The Bad With The Good

This just came as part of a weekly email that I get regarding my baby's development. These emails are very informative. I enjoy them because they help me to know what to expect from my newborn. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of times they burst my bubble. I am thinking that Campo is the most brilliant baby in the world. I call people and have a conversation along the lines of:

Me: You'll never guess. He just did INSERT AMAZINGLY INTERESTING THING LIKE GRABBING FOR SOMETHING HANGING ABOVE HIM
Other person: exclaims in amazement and disbelief.
Me: Well, yes, he's brilliant. Very advanced."

and then I'll get the email that he was supposed to be doing what I was just gushing about. Anyhoo....along with the good information that you get, here are bits and pieces of the extra @!#^& that you have to put up with from time to time. Emphasis is mine!

Your life: Don't forget birth control!
Quick: If you're breastfeeding, can you get pregnant? What if you haven't had a period yet since giving birth?

The answers are yes and yes. Even if you're only sexually semiactive, it's possible to conceive. What the heck does sexually semiactive mean? I can't even imagine! Contrary to folk wisdom, breastfeeding itself is not a contraceptive, and you'll begin to ovulate before you have a period, but you can't be sure when that will be. You could be sure if you were doing NFP...more specifically, the Billings Ovulation Method that I use. I will know exactly when I am ovulating! So it's wise to use contraception unless you wouldn't mind giving your newborn a closely spaced sibling. Wouldn't it be more wise to use NFP so you would know for sure?

Your doctor can map out all the options (except NFP in most cases), but here are some considerations:

What did you use before you got pregnant? (NFP) You can't necessarily pick up where you left off. (Well, I can) If you used a diaphragm before you got pregnant, be sure to have it refitted, as your body may have changed due to childbirth. (Hmmm...sounds like a lot of trouble to me. Definitley means a trip to the doctor which I don't have time for and might even be painful. NFP isn't painful at all and I can do it at home.)

If you were on a hormonal form of birth control (the pill, patch, or ring) before becoming pregnant and are breastfeeding, you won't want to resume taking it, because the hormones can affect the quality and quantity of breast milk. (Not to mention all of the other terrible side effects it causes. Oh yeah, and it will get rid of any new life that is created in the meatime) Nursing moms need a different formulation, such as the progesterone-only minipill. (Or...NFP)

And it goes on, and on, and on but I was getting tiredhead from it. You get the point!