Wondering how breastfeeding affects fertility? Read on for answers
Whether you're planning for another baby, or hoping to avoid pregnancy, here's what you need to know about breastfeeding and your fertility.
How does breastfeeding affect fertility?
If you're not breastfeeding, you might ovulate as early as 5 to 6 weeks after birth.
Breastfeeding delays the return of your hormones to pre-pregnancy levels, which can delay ovulation and your periods.
Every mum is different—some get their periods back within months, others after a year or more. It can depend on your baby’s breastfeeding pattern and how your body responds to breastfeeding hormones.
Your periods may return when:
Your baby breastfeeds less or for shorter times, especially if this happens suddenly
You start offering formula top-ups
Your baby sleeps for longer stretches or through the night
Your baby starts solids.
When your period returns, it might not be regular at first. Even after periods return, breastfeeding mums often have fewer regular cycles and are less likely to get pregnant in the first year after birth.
Tip: Any change in vaginal mucus or bleeding could signal a change in your hormone levels and a return to fertility. Unless you know your ovulation signs very well, you may not know you're fertile again until your first period.
Do I have to stop breastfeeding to get pregnant?
If your periods have returned and you're ovulating, your fertility levels may be high enough to get pregnant and weaning won't usually help any further. You can check for ovulation using a temperature chart, cervical mucus changes or a home ovulation test.
If you have trouble ovulating, or the second half of your menstrual cycle isn't long enough to begin a pregnancy, you might need to wean for the best chance of success.
Some mums need to fully wean before ovulation returns.
If you're considering IVF, deciding whether to wean can be difficult. Some parents choose to wean to maximise their chances. If it doesn’t work, they'll know they did everything possible and not be left wondering if breastfeeding was stopping pregnancy. Other parents wait until their child weans naturally. This avoids the stress of weaning early but there is a risk that treatment may not work.
Birth control choices
Most couples start thinking about birth control soon after their baby’s birth. Breastfeeding mums have a several options but no method is 100 percent effective. Talk to your doctor or your state family planning organisation before deciding.
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method, known as LAM
LAM is listed by the World Health Organization as an accepted and effective method of contraception. Studies have shown that LAM is a 98% effective method of contraception for as long as you meet ALL of the following conditions:
Your periods have not returned.
AND your baby is less than 6 months of age.
AND you are exclusively (fully) breastfeeding (your baby is having no other foods or drinks).
Therefore, while your young baby continues to breastfeed frequently, you may not get pregnant.
Non-hormonal birth control methods
These can be a good choice after having a baby as they are safe to use when breastfeeding.
With condoms, you may need to use a water-based lubricant if your vagina is dry or if the latex makes you sore. Other methods include the copper intrauterine device (IUD), a diaphragm or an ovulation awareness method (such as the Billings Method).
Hormonal birth control methods
Progesterone-only methods (minipill, progestogen-containing IUD, injections and implants) are the most common hormonal methods used by breastfeeding women. Some women still find their milk supply drops, especially if they start the method while their baby is still very young. Feeding the baby more often for a while can sometimes fix this. However, some mothers find that their milk supply doesn’t return to normal until they change to a non-hormonal form of birth control.
Combined contraceptive pill may be used after 6 weeks only. Some breastfeeding women have found their milk supply still reduces after this time.
Emergency contraception doesn't usually have any effect on breastfeeding. Emergency contraception can be taken up to 72 hours after sex.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about the safety or suitability of different hormonal birth control options while breastfeeding. You can also call a medicines information line for advice.
The information on this website does not replace advice from your healthcare provider.
© Australian Breastfeeding Association April 2022
Evidence-led info and practical tips from our Parenting Information Series
Breastfeeding: diet, sex, exercise and more
