LAST TIME I OVULATED, I GOT PREGNANT

Am I pregnant now? No! 

That picture taken was back in February 2013 
http://www.expectinghappiness.com/2013/05/getting-pregnant.html

Do the math for yourself, that is 28 months of glorious period-free living. It's no secret that we aren't in a rush to have a second, so this has been great. This wonderful phenomenon is called Natural Child Spacing and "Ecological Breastfeeding".

KellyMom, my favorite website for breastfeeding information, provides great information about taking advantage of nature's way of spacing your children:

How can I maximize my natural period of infertility?

Timing for the return to fertility varies greatly from woman to woman and depends upon baby’s nursing pattern and how sensitive mom’s body is to the hormones involved in lactation.

• Breastfeeding frequency and total amount of time spent breastfeeding per 24 hours are the strongest factors leading to the return of fertility: a mother is more likely to see the return of fertility if baby’s nursing frequency and/or duration is reduced, particularly if the change is abrupt.
• In some populations, research has shown that night nursing slows the return to fertility.
• One study showed that mothers who were separated from their infants (but expressed milk to provide 100% breastmilk for baby) had a higher pregnancy risk (5.2%) during the first 6 months (Valdes 2000).
• The introduction of solid food can also be a factor in the return of fertility. Once baby starts solids (if mom’s cycles have not returned), the natural period of infertility may be prolonged by breastfeeding before offering solids, starting solids gradually, and not restricting nursing.

You can achieve higher effectiveness by practicing ecological breastfeeding:

• keeping baby close
• breastfeeding on cue (day and night)
• using breastfeeding to comfort your baby
• breastfeeding in a lying-down position for naps and at night
• using no bottles or pacifiers

If you practice ecological breastfeeding:

• Chance of pregnancy is practically zero during the first three months, less than 2% between 3 and 6 months, and about 6% after 6 months (assuming mom’s menstrual periods have not yet returned).
• The average time for the return of menstrual periods is 14.6 months.
• Moms whose cycles return early tend to be infertile for the first few cycles. Moms whose cycles return later are more likely to ovulate before their first period.
  Source: Natural Child Spacing and Breastfeeding by Jen O’Quinn

Source: Natural Child Spacing and Breastfeeding by Jen O’Quinn

While it is possible for a nursing mom to become pregnant while she is breastfeeding and before she has her first menstrual period, it is rare. Most moms do not get pregnant until after their first period (often referred to as the “warning period”). Even after that, while some can become pregnant the first cycle, others will require months of cycles before pregnancy can occur. Still others (this is quite uncommon) may not be able to become pregnant until complete weaning has occurred.

Read another article, published by La Leche League, Natural Child Spacing and Breastfeeding

(Note: After 6 months, even if you are still period-free, you should use birth control if another pregnancy is not desired at the moment)

During my 9-month maternity leave I followed all these guidelines, not because I knew about this, but because that is what kept my high-needs baby happy. 

I am sure that I'll start ovulating again before we are ready for our next pregnancy. And when we ARE ready, knowing me-  I'm sure I'll be in a rush to make things happen right away! I will take my own advice and use the methods suggested by "The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant" and my trusty Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor.  Read my "Getting Pregnant" post here: http://www.expectinghappiness.com/2013/05/getting-pregnant.html

Until then, I'm going to keep on breastfeeding and use all that money I'm saving on feminine products to buy another nursing bra, I'm going to need it!

 


Originally Posted: 06/12/2015