Novice at Billings method - question pls

[trials]

Hi,

As per title, I have just started using this method, and being 4 hours from the nearest teacher, I am self-taught using a booklet and the net. I recently had my 3rd child, am 9 weeks post partum, my cycle hasn’t returned yet even though I’m not breastfeeding, and I have a question - are the Peak days really obvious to identify? In comparison to the Basic Infertile Pattern?

Since this is a question of a delicate nature, I would be happy if someone could PM me an answer please.

My instinct tells me to err on the safe side and wait for the return of my cycle, then wait for the post ovulatory period, 4 days after Peak to be sure. I guess it may be different for everyone, but if you could let me know from your own experience - Peak versus BIP - is it easy to tell the difference?

Further info is that I’m trying to avoid conception for the time being (not necessarily in the future though) because this was my 3rd section in 6 years and the doc told me to wait 2 years before having more babies. And do you know, I keep having nightmares that I find myself pregnant 3 months after section and end up hospitalised. Nice!

 

[manualman]

This is a really hard way to learn NFP. I generally beg friends and family to learn the method while engaged so that they can screw up the learning period (I assume chastity) without risking life and limb (such as in your case).

Every person is different and no two women have the same exact fertile pattern. Mucus altering drugs (cold medicines) also can mess up the use of Billing’s since it relies totally on the properties of the mucus secretions.

But since you’re here and it sounds like pregnancy right now would be a significant health risk, I’d suggest that you wait until you’ve had one clear cycle at least so you can learn your own pattern. A significantly riskier approach would be to at least take two days off between intercourse and at least three days from the observation of ANY mucus. If you always have a base level of mucus (my wife thankfully doesn’t), that gets REALLY hard to tell from a book/pamphlet.

I fear your husband is going to hate me!

 

[casey_zia]

I recently had my 3rd child, am 9 weeks post partum, my cycle hasn’t returned yet even though I’m not breastfeeding, and I have a question - are the Peak days really obvious to identify? In comparison to the Basic Infertile Pattern?

BIP is totally distinguishable from the Peak, else nobody could know where they were at. The BIP is unchanging, whereas the “changing pattern of fertility” progresses to the Peak. What have you experienced in the last few weeks? Are you trying to chart?

My instinct tells me to err on the safe side and wait for the return of my cycle, then wait for the post ovulatory period, 4 days after Peak to be sure. Nice!

If you’re not breastfeeding, it shouldn’t be long before under hormonal influence you start your cycles. But how are you going to get to the “post-ovulatory” moments unless you can recognize a pattern that points to ovulation? Assuming ovulation a few weeks after a bleed is really a calendar method, not the Billings. Please PM me.