Expert: PatG - 2/18/2011

Question
i am a nursing mom.. after i gave birth it took 5months before i had my period back.. i gave birth last july 2010 and had my period december 2010.. i have my period december 2010 and january of 2011.. but now february my period is delayed for 4days.. am i pregnant?

Answer
Hello, genie,

It's really too early to tell if you are pregnant or not. You will be able to test for pregnancy in a few days. Some tests are more sensitive than others. You might sense that you are pregnant, but you won't know for sure just yet. And of course, in order to be pregnant, you would have to have had sex in the past couple of weeks. Normally ovulation occurs 14 days before the onset of a woman's next period, if she has one. A woman is fertile for a couple of days before, and a couple of days after.

Breastfeeding tends to delay pregnancy. If you are totally breastfeeding, you are less likely to get pregnant. If you are giving food or water, then you can get pregnant. The fact that your periods have returned means you are probably fertile. Breastfeeding for any length of time tends to space births two years apart at least.

A delay of 4 days in your period could be due to a variety of things. It could be due to pregnancy, stress, a change in diet, or a change in exercise. Or you could simply have miscalculated. This month isn't over yet, and you didn't say when your periods happened in December and January.

Since the topic here is Choosing Alternative Therapies, I want to touch on that question a little. Women sometimes think that when they learn they are pregnant, they have to choose whether or not to have an abortion. I think it is a crime against a woman she even has to think about such things. Abortion is dangerous and can kill a woman. It can also kill or harm her future children. I don't suggest choosing it under any circumstances. Two years apart is actually a good space for children, because they tend to be good friends if they are that close together. Another choice involves whether to give birth in a hospital or at home. At home is best if you are not high risk. A woman who has had a previous abortion is high risk. There may be medical problems that would make you high risk that you haven't talked about. Guidance from your doctor is important. I can talk more about what a homebirth is like and how it can be managed if you want to get into that. It largely depends on whether you can get an experienced midwife. I don't recommend a woman try to give birth without a knowledgeable attendant. Even though we women are designed to give birth, some things that can go wrong can happen quickly.

Let me know if you are pregnant. Please take care of yourself and your child or children. If you run into any difficulties (such as morning sickness), I can recommend some things you can do.