Babydoctor - luteal phase defect when breastfeeding?

[rainbowflower]

maybe I should track down some smaller dosages then

just done some Googling and found a few links that say that breast milk composition doesn't appear to change when taking vitex... http://longwoodherbal.org/vitex/vitex.pdf

[DoulaMama]

I know for me it increased my milk supply I talked to a bunch of people before I started it as well and was never told that it could be harmful. I didn't want to overdo it though which is why I went with a smaller dose. I figure if a person can take depression meds, birth control pills and get a CT scan without needing to stop breastfeeding- a bit of chaste berry will be fine! If it helps to regulate hormones but it isn't a "hormone" per say, its different than taking a man made substance. With the hormone issues everyone seems to have now, I'm actually hoping that the natural stuff I take will regulate my hormones so that my boys will be healthier from being inside a hormone balanced Mama Just my thoughts!

[zanacal]

Rainbow, just a thought - I used to do a dreamfeed with the boys when they were younger and it helped but when they got a little older it actually seemed to disturb their night rather than help and if I let them sleep through it (of course I fed them if they woke!) they would often wake the same amount of times, or less, during the night. It's almost as though by waking/stirring them for a feed a few hours after bedtime you're setting them up for a pattern of waking every few hours during the night iykwim? It might be something to try and if it's the same for you it's an easy feed to drop!

[rainbowflower]

Doula that's an interesting way to think of it, thank you. Perhaps the small dose is better afterall for me too

Zana - only just reintroduced the dreamfeed so he doesn't get as comfortable with waking up, "demanding" milk and getting it (before 12am) and then expecting that at every wake up in the night. The one night I've managed to give him the dreamfeed this week he slept right through until 6.30am. Last night he woke up before my planned DF time and so I had to feed him then, the night before it I actually fell asleep early and slept through my alarm and he woke at 5.30am so I felt I had to feed him and get him up for the day as he'd gone 10hrs between feeds by then. I don't think he has issues with the dreamfeed itself

[rainbowflower]

Just an update, last cycle I did only 4 BFs a day (morning, afternoon, bedtime, dreamfeed) for most of the cycle and didn't take vitex or vitamin B6; and my luteal phase went up to 9 days (yay!).

For the whole of this cycle I've been down to 2 BFs a day (morning and bedtime). I'm also taking vitex and vit B6 again this cycle. Currently at 7dpo but hopefully I'll reach it past 11dpo before AF turns up this cycle, unless I get a BFP which I'd be happier with! I'm hoping the reduction of feeds as well as the supplements I've been taking will extend it and make me fertile again.