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Last Updated:
Jan 3rd, 2010 - 00:09:53
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Question
My wife is 4 months postpartum and is primarily breastfeeding, although she has supplemented with 1 or 2 bottles a day for the past 2 months or so. She has a thick mucus that she notices after a bowel movement ever since she came home from the hospital. Actually, she said that she thinks that she has always had this kind of mucus after a bowel movement throughout all phases of her cycle throughout her whole adult life. She has not had any external mucus after urination since the baby.
My question is this: Could we safely assume that this is "background" mucus and not a return to fertility since it has constantly been present? Would a change in the type of mucus to the more fertile type indicate a return of fertility?
Thank you so much for your help. We are kind of new at this and really struggling to know when we should or should not have intercourse in hopes of avoiding another pregnancy at this point.
Answer
Dear Sir,
First I'd like to congratulate you on the new baby!
As to your question, when not totally breastfeeding, fertility can return as soon as two weeks so you may be seeing the onset of fertility. The best way to find out would be to enroll in a Fertility Care class and learn about the different types of mucus and when your wife should be making observations for mucus. The Fertility Care Practitioner can also work with both you and your wife to help her identify this mucus that she sees daily and how to find the change. Fertility Care works very well with women who are totally breastfeeding as well as with women who are supplementing. Classes and teachers can be found on this web site if you live in California.
Good Luck,
Vicki Delucchi
Vicki Delucchi, BS, CNFPP is a member of CANFP and AANFP.
She lives with her husband and two daughters in Soquel.
She has been teaching the Ovulation Method since 1989.
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