The nursing mothers who ovulated later continued to give night feedings, nursed more often, introduced other foods slowly, and reduced their nursing times gradually. Dr. Howie concluded that “the effectiveness of suckling as an inhibitor of ovulation is certainly dependent upon breastfeeding practice. The resumption of ovulation may be dependent upon other factors as well, but certainly we would suggest that suckling is a major variable, if not the major variable in the control of postpartum ovulation and fertility” (emphasis in the original) (page 23).
Sheila Kippley