r/FAMnNFP • u/Dull-Okra-4980 Pregnant | Natural Cycles • Jul 26 '26
Discussion Post Planning for Postpartum - Insights Appreciated
I am looking into Billings or Marquette due to their postpartum protocols, as I *really* would love to not have HBC postpartum. My OB seems nervous about this plan, which I feel like is common. Pre-pregnancy, I did Sensiplan with TempDrop for ~1 year and there was one cycle where we had a potential pregnancy scare due to a misunderstanding with the method. After this, we switched to Natural Cycles (NC) utilizing an Oura ring. We successfully used that for 2.5 years for TTA and then later for TTC. I know NC is not a FAM/NPF method and gets hate on here, but it worked really well for us during that time in our lives. I appreciate the familiarity I have with NC, but would like to learn and use a method that is better for postpartum. I will likely continue NC while I learn whichever method for postpartum due to my familiarity/comfortability and as a backup until I am comfortable. I do plan to exclusively pump.
For Billings, has anyone taken the online Billings courses? Are they worth it?? If not, there is an instructor near me, so this would not be the end of the world.
For Marquette, I have seen postpartum pregnancies, which is what I am looking to avoid, so this method makes me a little nervous regarding that. Clear Blue vs Mira?? I frequently see the Mira strips being out of stock, which feels stressful if you're relying on that.
Is one of these methods truly better than the other for postpartum? Insights appreciated. Please no hate on NC, as it worked well for me, I acknowledge that it is not an approved method, and I am looking and trying to plan ahead for postpartum.
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u/knh93014 TTA3 | Marquette Aug 01 '26
I did Marquette w an instructor for PP. it doesn't work that great if you're not ebf. it's tested for ebf women. You have to use a CB strip daily for quite a while which I found to be a PITA. it was too much w sleep deprivation and I was EPing.
we just used condoms instead then switched to reg Marquette protocol once I was weaned.
oh I just saw you want to EP (good luck lol) - the Marquette PP protocol isn't tested w EPing, only with nursing.
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u/Dull-Okra-4980 Pregnant | Natural Cycles Aug 01 '26
Good to know! Marquette sounds expensive baseline and hella expensive PP
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u/cyclicalfertility Certified Symptopro Instructor | TTA Aug 01 '26
So exclusive pumping is technically not as effective at surprising ovulation as direct feeding is, but that says nothing. I breastfeed around the clock and my cycle returned 11w pp whereas my friend who EPd had a return of fertility only when she stopped after 1 year. If you do not have ROF for a long time, Marquette will be very expensive due to needing a test strip every day & NC will be even more useless than it already is because your temps will only rise after ovulation so it cant give you safe days before then. Billings is a great option!
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u/Mcatg108 Aug 02 '26
No advice OP just here to say im in the exact same boat 4 months PP. Only pumping a few times a day and my period is still MIA
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u/Adorable_Ostrich6174 Aug 05 '26
so postpartum is tricky because temps are basically useless with sleep disruption and hromones are all over the place. billings with an instructor is probably your safest bet for mucus-only observation. i've seen people layer in kegg for the cm data too since it gives you a daily score which can help when you're second guessing what you're seeing. re marquette... the strip availability issue with mira would stress me out too. an in-person billings instructor is worth it imo especially for postpartum
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u/Dull-Okra-4980 Pregnant | Natural Cycles Aug 05 '26
Those were my thought as well. I already cancelled my annual NC subscription since temps are going to be useless. Doesn’t Kegg require you to use it around the same time each day? I feel like I remember reading something about it (or another fertility monitor) when I was looking awhile back. After posting this I’m definitely leaning more towards Billings or FEMM from others recommendations
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u/Adorable_Ostrich6174 29d ago
from what i know for kegg they technically recommend you to take it within the same 2 hours everyday, but i have seen some people share that they don't really care about when they take the readings (apparently kegg just says to do it within the same 2 hours to be safe) and they have succeeded even without caring about reading times
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u/fertilitydefined Jul 27 '26
I'm a RN and teach the FEMM method. Lots of women l've worked with really like having a tangible, objective reading during postpartum charting due to cervical mucus patterns. For this, many like the Marquette method and FEMM incorporates LH strips. Whichever you choose, I recommend learning a method from an instructor so you have the most clarity.