Medically reviewed by Dr. Unsa Mohsin.
August is breastfeeding awareness month, a topic that has been researched and talked about for generations. Health care professionals have always emphasised on breast milk as being a very healthy way to feed your baby, providing the infant protection against a variety of diseases and giving multiple health benefits to the mother.
Although Breastfeeding is a very personal decision, it is likely to draw strong opinions from friends and family making it extremely overwhelming for a first time mom. Milk production starts during pregnancy, preparing a mother for lactation (production of breast milk from the mammary gland). Medical Experts strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months. Having said that, each mother and child are unique so the decision is completely up to the mother.
While we cannot emphasize enough on the importance and benefits of breastfeeding, what most people don’t know is that it can be used as a natural method of contraception (birth control) and that is what we will be talking about in this blog. Let’s answer a few commonly asked questions related to this method.
Is breastfeeding a form of birth control?
Breastfeeding can be a form of birth control only if it is done a certain way. Breastfeeding used as birth control is called the lactational amenorrhea method which will discussed in detail further.
How does breastfeeding prevent pregnancy?
This method requires exclusive breastfeeding (means feeding only breast milk to the baby with no other substitute for breast milk) every 4 hours in the day and every 6 hours in the night. If followed religiously, the body naturally stops ovulating (this is the process where an egg is released from a woman’s ovary). If a woman does not ovulate, she cannot get pregnant and she will not get her period either. This is why this method is called the LAM (lactational amenorrhea method) where lactation refers to breastfeeding and amenorrhea means not having your period.
How effective is breastfeeding as a birth control?
If done the right way, the Lactational Amenorrhea method can be as effective as hormonal contraceptives (like the oral birth control pill, contraceptive patch, vaginal ring, intrauterine contraception (IUC) or injectable contraception) but 3 conditions must be met to ensure its effectiveness:
- Your baby must be 6 months of age or younger
- You have to exclusively breast feed, both day and night.
- You must not get your period and if you do an additional birth control method needs to be introduced.
How do I start using breastfeeding as birth control?
You can start using LAM as soon as your baby is born. It takes a little while to get used to breastfeeding and a lot of people need help and support, especially as a first time mom. Therefore, never hesitate to ask for help.
Advantages of the LAM?
- It is a natural process
- It is 98% effective
- Begins right after child birth
- There are multiple health benefits for mother and baby
- No extra supplies are required
- It’s an easy switch to a different method of contraception
- Improves breastfeeding and weaning patterns
References:
(Breastfeeding as Birth Control | Information About LAM, n.d.)
(Benefits of Breastfeeding, n.d.)
(Breastfeeding as Birth Control | Information About LAM, n.d.)
(Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM), n.d.)
