breastfeeding and return of fertility

[Reallytired]

On average when does a woman's fertility return if she exclusively breastfeeds for six months and then follows baby lead weaning? I believe that the lactational amerrohea method is fairly reliable for the first six months, provided breastfeeding is on demand and exclusive.

I know that the return of menses can be quite variable. For example with my son I had my first period at 27 months, but I know one unlucky person who had their first period at 8 weeks inspite of exclusive breastfeeding.

I know it is possible that ovulation can happen before the first period. Is there anyway of telling when a woman is ovulating. Ie. could you use something like persona once the baby is over six months or no longer exclusively breastfeed.

Don't know but will watch with interest. DS is just over 1 and have just had what looks like the start of my first period. Was also wondering if I was back up to pre-baby fertility.

You can use natural fertility monitoring (for me the return of cervical mucous did indicate fertility - though I got pregnant before my periods returned! so have no idea when they would).

I don't think there is an average but having a baby sleep for periods of more than five hours seems to trigger remenstruation.

Officially you can't use Persona when breastfeeding; unofficically I might be prepared to try it once my cycles were back to normal but it just plain wouldn't work if periods hadn't started again.

Toni Weschler has a section on natural fertility monitoring during lactational amenorrhoea in Taking Charge Of Your Fertility which I would recommend reading. Essentially IIRC it boiled down to being aware of your cervical mucus and assuming that any changes towards more fertile quality cervical mucus signalled the impending return of ovulation, but it was more involved than that.

There will be an average, obviously, but I can't see that it's of any use to an individual woman. In my case it seems to be linked to amount of time the baby sleeps at night.