Unlike menstrual cycles where stress tends to delay ovulation, during breast-feeding the effect of stress is to allow ovulation to occur earlier than it might otherwise. Prolactin is inhibited, the oestrogen levels rise and fertile cycles return much sooner. If a woman chooses to bottle feed her baby then her fertility is likely to return around six weeks after the birth, but ovulation may occur as early as the fourth week. In 50 per cent of women ovulation occurs before the first menstrual period. Ovulation may occur as early as the fifth week or may be delayed to the second or third month.
Menstruation commonly occurs at the seventh or eighth week.
Women who wish to use a natural method of family planning post-natally require the support of a qualified NFP teacher. Education, Book and Video. I have been married now for 15 years and successfully used natural family planning to plan our two children. I now feel I may be reaching the menopause. I am 41 years old, and my mother went through the change early in life.