who's using contraception and could i be pg?

[kimkim]

so dd is 3 months and no sign of AF. i ebf on demand, we co-sleep and i am NOT ready to start thinking about #2 yet. dh and i have dtd maybe 3 times since she was born and last week about a day or two (i don't remember exactly, i'm still sleep deprived) i noticed cm for the first time and freaked out. what are my chances of being pg?  i had heard that ebf was 98% effective,, which is like condoms. and i don't want to take the pill and mess with hormones and having the iud inserted was so painful, i wanted to be free of contraception for awhile, but now i'm starting to regret it as i try not to panic about the possibility of being pg again. i really want to focus on getting to know this baby and spend time with her and am not ready for for another change in my life.

so...what are my chances at being pg?

and what are you all doing in regards to contraception?

[motherhendoula]

I dont know if EBF is 98% effective...maybe like 85% - 90% ....its different for everyone.  Co sleeping helps the equation - but it implies that you are also night nursing.  My LO was sleeping 6 hours at night before he was 4 weeks old...(and has continued to do so)  with that 6 hour span spent NOT nursing - my midwife told me not to rely on EBF for contraception ...also, another baby right now and my DH would have a real meltdown...lol  so for us, we use condoms.

[kimkim]

we still night nurse, the max is like 4 hours. i'm jealous your lo is sleeping 6 hrs! i have only seen that once so far. dh HATES condoms with a passion and i hate bc but may have to give...i had a mirena before dd and i almost passed out and was in pain for weeks adjusting to it. if i do the iud again, i'd consider copper but i hear its' bigger and causes more bleeding and cramping, which was a problem for me pre-bc.
 

Originally Posted by motherhendoula 

I dont know if EBF is 98% effective...maybe like 85% - 90% ....its different for everyone.  Co sleeping helps the equation - but it implies that you are also night nursing.  My LO was sleeping 6 hours at night before he was 4 weeks old...(and has continued to do so)  with that 6 hour span spent NOT nursing - my midwife told me not to rely on EBF for contraception ...also, another baby right now and my DH would have a real meltdown...lol  so for us, we use condoms.

[dakotablue]

My first and only sign of return to fertility was some EWCM that I thought either this is sperm (cause there wasn't a lot but honestly I knew it wasn't but couldn't quite wrap my head around it) or this was my body trying to gear up (This is what I really honestly assumed) But it was only 1 night and the next day there was nothing.

It wasn't until I felt sick and took a test that I even remember the above.  and in retrospect Dh and I were extremely interested in one another, which I had assumed was just our getting back on track after the baby.

That said DS was 7 1/2 months when this happened.

We're happy!!

[Eresh]

Here is one resource about the effectiveness of LAM

http://www.nfpandmore.org/The%20Seven%20Standards%20Summary.pdf

I'm about 8 weeks pp and we've not used BC (we've DTD twice).  I pretty much follow the 7 standards with DS2 so I feel fairly safe for the next month.  DH is NOT open to another kid and has talked about a vasectomy before but hasn't scheduled one so who knows whether or not it will happen.  I'm NOT open to hormonal BC or having any alterations to my body or any IUDs so the choices are pretty much condoms or some sort of FAM. 

[kimkim]

so i'm curious if anyone knows that if your baby sleeps through the night but in your bed, ecological bf counts or is null? my baby is still 4 hrs, 3, then 2 then up for the day. i nurse on demand but i'd like her to sleep longer during the night but don't want to risk the ebf...ideas? thoughts? i pretty much follow the 7 steps as well, so that's good. i appreciate the links! i'm learning so much 

[kimkim]

ALSO: 

step 7 of ebf-does this mean my dh can't put her down for a nap? or i can't go away for an hour or two without the baby? do i need to nurse her to sleep or just allow it if she wants it...and should i not unlatch her? she will usually unlatch on her own while asleep but nurses for comfort for awhile.  i hope to focus on ebf and we'll see what my body's signs are. the cm that i had a few days after dtd still freaks me out...