Does breastfeeding affect fertility?

To bury the myth once and for all: women who are breastfeeding are not necessarily infertile. They can, in fact, get pregnant during this time.

However, women who breastfeed have anovulatory cycles over the course of several months. This means that during this time, no egg cells are maturing and therefore they are infertile. This does not extend over the entire breastfeeding period. It also depends on factors such as the woman’s age and the frequency and duration of breastfeeding. Generally speaking: the more frequent and longer the episodes of breastfeeding, the longer the period of anovulation (and thus infertility) persists.

If the woman has been breastfeeding for more than six months and the breastfeeding periods are not regular and sufficiently consistent, then there is a possibility of becoming pregnant. This can also be the case even if menstruation has not yet occurred. Postpartum ovulation can take place without previous menstruation, which actually is relatively common.

breathe ilo fertility tracker helps you to learn where you are in your cycle. That way, you can get to know your body better and understand your unique cycle ♡