NFP after baby, frustrated

[Xantippe]

kelfa28 said:

“Let’s stick to the topic at hand before we start heavily hinting that moms who don’t nurse are bad mothers because their formula fed babies sleep thoroughly.”

I’ve breastfed 100% (direct and via bottle) and had babies who slept like little boulders in cribs and didn’t do any of the ecological breastfeeding stuff, but had fertility return no sooner than after a year three times (I strongly suspect I’d have trouble getting pregnant within that year, but I’m not about to test that hypothesis). Meanwhile, other women get pregnant right away while breastfeeding newborns round the clock. It is so very individual.

Another issue is that if I’m remembering correctly, very short cycles are common postpartum. In fact, it happens that they are so short that Phase 1 is practically non-existent. I would be very cautious about attempting to use Phase 1 postpartum until cycles have settled into a recognizable rhythm.

 

[manualman]

One realization that I found profoundly helpful in those tough times is that NFP is supposed to suck. Really. I think we do a serious disservice in trying to market it as this awesome experience that bonds the couple closer together. Yada yada.

The reality is that it’s more fun to eat junk food than healthy veggies. It’s more comfortable to watch TV than to exercise. It’s easier to read action novels than classics. Nearly everything that’s worth anything in life requires sacrifice and effort.

If the practice of NFP didn’t stink, we wouldn’t be forced to examine the need to avoid pregnancy. It would just be another form of birth control. Instead it is the opposite. It innately pushes our face into the reasons we have for avoiding pregnancy and functions like a BS detector. Unfortunately, the side effect of that is that it makes for some extremely difficult times as well. Just remember that the easy way out usually isn’t the best. Hang in there, it doesn’t last forever!

 

[maryjk]

One realization that I found profoundly helpful in those tough times is that NFP is supposed to suck. Really. I think we do a serious disservice in trying to market it as this awesome experience that bonds the couple closer together. Yada yada.

Yep.

That is the point, it suppose to suck.

And boy does it.