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?
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.
