# Breastfeeding and ovulation



## Lovage (Nov 14, 2005)

Does anyone know of any research about the effects of breastfeeding on ovulation when you're crap at ovulating to begin with?!  I know it generally suppresses it, but is there anything about age of baby or frequency of feeding to help you work out what to do?

We're not ready to try again yet anyway, DS is only 10 months, but we would like to try again someday, maybe as soon as in a few months.  But I really don't want to stop BFing until DS wants to stop.  He's still feeding about 6 times in 24 hrs and it's such a lovely part of our relationship and such an important part of his world.  I feel awful at just the idea of stopping him in the next few months, especially when we might well not be able to have another baby at all, and then I'd have stopped for no good reason.

DS was conceived through (pretty high dose) Clomid and IUI so we're hoping that's all we'd need next time, but we might need IVF.  Oh just had a horrible thought, maybe you can't bf and take Clomid anyway.  Oh no.


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## andy99 (Feb 7, 2005)

Hi there

I don't know about facts etc. but I was still full time breastfeeding my twins, whom we had by IVF, when I got pregnant again naturally. They were 11 months old and as of next month I am going to have 3 babies under the age of 2... eeek. So I personally don't think there is any hard and fast evidence to say you do or don't ovulate or who knows....
Sorry not very helpful but..

Andy99


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## Dobby (Oct 23, 2005)

Lovage,

Try doing an internet search on 'natural conception'.  There is loads of stuff around on how NOT to conceive while breastfeeding - you just need to know the opposite!!

I think it is the night feeds which supress ovulation the most, but can't remember.  I know I read loads of stuff on it a few months back but my post-pregnancy brain means I don't retain information for any longer than a nanosecond!

I stopped feeding to start another ICSI cycle and was looking for stuff to tell me how long a gap I needed to leave between stopping feeding and starting IVF drugs... my consultant said he didn't think there needed to be a gap (so we didn't leave one, I stoppped BF one day started drugs the next) but as I have had no response what so ever I suspect it may need to be a little longer of a gap between stopping BF and IVF drugs!!

Dobby


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## Lisa H (Feb 2, 2005)

My (brilliant) fertility specialist advised to stop just one feed a day and that it was likely to trigger OV. Like you, I really didn't want to stop BF-ing till DS was ready. 

I actually didn't get a period and so gradually started cutting down on more feeds one by one over a fewmonths, and in the end stopped altogether when DS was 6.5 months. I was really, really sad to stop, but was very surprised to find I didn't feel so bad after a short while, if that helps at all. And I felt confident I'd given DS a really good start with 6.5 months, and that he'd have received enough antibodies. 

But then maybe you'd be lucky enough to start OV-ing again if you just cut down on one feed - really good luck if you do decide to cut down gradually. I didn't know that feeds at different times would be more likely to suppress OV, but I clung on longest to the first morning feed, which is meant to be most nutritious.

I was also keen to start back on Metformin and know that that does come through to breastmilk, so I definitely had to wait to stop BF-ing. Not sure about Clomid, but I'd be surprised if you could take that (sorry) - your GP will be able to look it up in their drugs info index.

Let us know what you find out and good luck with everything, Lisa x


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## Lovage (Nov 14, 2005)

Thanks guys!  I think I need to go and see my GP (who's particularly good on fertility stuff) and talk things over. 

My periods actually started when DS was 6 months, but I know from long past experience that having regular periods doesn't mean I'm ovulating!


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