Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » fertility http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123 Breastfeeding 1-2-3: A Blog for Breastfeeding Tips and Support Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:57:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Breastfeeding and Fertility http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123/breastfeeding-and-fertility/ http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123/breastfeeding-and-fertility/#comments Fri, 23 Nov 2007 02:08:41 +0000 Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor http://www.breastfeeding123.com/breastfeeding-and-fertility/ Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

]]> pregnant-woman-with-son.jpgIn conjunction with the current poll on breastfeeding and the return of a woman’s menstrual cycle, I thought I would list some resources on the subject. The Kellymom.com breastfeeding and fertility page talks about using breastfeeding to prevent pregnancy, the transition to full fertility, and whether or not a mother needs to wean to get pregnant (hint: the answer generally is no). La Leche League offers several articles on breastfeeding and fertility, including one on whether or not it is normal not to have a period when breastfeeding.

I haven’t read these books, but La Leche League recommends Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing: How Ecological Breastfeeding Spaces Babies by Sheila Kippley and Your Fertility Signals: Using Them to Achieve or Avoid Pregnancy Naturally by Merryl Winstein.

Photo credit: E_B_A

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]]> http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123/breastfeeding-and-fertility/feed/ 1 Return of Fertility for Breastfeeding Mothers: A Poll http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123/return-of-fertility-for-breastfeeding-mothers-a-poll/ http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123/return-of-fertility-for-breastfeeding-mothers-a-poll/#comments Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:20:39 +0000 Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor http://www.breastfeeding123.com/return-of-fertility-for-breastfeeding-mothers-a-poll/ Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

]]> A Breastfeeding 1-2-3 reader suggested a great question for this next poll. She wanted to know when most breastfeeding women get their periods back after giving birth. (This would be a good question for mothers who are breastfeeding adopted newborns too but I think it might confuse the issue with different hormone changes and levels of milk supply, so if you are an adoptive mother, please do share your experience in the comments!)

Most women enjoy amenorrhea for a while, but it can be really frustrating for mothers who have not experienced a return of their menstrual cycles by the time they are ready to try to conceive again.

So, when did you get your period back? Do you think you ovulated before you got your first period (I ask because it relates to the Lactational Amenorrhea Method of birth control)? (My answers are: at 3 months postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding, and yes I think I ovulated beforehand). Take the poll!

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Please share your experience in the comments as well. If you were trying to become fertile again, what changes did you make (i.e. night-weaning, nutritional changes)? Rather than cutting back on nursing to see if it brought your cycles back, did you decide to wait longer before trying to conceive? How did/does all this affect the planning for and spacing of your children?

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