Anyone use Natural Family Planning?

krrpe99

There have been a couple of posts on here in other topics about Natural family planning, but I think it could use its own thread.

Has anyone used NFP post partum before? The classes for it are very sporadic, so I've been doing my own research. I was going to start charting temperatures as soon as mucus appeared (I'm six weeks pp.) My question is about how accurate can the temperatures be since sleeping is so erratic? I used to take my temps at the same time every day, but now I get up with DD at all different times. I'm not opposed to having another baby, but a few more months without getting pregnant would be great

Mamabeagle

It likely won't be bullet proof since you will probably be temping with not enough uninterrupted sleep and not at the exact same time. 

claireloSC

I would trust OPK more than temping, personally. Temping never helped when I was TTC. 

Grace213

Yeah, I did last year. Then I got pregnant with DS. My OPK's lied. Haha!

MissMheMhe

Technically your temp won't rise until you have already ovulated. And as previously mentioned, you might not have enough uninterrupted sleep for it to be accurate.

SBH041815

@krrpe99 I have used NFP for the last 9 years. How long have you been using the method? It has been extremely effective for me.
PP signs are a bit more difficult to interprete but between temp, mucus, and cervix it still tells the story. Also are you exclusively breastfeeding? That affects it as well.
 It has been 6 years since I had a LO so I need to do some refreshing myself. I'm just now to the point I need to consider it and was planning to get out my book again. I may also call our teachers, they are always quite helpful. I would suggest calling your teachers if you can or the NFP leaders on their website are also there to help. 

mltarrio

Lurking from D15

There is a great free app called Kindara that can help with NFP, although they call it Fertility Awareness Method, which is more or less the same thing. It has helpful guides, customizable BBT charts, and a really great community so you can ask questions. I used it to get pregnant, but a lot of women on there use it to avoid pregnancy.

I was planning on returning to this method of BC after my baby, but I had a c section and my midwife told me it wasn't safe to have a baby within the next year, so I am choosing something a little more proactive. I was worried too that BF and getting up in the night would make NFP difficult, and I don't want to risk another pregnancy so soon. 

krrpe99

@SBH041815 I haven't been using it all that long. Just under a year when we got pregnant. (One of the reasons I wanted to learn it!) And I'm not EBF. I never got much of a milk supply, and I think it may be dwindling already So I'd like to be prepared for when fertility returns. 

I might look at that Kindara app again. I tried using different apps to chart before I decided I just liked the paper ones. 

willashbaby

Not a chance, I used it to GET pregnant but I could never trust it not to. My cycle was fairly regular but there was still some shifting here and there and I just wouldn't risk it. It's one thing if you could handle another but I know right now I absolutely cannot. We're waiting for my nexplanon. 

ChrissyD1203

I really want to for religious reasons (not that this has stopped me from using artificial birth control methods in the past) and because I've had bad experiences with the hormones from the pill but I'm too worried about doing it incorrectly particularly if its true that it's harder while breastfeeding / having interrupted sleeps.  I'm struggling with this religiously but thinking about getting the minipill for a year until I stop breastfeeding and then trying NFP for a two years or so (hoping not to get pregnant for at least 2 1/2 years) I want to make sure my body fully recovers from birth to give myself and next baby all the advantages possible and mentally I don't think I could handle being pregnant again right now. 

Karenin

I did it using opks (never took a class and was too lazy to chart) and got pregnant with DD on month 3. So I'm guessing you'd need to put more work in than I did (temps etc)

ChrissyD1203

How are you / baby doing?  I've been thinking of you all @Karenin