# Breastfeeding and short luteal phase



## Giraffe1977 (Nov 21, 2013)

Hi all,

We have a 17 month old, conceived after a 4 year struggle, using clomid. We were about to have IVF but by a miracle got our BFP with days to spare.

We'd like number 2 as I'm 40 next year and obviously after last time we don't want to leave it too long. The problem is that I'm still breastfeeding and have a really short luteal phase at the moment. Since AF returned at 11 months, it's been around 8 days. It went up to 10 after Christmas, and after I ovulated earlier this time I thought it was getting even longer, but AF arrived a few days early and we're back to 8 days.

I'm struggling with the decision of what to do for the best. I'm not ready to give up bf and neither is the little man, but I think we need a long-term plan. If things were different we'd be doing natural term weaning, but I know we don't have the time if we want another baby.

Has anyone else faced the same decision, and what did you do? I was thinking of night weaning after he is 18 months, which may help, but I know it will be tough. We would have to pay for treatment anyway, and we won't have enough savings until next year, so I suppose a vague plan would be to cut down slowly over the next few months and then seek help next year. But I will be 40 then and it might not work.

Infertility was unexplained last time - my FSH was on the high side at 9 and LH was 3 - they didn't think I ovulated on the single cycle they tested, but I always have the symptoms and regular cycles, so I think it was maybe a combination of my age, bad luck, natural low fertility and stress.

Hope someone can help, I really don't know what to do for the best and I'm scared we'll leave it too late, but also scared that I will put my little boy through the trauma of giving up before he's ready, and all for nothing.

Gx


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## Gaby2501 (Oct 13, 2015)

I had the same problem as you with a short LP while breastfeeding and I did not want to wean. I ended up falling pregnant when my bubs was 18 months and my milk dried up at 9 weeks. I went on to miscarry sadly. After that my LP did increase again, but I still had further losses. What reading I did I found that breastfeeding will affect your fertility up to 2 years. At 2 years plus your body should have totally regulate itself and any problems conceiving won't be to do with breastfeeding. 

My cycle returned too after 11 months and I am also an older mum, I do think the impact of hormones from breastfeeding have a larger impact on older mums than younger ones. I guess when younger there's more margin, whereas we may be on the thin line of fertikity anyway, if that makes sense. I did think is weaning but am glad I didn't. But really only you know what is right. How often is your Lo feeding now? It may be that you can reduce the number of feeds and see if that increases your LP?


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