Charting while BFing w/ no PP AF?

[zandj]

is it possible? DD is almost 3 months. EBF but sleeping through the night, roughly 10-12 hours consistently. Is charting reliable without having had a PP AF or any kind of cycle going?

[GEM Cloth]

I'm interested in the experienced charting mamas' answers on this one! I'm just starting out with charting but from what I am learning, temping and checking CM would be awesome for you, that way you would know if/when you ovulate.

[Kap7270]

Some charting methods are much more accurate than others in this time period. The Creighton Model is based on cervical mucus only and is highly effective before the first PPAF. It can be a confusing time period, so it's especially important to get the advice of a good teacher.

[kaydove]

I looking for help on this. I'm at 10 months no ppaf, slow to start solids so still nursing often at night. There's not a lot of info out there for mamas who still haven't gotten ppaf after many months, its almost assumed that you'll get it well before 6 months....
I plan to breastfeed till at least 2 years, child led weaning.

[Kap7270]

Originally Posted by kaydove I looking for help on this. I'm at 10 months no ppaf, slow to start solids so still nursing often at night. There's not a lot of info out there for mamas who still haven't gotten ppaf after many months, its almost assumed that you'll get it well before 6 months.... I plan to breastfeed till at least 2 years, child led weaning.

What sort of help are you looking for? As I previously mentioned, I thought Creighton Model worked great. For DS, my PPAF didn't return until 10 month (he self-weaned at 16 months) and we didn't have any problems using it to avoid pregnancy. DD is now one month old, so we just started using it again to temporarily avoid pregnancy. Feel free to message me if you want more info.

[Ebeuchat]

Originally Posted by Kap7270 Some charting methods are much more accurate than others in this time period. The Creighton Model is based on cervical mucus only and is highly effective before the first PPAF. It can be a confusing time period, so it's especially important to get the advice of a good teacher.

This! Each time has been different for me. With baby #1 ppaf came at 6 mo, with #2 it came at 8 mo, and now with #3 I'm 13mo and no ppaf yet. Only #1 sttn at 4 mo, #2 sttn at 14 mo, and #3 has never sttn! Checking mucous has been very reliable for us, but temps are all over the place. We've taken an nfp refresher before each birth just to be updated!

[kaydove]

If you're not ovulating than how can nfp be reliable? Do you just keep checking for eggwhite cervical fluid and if so assume you're fertile? What about creamy cf? Isn't that semi fertile? Are there typical fluids during breastfeeding regardless of fertility? Before I drop my first pp egg, would I follow a typical fertile pattern?

Prior to baby, I was very irregular and had a miscarriage. I actually used clomid second try. I had a hard time ovulating, my body would rev up a couple times before ovulating. I would ovulate cd 18 and have a 11 day lp.

[Kap7270]

Originally Posted by kaydove If you're not ovulating than how can nfp be reliable? Do you just keep checking for eggwhite cervical fluid and if so assume you're fertile? What about creamy cf? Isn't that semi fertile? Are there typical fluids during breastfeeding regardless of fertility? Before I drop my first pp egg, would I follow a typical fertile pattern? Prior to baby, I was very irregular and had a miscarriage. I actually used clomid second try. I had a hard time ovulating, my body would rev up a couple times before ovulating. I would ovulate cd 18 and have a 11 day lp.

To simplify, you're looking for changes in your mucus discharge. Some women have a continuous discharge the entire time they breastfeed (which may even look like egg whites the entire time). And it is very normal to have patches of fertile mucus that come and go as your body is gearing up for the first pp ovulation. In fact, the first three cycles can be quite unusual. That's why it's so helpful to have a well educated teacher who can help you decipher the signs.
I'm very sorry to hear about your miscarriage. Some women who have difficulty conceiving find that a full-term pregnancy helps regulate things and they are able to conceive without any help (or even accidentally) the next time.

[kaydove]

So do you avoid or use protection during patches of fertile mucus?

That's what I'm afraid of! We don't want anymore! I don't do well with hormonal bc, not all that interested in copper iud since copper earrings bug me to no end, and just now reading about complications and risks of vascetomy! Ahhh!

[Kap7270]

Originally Posted by kaydove So do you avoid or use protection during patches of fertile mucus? That's what I'm afraid of! We don't want anymore! I don't do well with hormonal bc, not all that interested in copper iud since copper earrings bug me to no end, and just now reading about complications and risks of vascetomy! Ahhh!

Avoid. But in the case of a woman with continuous mucus, clearly all of it is not fertile (even if it looks like egg whites). That's where the teacher helps - so you can identify which days are truly potentially fertile.