Frequent nursings have a greater impact on fertility than long nursings.  If
the child is distractible or able to negotiate ("Let's save up the milk until
lunchtime and then you can nurse as long as you want"), that may be one way
to improve the mom's chances of conceiving.  I'm unaware of any connection
between timing of daytime nursings and impact on fertility.  Night nursings,
of course, play a significant role in spacing babies.

I've heard Dr. Miriam Labbok say that the conditions which are good for
building a milk supply are also good for suppressing fertility.  As I recall,
she pointed out that it's the same feedback loop (hypothalamus and pituitary)
which governs both lactation and ovulation.  The recommendations we give
women who need to increase their milk supplies -- nurse often, nurse at
night, sleep with the baby, pacify at the breast, don't supplement -- are
also great advice for women seeking to maximize amenorrhea.  If you think
about it, it's a cleverly designed system:  a baby young enough to require a
full supply of mother's milk is probably too young for a sibling.  For women
who want another baby, reversing these suggestions (with respect for the
toddler's readiness) can be helpful.

(I've never seen this anywhere but I wonder if only offering one side per
nursing might slightly improve the odds of conceiving.)

WRT temperatures:  it may be that this mom can be a little more relaxed.  For
many women, light activity (like stumbling to a rocker for a morning nursing,
or even changing a diaper or toasting a bagel or whatever for a child) does
not raise BBT appreciably.  She can try it both ways (in bed, and then out of
bed immediately afterward) for a week and see how the readings compare.  Is
she using a mercury thermometer?  The digital basal body thermometers give a
reading much more quickly -- no need to stay immobile for 5-9 minutes with a
toddler tugging at her.  Can she set an alarm to wake up -- just for a minute
-- before her child does?

I have heard of women getting usable temperature information by taking their
temps just before bed.  It might be worth a try.

It might also be that her temperature chart looks strange just because she's
nursing, not because they're a problem with the way she's taking her
temperature.  Many nursing mothers have atypical temperature charts (guess I
shouldn't call them atypical if so many women have them, eh?) -- spikes, late
ovulations, very short luteal phases.  A sympto-thermal NFP teacher might be
helpful.

The Marilyn Shannon book (Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition) which was
mentioned here a couple of days ago has good information for couples trying
to get pregnant.  Good luck to this family!

Jamie in Oak Park, IL
CCL NFP teacher and volunteer bfing supporter

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