baby led weaning :: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

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Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Aitch on Thu 03 May 2007 20:53 BST | Permanent Link | Cosmos

I'm cutting and pasting this from a comment as it's really interesting. Anyone got any thoughts?

"Re: Re: Re: You've got 6 months to get this weaning thing cracked...

by Anonymous on Thu 03 May 2007 20:31 BST | Permanent Link

Right - firstly, apologies for being anonymous again, but I cannot seem to get my account working. Anyway, I'm having a worry. The Nome is 6 1/2 months and a big big girl. She's always been a great breastfeeder, which suits her lazy, disorganised mother down to the ground. She's point blank refused bottles in the past, and I think it's a bit late to try to introduce them now, so we're working on cups.

My problem is that I'd really like another baby quite soon. I'm 35, and so, while not over the hill, don't have the huge luxury of a 25 year old biological clock. However, if I'm still feeding her while she toys with food (yes, you guessed it - a rubbish feeding day from start to finish), I don't like my chances of getting pregnant - no periods = no ovulation, I guess. I don't want to be in a hurry with her, but I'm torn. Some of this is a bit moot, actually, as I have to take high dose folic acid for 3 months before trying again, so she'll be 10 months then, and maybe this will resolve itself.

Oh pox. Just wanted to see what people thought. Anybody with similar issues?

Claire

Re: Re: Re: Re: You've got 6 months to get this weaning thing cracked...

by Spingle on Thu 03 May 2007 20:47 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

OK - take it back - have finally got an account. Just thought I'd add this to stop being anonymous. I am the Nome's mother, and I claim my prize...

Re: Re: Re: Re: You've got 6 months to get this weaning thing cracked...

by Aitch on Thu 03 May 2007 20:49 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

ooooh, interesting. i mix fed then formula fed so i don't know much about it all. why don't i copy and paste this into a proper post so that people see it easier? wait there. no more posting until i sort it."

Keywords: biological, clock, breastfeeding, blw

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Random Thoughts - post your questions here

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Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Alison on Thu 03 May 2007 21:24 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

I am in the same situation as you except LittleE is 10.5 months now. A couple of people have told me that often your fertility returns when night feeding ceases - I am still waiting to see if that is the case as she shows no signs of wanting to give up her midnight (and 3am and other) snacks just yet. Will be interested to see what other people think. Hey 35 isn't that old (at least thats what I keep telling myself!!)

Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Moomin on Thu 03 May 2007 22:15 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

I didn't get a proper period until Minky was 13 months and we were down to one evening feed a day. Some friends have unexpectedly had their periods return when babe was 7/8 months, despite feeding four times a day. It may just be a wait and see...

Re: Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Spingle on Thu 03 May 2007 22:29 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

Hmm. The Nome isn't really a night feeder at all - has a massive cluster feed (non stop!) from 6 til 8, 8:30 and then sleeps 9 hours. It's like setting a timer and is really quite odd. And before you get any ideas that I'm smug - I am a shameless feed-to-sleep-er, and she is a rubbish daytime napper.

Anyway, have to get FA prescription, so will ask the doctor and report back.

Cheers

Re: Re: Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Mij on Fri 04 May 2007 18:48 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

Allegedly, according to two GP friends, even having just one six hour gap between feeds can lead to 'breastfeeding accidents', ie mummies getting pregnant when they thought they were protected by breastfeeding. But if you're working to a timetable I can understand that you'd want more of a cert than an accident!

Re: Re: Re: Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by esper on Thu 10 May 2007 21:08 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

I've also read that once your baby goes for a 6 hour period with no breastfeeding, it is no longer any use as a contraceptive. It doesn't guarantee when your periods will come back though, unfortunately, that just seems to vary wildly. Mine came back when LO was 5 months old while she was still exclusively BF'ed although she was sleeping about 10 hours a night at that point. I was very relieved because we were also wanting to have another one quite quickly - I was pregnant again by the time she was 6 months old - weren't expecting it to be quite that quick!!

The thing is, the first time you ovulate you will not know about it because it'll be before your periods come back, so there is a chance of getting pregnant before your periods return and therefore them not returning!

Re: Re: Re: Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Spingle on Fri 11 May 2007 08:53 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

Thanks for this. I really can't afford an accident at all, as I'm high risk for neural tube defects, so getting pregnant before my full dose of 3 months folic acid is complete is very risky and scary. Anyway, the Nome has decided that sleeping through is no longer the done thing, so chances of getting pregnant have dropped drastically... MUST go to doctors...

Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Eleanor on Fri 04 May 2007 14:23 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

Just wanted to comment on "She's point blank refused bottles in the past, and I think it's a bit late to try to introduce them now". Piglet was well into her seventh month by the time she took a whole bottle feed - I originally didn't think it would be worth it, but she does still seem to need the sucking/comfort factor that a cup doesn't provide, especially for night feeds. It took a while for her to get used to the idea, but it did click eventually and now we do a mix of bf and expressed bottlefeeds (when I'm not around). So just wanted to say don't despair of getting the Nome on to a bottle at a late stage if that's what you decide you want to do.

Re: Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by squirrel on Fri 04 May 2007 18:52 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

I am also a 35 year old breastfeeder. Evidently we are a common breed! My periods started again when my little monkey was 10 months old, when she was still night feeding. I guess it must be down to the individuals hormones. On the bottle front I can recommend MAM bottles. Dd refused all others then at 7 months took whole feeds from these. They are brightly coloured bottles which I gave to her to play with first. I think this was the key to our success. Good luck.

Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Anonymous on Sat 19 May 2007 02:23 BST | Permanent Link

Too tired to create a login....um this is probably not what you want to hear, but I was 35 when Pandy was born. I didn't start my period until he was 18 months old! It took us another six months to conceive Pipkin. I am sooooo glad that Pandy was three when Pipkin came along. Because to have kids two years apart....well, leave that to the younger moms--a two-year-old is such a creature of chaos and destruction. A three-year-old is just destruction, but at least one that knows what reason is. Oh and two in diapers? eeeek!

Re: Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by esper on Sat 19 May 2007 20:27 BST | Profile | Permanent Link

Oh dear, as a 34 year old who is shortly going to have 2 babies 15 months apart, sounds like lots of fun in store!

Re: Re: Demand BFing plus advancing biological clock... what does one do?

by Anonymous on Wed 21 May 2008 15:33 BST | Permanent Link

Breastfeeding is as effective as contraception as a photo of the pope over your bed. My lovely cousin came to being while his older sister was only 3 months old.... on the breast, and still no periods.
The body might not create the lining for the egg, release the egg, get rid of the lining etc.... but might not doesn't mean will not. 3 ladies in my BF group are preggers again so we just got this lecture from the nice midwife that runs it.

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