After giving birth, we recommend that you start measuring when you get your first period again - regardless of whether you are breastfeeding or not.
If you want to start before your period comes back, you can, of course, do so, but it is important to know that the app will only give you red days (NC° Birth Control) or brown days (NC° Plan Pregnancy) until your ovulation is confirmed.
How long this may take varies from person to person, and there are a few factors to keep in mind that also influence this.
In this article, we have described a few such scenarios and how to get started with Natural Cycles again after pregnancy so that you can make an informed decision about what works for you. Click on the heading to get to the section most relevant to you.
LAM (the Lactational Amenorrhea Method)
Not using LAM, but my period is not back yet
My period is back and I’m ready to get started again
How does Natural Cycles know that I have been pregnant?
What you can do if the thermometer beep disturbs the family
LAM (the Lactational Amenorrhea Method)
Breastfeeding can inhibit ovulation and can serve as an effective method of contraception postpartum - this method is called the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM). The word “lactational” means “related to breastfeeding,” and “amenorrhea” means “not having menstrual bleeding.”
To be able to use LAM, all of the following criteria must be met:*
- You are fully or nearly fully breastfeeding
- You have not gotten your period back
- You gave birth less than six months ago
*Please consult your healthcare professional if you are uncertain about whether these criteria apply to you.
LAM is 98 % effective against pregnancy (2 out of 100 women using LAM will get pregnant during the six months it can be used).
Please note that if you use NC° Birth Control during this time, you will only get red days, which can reduce your satisfaction with Natural Cycles.
Not using LAM, but my period is not back yet
This scenario applies if you are not breastfeeding full-time or if your child is older than 6 months, but you still have not gotten your first period after the pregnancy.
It is very individual how long it takes for your period to return after pregnancy, even if you are not breastfeeding full-time. For some, the first period returns within a few months, and for others, it can take over a year.
If you use NC° Birth Control before your period is back, you will only receive red days until your first ovulation is detected. If you measure your temperature during this time, you will see when your first ovulation occurs and when you can expect your first period.
My period is back and I’m ready to get started again
Once your period has returned, you can use Natural Cycles again as usual.
Your long cycle without any activity will not be taken into account in your averages and predictions. This means when you start a new cycle with a period entry and get back to measuring, the predictions will be based on your past completed cycles and will not consider the time you were not measuring.
The first few cycles after pregnancy may be irregular, so keep measuring while your body is working to get back to regular. If your cycle is irregular, you can expect to be given more red days as a precaution.
We recommend that you measure your temperature after the longest stretch of sleep you usually get during the night, regardless of when you wake up, and that you measure as soon as you wake up - which means before tending to your baby. Try to find a routine for measuring that works for you and your family, and measure before moving around in bed.
How does Natural Cycles know that I have been pregnant?
When you first sign up with Natural Cycles, the app will ask you a series of questions as you set up your account. There you can let the app know that you have been pregnant in the last 12 months and if you have gotten your period back. The algorithm will then take this information into consideration.
If you have used Natural Cycles before your pregnancy and want to start again, please ensure that your pregnancy is logged in the app. You can find instructions on how to log that you are no longer pregnant here.
If you need any help with logging your pregnancy, please contact our Support Team here.
What you can do if the thermometer beep disturbs the family
You can turn off the thermometer after the first beep and turn it back on whenever you are ready to start your day and record the temperature value in the app. The value is shown for roughly 2 seconds, so please make sure that you have the lights on and are prepared to read it quickly before turning it back on. This can be re-done as many times as you wish, as long as you turn it off before it flashes onward to start measuring again.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.