If you’re wondering how to track your cycle while breastfeeding, whether you’re fertile if your period hasn’t returned yet, or how to naturally space your pregnancies postpartum, you’re asking the right questions. In fact, these are some of the most common concerns women face after giving birth!
The blurry transition between giving birth and regaining hormonal regularity can feel confusing, especially when your body doesn’t follow a predictable timeline. Let’s unpack the facts so you can move forward with confidence, clarity, and real knowledge of your fertility signs postpartum.
EPISODE 15 | HOLISTICALLY WELL PODCAST: CAN YOU OVULATE WHILE BREASTFEEDING? UNDERSTANDING POSTPARTUM FERTILITY & YOUR CYCLE
Whether you learn best by listening or watching, we’ve got something for you! You can catch the full conversation on the Holistically Well Podcast—available on all your favorite platforms!
🎧 Holistically Well Podcast on Apple | Episode 15
🎙️ Holistically Well Podcast on Spotify | Episode 15
💻 Holistically Well Podcast on YouTube | Episode 15
📌 Quick Navigation
- Can You Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding?
- How Ovulation Works Postpartum
- Key Fertility Signs to Watch For
- The Best Fertility Awareness Methods Postpartum
- How to Track Your Cervical Mucus
- Using Tech and Apps for Cycle Tracking
- When to Seek Help for Irregular Postpartum Cycles
Can You Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding?
Yes—you can ovulate while breastfeeding, even if your period hasn’t returned yet.
Ovulation always occurs before a menstrual bleed. This is why many women are surprised by a postpartum pregnancy—they ovulate once, don’t recognize it, and have unprotected sex during that fertile window.
The takeaway? A missing period doesn’t mean your fertility is on pause.
Questions like this—when ovulation returns, how to track your cycle while nursing, what signs to look for, and how to support your body through recovery—are exactly what we cover in the 12-week Holistically Well Postpartum Program!
✨ Want to feel more connected and confident in your body? Learn how to rebuild strength and stability with a step-by-step, evidence-based approach designed just for postpartum recovery.
How Ovulation Works Postpartum
After giving birth, your body enters a pre-ovulatory phase, which can vary dramatically from person to person. For some women, it lasts just a few months. For others, it may stretch into two years—especially with frequent, exclusive breastfeeding.
This phase is driven by high prolactin levels (a hormone elevated by nursing), which suppress estrogen and delay the return of regular ovulation.
However, as nursing sessions become less frequent or spaced out—like when your baby starts solids or sleeps longer at night—prolactin levels drop, and fertility may return.
Key Fertility Signs to Watch For
Even if your cycle hasn’t officially resumed, your body gives clues when fertility is returning:
- Cervical Mucus Changes
A noticeable shift from dryness to stretchy, clear, slippery “egg white” mucus typically indicates estrogen is rising and ovulation is approaching. - Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
A slight increase in temperature post-ovulation confirms that ovulation has occurred. However, temperature rises after the fertile window, so it’s more useful retrospectively. - LH & Estrogen Urine Tests:
Tools like the Marquette Method use at-home urine monitors to detect hormonal surges and pinpoint ovulation.
✅ Feeling unsure if your symptoms are “normal”? Inside my Postpartum Program, I guide you through body literacy, healing timelines, and personalized movement—so you’re not left guessing.
The Best Fertility Awareness Methods Postpartum
Depending on your postpartum goals (avoiding or achieving pregnancy), different methods may serve you best!
🔬 1. Marquette Method
- Uses a Clearblue fertility monitor to track estrogen and LH.
- Offers objective biomarkers to support decision-making.
- Can get expensive with frequent test strip usage ($1 per test).
- Ideal for women who want extra confirmation or are trying to avoid pregnancy closely postpartum.
💧 2. Cervical Mucus Tracking
- Monitors physical signs like consistency, color, stretchiness, and sensation (dry vs. slippery).
- Free and accessible, but may be harder to interpret during breastfeeding due to hormonal fluctuations.
📋 3. FEM, Creighton, Billings & More
- These are established fertility awareness-based methods with unique charting systems and philosophies.
- Often work best with one-on-one instruction from a certified educator.
🍼 4. Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
- 95% effective in preventing pregnancy during the first six months postpartum if:
- You’re exclusively breastfeeding (no pacifiers, bottles, or long stretches without nursing)
- Your baby is under 6 months
- You haven’t had a period yet.
- You’re exclusively breastfeeding (no pacifiers, bottles, or long stretches without nursing)
💡 This is the kind of guidance we bring into every week of the program! And if you’re reeeally honest with yourself (and me), you know that having the guidance of a postpartum physical therapist from home could solve all those problems swirling in your head. And then some…
Real conversations. Real tools. Join us here and take your next step with confidence.
How to Track Your Cervical Mucus
- Start Each Day With Observation: Use folded toilet paper to gently wipe front to back.
- Pay Attention to Sensation: Was it dry, moist, slippery?
- Look at the Paper: Is there visible mucus? What color is it—clear, cloudy, yellow?
- Test Stretchability: Use fingers to stretch it—does it form a string?
- Chart Your Findings: Apps, pen and paper, or dedicated method-specific charts can help.
Using Tech and Apps for Cycle Tracking
There are numerous apps and devices that sync with your cycle data!
💡 Here Are A Few Popular Tools
- FEMM App: Allows you to log mucus and other biomarkers. Best used alongside a trained instructor.
- Ovia Fertility App: User-friendly with predictive insights; adapts to your cycle over time.
- Aura Ring (with Natural Cycles): Combines temperature tracking with cycle prediction.
- Pen & Paper: Especially helpful when learning a new method—forces mindfulness and pattern recognition.
🔁 Important Tip: If switching apps or tracking systems, track in both places for 3-4 months before fully transitioning.
When to Seek Help for Irregular Postpartum Cycles
Some irregularity is normal as your HPO (hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian) axis wakes up again. But seek professional support if:
- Your cycles are more than 60 days apart after several months.
- You experience unusual bleeding or symptoms.
- You’ve had 3–6 months of erratic cycles with no pattern emerging.
- You suspect issues like thyroid imbalance, postpartum depletion, or secondary infertility.
Consider working with a Fertility Awareness Educator or Holistic Nurse Practitioner who can review your chart and recommend testing, nutrition support, and hormonal evaluation.
You Can Confidently Track Your Fertility Postpartum
You do not have to rely on hormonal birth control to avoid pregnancy after baby. Whether you’re trying to conceive again or looking to naturally space your children, fertility awareness methods are safe, effective, and empowering—even when breastfeeding.
Just remember: Every postpartum body is different. Be patient, stay consistent with tracking, and don’t hesitate to seek support.
Whether you’re newly postpartum or months in, this 12-week program meets you where you are—with clinical insight and heart-centered support Dr. Kayla Borchers is here to support your body from the inside out.
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
- FEMM Health App
- Marquette Method Overview
- Ovia Fertility App
- Lactational Amenorrhea Method
- One-on-One Support: Contact Cassandra Subler, Certified FEM Educator
💬 Have Questions?
Drop your comments below or reach out directly for personalized fertility tracking support. This journey doesn’t have to be confusing. With knowledge comes power. Peace of mind, too! Drop your questions to me directly @drkaylaborchers on Instagram or schedule time for personalized 1:1 postpartum support! This journey doesn’t have to be confusing.
With knowledge comes power. Peace of mind, too!
