Fertility & Birth
Control
Fertility
A nursing mother's fertility is an often confusing
and misunderstood subject. It is not impossible to become pregnant while breastfeeding, although
it can be difficult. Therefore, if you are trying to become
pregnant and don't want to give up nursing, it is best to be prepared
and knowledgeable on the topic. A mother's best chance of
conceiving while breastfeeding is if the baby is older than 6 months, is
not nursing exclusively and she has already resumed her menstrual cycle. When your baby begins on solid foods at around six months or so,
begins sleeping longer stretches at night and begins to breastfeed
less, your menstrual period may resume, and your chances of another
pregnancy will increase.
While breastfeeding, your body produces higher levels of the hormone
prolactin which suppresses ovulation and inhibits progesterone
production which causes short
luteal phases. Therefore, the hormones involved in
breastfeeding can cause a temporary interference with the typical
monthly cycle. This can reduce the chances of getting pregnant while
nursing to around 1 to 2 percent. Throughout the first year this
percentage increases, up to about 6 percent after six months. Even after
your menstrual cycle returns the elevated levels of prolactin can hinder
conception. If your periods have not yet resumed since the birth of your
baby then the odds are very high that you haven't ovulated and
likely won't become pregnant. This is not to say that you can't
become pregnant if your periods haven't started yet because they occur
after ovulation - you will ovulate before you have a period so if you
have intercourse while ovulating but before your first post-birth period
starts you can possibly become pregnant. If ovulation is occurring then
progesterone suppositories can be used vaginally to help provide a more
fertile environment.
Once your baby is older and no longer derives the bulk of his
calories and nutrition from breast milk, there are some ways to improve
your chances of becoming pregnant - introduce more solid foods to
supplement the breast milk (after the appropriate age), try not to nurse
for six hour stretches or longer throughout the night, and stretch the
intervals between day feeding to more than four hours.
The most fertile time during a cycle can be different for every woman
and depends on a number of things, such as when you ovulate. Your
chances of getting pregnant are greatest during the six-days prior to
ovulation since sperm can live inside a woman’s body for five to seven
days, while the egg only lives about one day. For an in-depth discussion
of how to determine when and if you are ovulating we would highly
recommend that you visit
Fertility-Facts.com and check out their page on
fertility charting.
Birth Control
Some hormonal methods of birth control may cause
problems for breastfeeding mothers. The combination
type of birth control pills are never recommended, because they can
alter milk quality. The preferred birth control pills for
breastfeeding mothers are the single ingredient, progestin-only
type; however, it has been reported that some mothers' milk
supply decreases when they take these pills. Birth control
shots are generally considered to be safe, preferably after six weeks
postpartum, but are not really recommended because they can reduce the milk supply in some mothers
and cannot be reversed once they are taken. All hormonal birth control enters
the breast milk in some amount, however the amount secreted is not
significant and should not have any effect on the infant. Barrier methods of birth control, such as diaphragms or
condoms, are considered safest for breastfeeding mothers.
If you decide to use a hormonal method of birth
control we recommend that you wait until lactation is well established
then try a month of oral contraceptives before having a shot if you wish
to use that method.
Another form of birth control is the Lactation
Amenorrhea Method, or LAM, which relies on the bodies natural ovulation
suppression caused by the prolactin released through breastfeeding.
LAM can be effective if the baby is less than six months old, he is
exclusively breastfed and the nursing mother's menstrual cycle has not
resumed. If these conditions are met, the risk of pregnancy is low.
Although breastfeeding itself tends to delay the
return of fertility, you should not rely on that fact to keep from
getting pregnant.
You should speak with your health care provider to get more
information on the method of birth control that you are most interested in. |
