In 1988 an international group of scientists and others with expertise in the fields of breastfeeding and infertility met in Bellagio, Italy to see if they could agree on a common statement about breastfeeding infertility. After reviewing the studies, they concluded that an exclusively breastfeeding mother can ignore any vaginal bleeding during the first 8 weeks postpartum. Any bleeding, even that resembling a period, can be ignored during this time because she is infertile during this time, provided she is exclusively breastfeeding. This is called the Bellagio Consensus.
In 1968 Dr. T. J. Cronin concluded that “provided full breastfeeding is in progress and menstruation has not returned, ovulation does not happen before the end of the 10th postpartum week.” This conclusion fits well with the Bellagio Consensus.
This knowledge is helpful for all mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding and who are interested in natural child spacing. They need to know it. This is taught in the regular course and manual of NFPI.
Sheila Kippley
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor