when to track after giving birth

[diymotherhood]

Hello Mommas,

I have three beautiful children and while I want another one, I would like to wait just a little longer. My youngest is 3 months old and I have not gotten my period back. Is there anyway to predict when I'll be fertile again before I get my period? Could I get pregnant without getting a period? How would I ever know the due date then?

I have never used family planning before, but would like to give it a whirl. I think now is a good time, because if I mess up and get pregnant it's no big deal since I want another baby at some point. :-)

I read online about the 2 day method and it sounds real easy and hassle-free. I wonder if that's reliable postpartum?

Has any of you ever started family planning postpartum? I am still exclusively breastfeeding, too, and plan on continuing to do so.

Thanks for the pointers,

Anita Evensen

[Spunkify]

Yes, you can get pregnant without getting a period because you can ovulate before your first period and conceive at the time. However, there is LAM and that can be very accurate assuming you meet certain criteria.

At under 6 months of age, in a baby that goes no longer that 4-6 hours between feedings at the breast, if the mom hasn't had AF return yet it can be 98% effective in preventing pregnancy.

That being said, every woman is different and like other methods of birth control, it's not for everyone. If your periods have returned you can't rely on it. If you supplement with bottles/formula, sleep train your baby, baby is older than a year, etc. the effectiveness of LAM (Lactational Amenorrhea Method) is reduced.

If you search "Lactational Amenorrhea Method" you'll find a lot of information, but here's an easy to read page that breaks it down: http://www.arhp.org/Publications-and.../Breastfeeding

This thread someone else just started may help you also:
http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/....php?t=1486126

[gracekissed]

There's a really good explanation of LAM at KellyMom.com (A BF info site) as well. If you meet the requirements for LAM, you can start keeping track at 6 months as long as your cycle doesn't return before then. If you have a bleeding episode first, start tracking then. I would buy a book on charting (Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a good one), and learn all you can about cervical fluid, because that's what you'll want to be paying close attention to to start.

The 2-day method may or may not be reliable for you post-partum, as many women have a steady, unchanging fluid pattern while breastfeeding (I know I did), so if you never have dry days, it won't be very user friendly. I have found that Fluid-only methods end up giving couples a lot fewer "safe" days than CF and temping methods, especially when cycles are irregular or absent, like in the PP period. You can have patches of fluid, but not ovulate, and you don't know whether or not to expect AF, or if you body just tried to pop an egg but didn't quite make it yet.