In this article
You may have heard that moms are super fertile after birth, but the truth couldn’t be more complicated. How fertile you are after giving birth depends on a myriad of factors like breastfeeding, stress, diet, age, birth complications, and fertility issues.
On top of all that, your period isn’t an accurate indication of fertility, as some women don’t ovulate during their first cycle after birth — and, while rare, women can also get pregnant before their first postpartum period.
So, how do you know if you can get pregnant? The answer is found in being as informed as you can be about the state of your body and knowing which contraceptives are safe to use.
How soon can you get pregnant after giving birth?
According to health experts, you could get pregnant as early as three weeks after giving birth. That means that ovulation may occur before you are even done healing from your delivery.
Despite there being a possibility early on of getting pregnant, most women who aren’t breastfeeding won’t ovulate until after six weeks postpartum. A critical study on ovulation in postpartum women published in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2011 revealed that only a small amount of women ovulate early on after pregnancy.
Keep in mind that sex in the early weeks after giving birth is not strongly encouraged by doctors as your body has yet to fully recover. Once you are cleared by your doctor, know that even then intercourse may be uncomfortable. The NHS of England suggests to take it slow and use lubrication, to speak up if penetration hurts, and if pain seems to persist, to consult with your doctor.
Breastfeeding as contraception
Moms can still get pregnant while breastfeeding, though breastfeeding — and the hormonal changes that come with it — does help delay ovulation and temporarily decreases the chances of getting pregnant.
Because of this delayed fertility effect, some people use the Lactational Amenorrhea Method as a form of contraception, which only works if a mom exclusively nurses her less than 6-month-old baby on demand (at least every four hours during the day and six hours during the night), or until her period returns. When done perfectly, LAM has been shown to be about 98% effective. But because the criteria can be hard to maintain, and ovulation can occur before a period, many doctors do recommend playing it safe and using another form of birth control.
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding notes that most breastfeeding moms will resume their periods between 9 to 18 months after their baby’s birth, but what’s normal can be wide-ranging. Some women start ovulating shortly after birth, some when there are changes in schedules (like when Baby sleeps longer at night or Mom returns to work), and others won’t start until the baby is weaned.
Safe forms of birth control for breastfeeding moms
Experts recommend using birth control as soon as three weeks after birth. Women who are breastfeeding can safely use birth control, even hormonal methods, such as:
- Intrauterine devices (IUD)
- Estrogen-progestin options, such as the ring, the patch, and pills.
- Progestin-only birth control pills and birth control injection of DMPA
- Implants (like Nexplanon)
- Barrier methods, such as condoms, diaphragms, and cervical cap (though if you’ve used a diaphragm or cervical cap before, wait until your first postpartum checkup; to increase effectiveness, use with spermicide or foam)
For birth control containing estrogen, women should be cautious of using those methods during the first three weeks after giving birth. These methods can increase the risk of dangerous blood clots and lower milk supply. Those who delivered by C-section or have risk factors for blood clots should wait six weeks.
How long should I wait before getting pregnant again?
Consecutive pregnancies can be hard on our bodies. Many medical advisors suggest waiting over a year before trying for another baby.
“Becoming pregnant again within 18 months after a previous pregnancy [can] increase the risk of pregnancy problems,” warned Naomi Swanson, M.D. with University of New Mexico Health. “The risk is higher if you get pregnant within 6 months of a previous pregnancy.” Birth complications such as low birth weight and premature birth can occur if our bodies are not given time to completely recover.
Take time for self-care
Experts aren’t exactly sure why there’s an increase in chances of health problems (and there are many moms who got pregnant shortly after giving birth and had healthy babies), but they think it might have to do with not having enough time to rebuild supply of nutrients, needing to heal from infections and inflammations and not letting the vaginal microbiome return to the way it was before pregnancy.
Women older than 35 or who have had a miscarriage or stillbirth should talk to their doctors about how long to wait between pregnancies.
After having gone through months of changes during pregnancy, it’s important to give your body a chance to make a full recovery. Mom Kristen Winiarski noted the importance of taking time for ourselves. "As moms, we take on so much that the though of actually carving out time for ourselves is guilt-inducing," she previously wrote for Mom.com. "But when we reframe it to know that balancing our own lives actually creates a happier family, it becomes worth it." Taking the time to let your body heal is never wrong.
*Disclaimer: The advice on Mom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.