know if unclear

Atomic - sorry to butt in. But I think since I'm in the same boat (nursing and no AF), could I start taking vitex for two weeks each month too?

You can but was there not a reason why I didn't have you do that??? You are a custom plan girl, right?? (sorry I have literally dozens of Dream/dreaming/dreamers and just want to be sure I am getting the right person's advice to the right person.) :)

Yep! You did recommend vitex :)

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Originally Posted by Dreamingofpinkafter2blue

Yep! You did recommend vitex :)

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My golden ticket to my DD!! Get a pack of 100 babi blue cross strips off ebay seller should be opps something.. and yeah you want to take a few a day to track O if it comes. So take it from cycle day 1 to almost + opk! :) Then stop vitex until you start bleeding again. I nursed with Vitex too.

But what if we (OP and I don't ovulate)? Just take two weeks?

Re vitex I think it's best to take it CD 1-14 or till pos OPK whichever comes first since some people will never get pos OPK on Vitex. :)

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Originally Posted by Dreamingofpinkafter2blue

But what if we (OP and I don't ovulate)? Just take two weeks?

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Then you would do like I just explained to the previous poster and look back at your cycles before you got pregnant, and take in a way that corresposds to what your old cycles were. 2 w on, rest of cycle off, even if you don't get AF, just repeat in the days that match your cycle before you got pregnant. For some reason most people's cycles come back very similar days to what they were before the last baby.

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Originally Posted by atomic sagebrush

Re vitex I think it's best to take it CD 1-14 or till pos OPK whichever comes first since some people will never get pos OPK on Vitex. :)

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Remember my 8 positive OPKS in a row that wouldn't fade. I know that happened to another GD lady too. So it was probably preventing the egg from leaving the gate! Atomic is right! I was so paranoid with this sway attempt that I stopped after like 10 days.