NFP or contraception after birth

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HelloItsMe

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Hi!
I’ve just had my second baby in june. They are 2 years apart, I’m 24yo and me and my husband are still both students. We would like to have some additional children in the future but would like to finish school and find a job & our own place to live before we do so. We would use NFP but because i’m fully breastfeeding my period isn’t likely to return for some time so i can’t really track my cycle… is it permissable to use non-abortive contraception (condoms) in the meantime? We wouldn’t be financially ready for another kid neither am i physically and mentally (and i know it can happen even before you get your period, some people have babies less than year apart…)
Thanks 🙂
 
Contraception is never an option for a catholic who wants to be faithful to the Church. If you are breastfeeding exclusive, the LAM method is 98 % effective in preventing conception during the first six months of the babies life (but only if exclusive breastfeeding is continued and the mother remains in amenorrhea). There are a lot of internet sources about this.

I also know that charting for nfp during breastfeeding can be done, although it’s a bit trickier. Others could tell you more about this.
 
Congratulation on your baby!

Contraception is never an option, but abstinence is always one!

You should discuss it with your priest, he will give the right answers.
 
NFP is harder postpartum but is doable. I breasfeed and have had my cycle return anywhere from 6 months to 11 months postpartum. It does require more abstinence than when you have a cycle but if you use STM, it’s much like how you would normally treat the transition from phase 1 to phase 2 - just for an extended period of time.

Alternatively, you could look into the Marquette Method if you want something more concrete.
 
HelloItsMe said:
We would use NFP but because i’m fully breastfeeding my period isn’t likely to return for some time so i can’t really track my cycle…
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Contact an instructor. If you didn’t learn an NFP method before pregnancy, it might be difficult to learn now. So, you will have some extended abstinence until your cycle does return and you can learn.

Talk to an instructor in a specific method for details.
HelloItsMe said:
is it permissable to use non-abortive contraception (condoms) in the meantime?
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No. Contraception is an intrinsic evil.

Abstinence is indicated in this situation.
 
Most major NFP methods have postpartum protocols. We learned a symptothermal method through the Couple to Couple League (CCL) before getting married, but once we had our first, we switched to the Marquette Method. I did try an online CCL postpartum course, but I had a hard time feeling comfortable with it. I was 8 weeks postpartum after a C-section and breastfeeding, and we certainly wanted to avoid, at least for the immediate future. The Marquette Method has been great for us. It can be a little pricey, but the more objective results were worth the cost. Whatever method one chooses, it is absolutely vital to work with a knowledgeable instructor. I am now just about 32 weeks with our second, and we are planning to return to the Marquette Method once this baby is born.

Many people have success with NFP during the postpartum period, even though it may require some additional days of abstinence if you are very seriously avoiding at the moment. If you have Facebook, there are some great Catholic NFP groups that have been very helpful to me.
 
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