Breastfeeding and IVF

Hi all!

Posing anonymously so family doesn’t know I’m thinking about trying IVF again.

I’m looking to vent or just get some support from people who might know what it’s like. My first baby is 17 months old and was conceived through IVF. I want a second so badly, but the timing just doesn’t feel right.

I’ll be 40 at the end of the year and my AMH isn’t stellar, but it’s the same as it was last time I did IVF. Either way, I feel like I have to get going with it. But I know I can’t start up IVF again while I’m still breastfeeding.

That’s the hard part though. First, it took months to get him to breastfeed in the first place. But also, he still wakes up through the night to feed despite trying everything to get him to sleep through. I could just give him regular milk, but he’s struggling with that transition. He also hates drinking from a cup or bottle in the middle of the night when he’s teething — He only wants to be breastfed then. I also really saw myself breastfeeding until he was 2 or 3 for the extra antibodies and bonding - at least just once a day.

So all in all, I’m just having a really hard time giving up on breastfeeding and I’m feeling guilty for taking breastmilk and bonding time away from him for the sake of another baby. But I don’t feel like I have a choice.

Any words of wisdom or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

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