Natural Family Planning- While Breastfeeding

Yes you can use NFP while you are BFing! It can be a little tricky but it is possible and NO you do not need to use condoms while BFing! Most of the time a BFing woman will have a "warning" period before she starts to ovulate. I have BF all 3 of my children and use NFP. I start to watch for cervical mucus when the baby is about 6 months old. As mentioned you need to watch for stretchy or clear egg white mucus. this indicates that you are ovulating. After you mucus patch you need to have 3 days of "drying up" before having intercourse. I know that this sounds really complicated but it really is not!
You should also keep in mind that alot of bfing mothers do not get thier fertility back until they are done nursing. I have known women who have gone 18 to 24 months without thier fertility!
Please check out ccli.org They have alot of good info. You might also want to lookinto talking an NFP course. My husband and took one before we got married and really enjoyed it!
Blessings, K.

J., the temperature method is by far the most dependable!

Not hard to learn and if I were you I'd start tomorrow morning.

Blessings!
M.

I would start checking your temperature and take a NFP class. They are really informative. There are more systems than just you temp..ie. fertile mucous, etc. I know my church, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Grand Rapids, is offering a class soon on postpartum. You may want to go to it. I can give you more information if you would like.

Hi J.,

There are two sites I really liked when doing research into this:
http://www.nfpandmore.org/ and
http://www.ccli.org/

I can't remember what the process was while breastfeeding but it should be on one of these. Both have contact us links so I'm sure if you can't find what you're looking for on the site they can probably direct you. Of course there is also a wealth of info on the web just google NFP and there are tons of sites.

Sorry couldn't give a better answer,
God Bless
K.

I've found the book "Your Fertility Signals: Using Them to Achieve or Avoid Pregnancy Naturally" (Paperback) by Merryl Winstein (Author) to be particularly helpful in recognizing when I'm "fertile" and when I'm not. My periods don't typically come back after my baby is born until 14-17 months (I've had 4 so far (and we breastfeed)), and it isn't uncommon to ovulate before your first period, especially the later your period comes back. I did know a lucky mother once who did, and found herself pregnant before ever having her period. For me, the most helpful thing was to know what all the different textures of mucous were so I could tell the difference and recognize it. Once you know, it's not hard, and the explanations are clear.

Good luck! :)

There are several methods... And probibly more that I have never even heard about...:-)

Condoms... for those times where you want to... but could be fertile...

There are ovulation tests out there that you can pin point when you ovulate with. (ovulation can vary each month so you NEED to do it for a while and come up with a base line.)

The "spit" test... There is this thing that you spit on in the morning... Let it dry... Then look at it (there is a light and magnifier in this tube) If it is "ferny" you are close to or are ovulating...

Standard days method... Using your typical cycle (which varies by person... 28 days, 35 days, etc) you can see when your "hot" days are and avoid unprotected sex during that time. Its basicly the same as the "rhythm " method.

All types of natural family planning need a start date of your cycle so you really are stuck with more of a condom/ female contraceptive issue until you do start...

DO a search on natural family planning.

Personally I have not used any pills for over 2 yrs... I can figure out an approx. time of ovulation using the standard days method but we still use condoms as an assurance.

The only one I can think of that does not need a starting date is the "pull out method" which works for some... But is very risky for most... Messy and just not as enjoyable...

Maybe some other moms know more about other ways... :-)

Just remember, no matter what way you choose... Sperm does live for (I seem to remember) 2 or 3 days inside you...And your egg lasts for about 1 or 2 days after ovulation... So avoid unprotected sex for a few days before AND after you do ovulate...

There are a lot of responses about natural family planning on here, but in my experience, condoms are your best bet. I breastfed my first baby (not exclusively, though) for 14 months and got my period at 11 months. My second was exclusively breastfed since birth and I got my period at 14 months BUT I ovulated 2 weeks before I got my period for the first time since my son was born! Also, I am very regular and was keeping track of my cycle before I got pregnant with my second. I thought I wouldn't get pregnant right away because I was going to be out of town (read: away from my hubby!) for my "fertile" week. Well, surprise, surprise, I was ASTOUNDED that we conceived our son the week before my "fertile" week (despite all my charting and planning). Good luck.
P.S. After our son was born, we went with condoms until my husband got his vasectomy (and got checked and re-checked to make sure).

Just jump into charting. Wake every morning and at the same time take your temperature. Note cervical mucous and cervical position. Just keep on charting and sooner or later you'll have a pattern or start ovulating. Good Luck and stick with it.

I know what you mean, I am in the same boat as you! Our daughter is 9 months, still breastfeeding, and I am still waiting on it to start. From what I understand, you really can't use NFP effectively again until the period starts. Otherwise you have no clue where you are in your cycle. Sometime people are fertile before this happens. Sometimes not. I guess you could use other methods until it starts, my husband and I just decided we were ok with whatever happens next!

Sorry for the late response, but I don't have access to this page at work. I don't know if you have the NFP charts, or have read about charting, but I would recommend doing this as it is hard to explain over email. I would start taking your temp and charting it and see if you see any signs of a thermal shift (which means you are moving into phase 3 and are not fertile). I would also do the mucus check to see if you are getting the stretchy fertile mucus. I didn't begin charting till after I got my period, and I had a few long cycles where I couldn't tell if I was fertile or not. If you look online, or have a book, they should have examples of charts by women who are post-partum/breastfeeding that you could compare it to. I'm sorry if this is confusing, it's hard to explain all the details over email!

One of my favorite references is "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. I haven't read this part of the book specifically, but I know there's a section in there about the FAM method and using it while breastfeeding.

Hey J.! I'm in the same boat with my two month old. With my daughter we did wait until I got my period back at 4 months. But what you can do is check your cervical fluid. "Egg white" means you are fertile. Basically whats happening is your body needs to produce enough progesterone to reach the "threshold" where it can release an egg. Every time you nurse you release oxytocine which suppresses progesterone. So you never really know when you might suddenly hit that threshold and release an egg. SO - all this to say, I would HIGHLY recommend you read taking charge of your fertility by toni weschler (sp?). She has a whole chapter on this as well as explaining everything else about NFP.

You could get your period anytime, or maybe not for awhile, but you already know you can ovulate before that. There's no way to know when it will start as far as I know. You might try the LaLeche League website www.llli.org then click Resources then look at the Answers section to see if there's something there. If you're not already attending an LLL group. I hope you'll consider it. I go to the one in Warren and it's great. Check the website for what's in your area. Maybe I'll see you at mine!

Your temperature and change in vaginal mucus are also good ways of tracking ovulation. Keep a dairy. My Husband and I found condoms an effective form of conception rather then Hormones