One of the most common questions we got after the podcast episode about breastfeeding with Therese Dansby was around ecological breastfeeding and when your cycle will return.

When we are breastfeeding, prolactin is high and estrogen and progesterone are low. This delays ovulation and can be used as birth control for the firs 6 months postpartum (unless your period returns of course).

Ecological breastfeeding is a specific type of breastfeeding and lifestyle that follows seven principles that are shown to delay ovulation and fertility. Swipe for the seven principles!

When it comes to ecological breastfeeding, many women use this as a natural method of child spacing. The average ecological breastfeeder gets their period back 9-20 months postpartum. Ideally, we have 3 years to recover from a pregnancy before we get pregnant with another baby. This gives our bodies time to recover from the nutrient depletion or pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the postpartum transition.

You might be reading these and thinking it feels impossible. Ecological breastfeeding is definitely a lifestyle and takes planning and commitment. I am lucky enough to be able to practice ecological breastfeeding while working from home with the help of a part time nanny. I know many women that would love to practice ecological breastfeeding but cannot because they have to go to work and cannot afford at home childcare like a nanny.

I wish we had better paid maternity leave in the U.S. to allow women to do this in at least the first year of life. I also know women that would go crazy doing this or can’t because they have to bottle feed due to unforeseen breastfeeding struggles. You have to do what works for you and your family.

@happy.mama.healthy.baby talks more about this in this podcast episode on the Are you menstrual? podcast.

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