My breastfeeding goals have shifted a few times since my daughter was born. There were the early days when I thought we might struggle to make it to six months, and then it started to work and I went back to my goal of two years. Then, of course, came the big question: could we wait two years to try for our next one? I thought not, so in my mind, I compromised. Eighteen months. Eighteen months of breast milk was a really good deal, right? After all, most kids don’t get that much. I still felt, though, like I would be betraying my boobie monster by trying to wean her that early, but it seemed like I would have to. I would wean her, and we would try for a frozen embryo transfer. And then somehow, it all changed. I learned that a friend of a friend had conceived her first through IVF, like us, and continued to breastfeed until well into her second pregnancy, which was a FET. So it could be done! My mind was blown, and I went researching. We went and saw our fertility specialist and he asked outright if I was still breastfeeding her. (I was thinking we might take the 'don't ask don't tell' approach!) I said ‘yes’ and he told me he had no concerns as I understood that my supply would likely drop if we were successful. As he wanted us to try a natural cycle FET there were almost no medications to be concerned about, only progesterone, but by all accounts - my FS, this page, and the Australian breastfeeding medication guru, Rodney Whyte - that was a-okay. It was all much more than okay! From four days post five day transfer I started testing; from 5dp5dt I got a shadow, and the line darkened and darkened, and bloods at 10dp5dt were a respectable 274. This doubled, and doubled again, the seven week dating scan showed a little jelly bean right on track with a strong little heartbeat, the NIPT test showed us that everything was low risk, and the twelve week scan was spot on. Throughout it all... my toddler breastfed. And breastfed. We have a handful of nights with just one wake up and one breastfeed, we have days she’s at daycare and doesn’t have any milk all day long. And we have days where anything more than a few feet away from me and the boobies is nothing less than a tragedy. We have nights she feeds to sleep, and nights she feeds to sleep only to wake and need milk again, and again. And again. My goal was to feed her until she was two. I suspect her goal is far loftier! I don’t really know how or when she’ll wean, but I’m seriously glad and grateful that we’re still going. She’s not going to be the littlest for much longer, but she’s still my baby and she’s so very little. IVF and all the associated protocols are hard, and I think it’s important to not make it harder by weaning if that’s not necessary. Even if we don’t have an explanation for our infertility, our odds are already lowered, and I really don’t think stopping breastfeeding is the single variable that will up success rates. Boob on, mamas. Snuggle your little ones, and may science work its magic for you. Written by Jo
3 Comments
Margaret Robertson
14/2/2017 06:11:56 am
Thank you very much for sharing your story. I t is through these stories that are allowing me to move forward with my FET while feeding my little and I am hoping to post our story in the near furture!!!!
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