I am sooooo interested in doing this after Wyatt is born! I really want to lose this (roughly) 45 pounds before we ever get pg again, and I'd really like to stave off any AF or fertility signs. When I read this, I immediately thought of Ruth! :) I sure enjoy Kelly Mom for it's info and advice!
http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility.html

How can I maximize my natural period of infertility?

Timing for the return to fertility varies greatly from woman to woman and depends upon baby's nursing pattern and how sensitive mom's body is to the hormones involved in lactation.

Breastfeeding frequency and total amount of time spent breastfeeding per 24 hours are the strongest factors leading to the return of fertility: a mother is more likely to see the return of fertility if baby's nursing frequency and/or duration is reduced, particularly if the change is abrupt.
In some populations, research has shown that night nursing slows the return to fertility.
One study showed that mothers who were separated from their infants (but expressed milk to provide 100% breastmilk for baby) had a higher pregnancy risk (5.2%) during the first 6 months (Valdes 2000 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11172791)).
The introduction of solid food can also be a factor in the return of fertility. Once baby starts solids (if mom's cycles have not returned), the natural period of infertility may be prolonged by breastfeeding before offering solids, starting solids gradually, and not restricting nursing.
You can achieve higher effectiveness by practicing ecological breastfeeding:

keeping baby close
breastfeeding on cue (day and night)
using breastfeeding to comfort your baby
breastfeeding in a lying-down position for naps and at night
using no bottles or pacifiers
If you practice ecological breastfeeding:

Chance of pregnancy is practically zero during the first three months, less than 2% between 3 and 6 months, and about 6% after 6 months (assuming mom's menstrual periods have not yet returned).
The average time for the return of menstrual periods is 14.6 months.
Moms whose cycles return early tend to be infertile for the first few cycles. Moms whose cycles return later are more likely to ovulate before their first period.
(All posted VIA KellyMom.com)

I really want to get a wrap and just wear Wyatt constantly... skin to skin as much as possible~ I know that'll be hard, as I have five other kiddos to keep up with... but this seems like a great plan for keeping fertility at bay~ Ruth, it seems that since you are constantly nursing one or another, you must be having success with this? Mostly?

It never worked for me.... My period returns the very next month....
With Abby I even BF every hour...
I would love to not have AF come back...

Hhhmmm... well, I sure hope it'll work for ya this time~ :) Go away, AF, go away! :)

Hi Jen! :)

With my first baby, I practiced ecological breastfeeding 99% of the time until she was 15 months and I started cutting down on night feedings. AF showed up at 19.5 months postpartum. We conceived Micah 2 months later.

One thing that is worth mentioning is that if you want AF to stay away you have to do ALL of the things mentioned and do them pretty consistently. For example, Micah was sleeping more at night and I wasn't napping with him very consistently. I spotted a bit at 5 months postpartum. Now Micah's gone back to frequent night nursing and our nursing is much more frequent. My signs of fertility have mostly gone away now. I'm expecting to go a similar amount of time as I did with Hannah as long as I don't restrict nursing. I don't intend to try to night wean as early this time because for me the night nursings seem to be very key to delaying fertility.

Pacifiers really, really affect BF'ing amenorrhea usually,because baby sucking for comfort is one key factor to prolonging infertility.

When moms start solids too soon or give baby solids too many too early, that affects it too. The key is to let baby lead the way and give them solids as they indicate a desire and not cut down on nursing while giving the solids. Really, nursing should be the *main* source of nutrition the whole first year. Also, giving babies sippy cups under 1 year old is usually unnecessary and can result in less interest in nursing.

The key is frequent, unrestricted nursing day and night. This gives your body the signal that it has enough to do right now and this shuts your ovulation and menstrual cycles down. Every time the baby sucks, it sends a message to your brain to interrupt reproductive cycles. Thus, nursing the baby in two 15 minute sessions spaced closer together is more effective than one 30 minute session spaced farther apart.

Feel free to ask anything else! The best book to explain this all in detail is called "Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing" by Sheila Kippley.

Now you see why I have the 'pattern' I do Jen ;)

Mine nurse a LOT and really don't begin to slow down much until 1yr. They still nurse rather frequently then, but that depends on the babe, some more than others. That is when they may begin to sleep longer stretches at night. When they are restless in our bed so we move them to their own to give that a try. That generally results in a 3 hr stretch at first. I know..3 hr LOL Crazy.

Lost my train of thought now, child interrupted me :p

Anywho...this is how we roll around here. AF doesn't come back until 14 months or later. We're at 16 now. :) I generally have one period, then pg the next cycle.

With Eldest, AF returned right around 1yr...however things were a bit different with him. He was hogging the bed and got moved to his own at 6 months and thus began the longer sleeping stretches at night. So, af came back at 1 yr, HOWEVER, I am sure those were anovulatory cycles until I got pg when he was 16/17 months. He was still nursing until about 14mo if I remember correctly. (I can't remember these details...hubs has 'em all down though, go figure LOL)

We've never done pacifiers either. That's part of why baby nurses SOO frequently, as Ruth mentioned above.

Lost my train of thought again...so I'll just stop on that note LOL

It's all about listening to the babe, Jen. It's not a 'guarantee', as there is no such thing in life, but for *most* women, this rings true. And yeah, you can do it, even with 5 others underfoot :)

Ruth, it seems that since you are constantly nursing one or another, you must be having success with this? Mostly?

LOL, it does help to have two kids nursing, I think. :D