Cycle has not returned- should I keep taking the pill?

[zenmumajen]

Hi everyone.

I have been on the pill since 6 weeks PP and am still full time breastfeeding. My cycle has not returned and I really don't want to be taking the pill if I don't need to, even though we are TTA. I bought Taking Charge of Your Fertility but have not read it. My understanding is that I can't chart unless I have a cycle. My question is: is it safe to go off the pill and wait for my cycle to return? 

[mt_gooseberry]

You DO NOT have to be cycling in order to chart.  First of all, depending on how you breastfeed, you may be infertile for months just from that alone.  Second, you USUALLY have what is called a "warning menses (period)" before fertility returns when breastfeeding, so you'll USUALLY have a warning that you're about to return to fertility.  That said, I did get pregnant at 10 months pp without having a warning menses, so it does happen.  However, if you begin charting and observing the signs of fertility before you ever start cycling, you should be able to predict your returning fertility that way.  So my advice is, read TCOYF, check out some other FAM resources (the Couple to Couple League has a book specifically about family planning during the postpartum time), and start charting!  One last warning:  having taken hormonal birth control can screw up your cycles even after you get off of it, so might want to get help interpreting your charts if you think you'll start cycling soon.  If you breastfeed enough that your cycles will be delayed, you should be OK by the time your cycles start to return.