Can Exclusive Breastfeeding Prevent Pregnancy?
Is it true that breastfeeding prevents pregnancy?
Breastfeeding is the ideal nutrition for infants and toddlers. This amazing liquid is naturally made for babies’ to build immunity, protects against infection and malnutrition at an early age.
When a mother goes the extra mile of exclusively breastfeeding her baby without any other fluid or food for six months, she is not just helping her baby; she is also helping herself.
🚩How does a mother help herself when she exclusively breastfeeds her baby?
When a mother exclusively breastfeeds, it causes lactational amenorrhea (LAM) which is the stopping of the menstruation and ovulation for the length of time exclusive breastfeeding is practiced.
Lactational amenorrhea is a natural family planning method that prevents pregnancy in nursing mothers.
🚩What conditions should you fulfill to enjoy lactational amenorrhea?
✅Practice exclusive breastfeeding without water, formula or any other food or drink.
✅Feed your baby directly from the breast. If you use a breast pump often, LAM may not work for you.
✅It can only be used for six months of your baby’s life. As soon as you start feeding your baby other foods, or you see your period, you are no longer covered.
🚩What are the benefits of practicing the Lactational Amenorrhea method through breastfeeding?
✅LAM is a cost-free, easy, safe way to prevent another pregnancy for up to six months while you nurse your little one.
✅It protects you while you are still indecisive about which other birth control method to use
✅You do not need a doctor’s prescription
✅It does not disrupt sex life
✅It reduces after birth bleeding
✅It reduces your chance of getting breast cancer.
PS: Although preventing pregnancy through breastfeeding seems very safe and used by many women, it is not a reliable method of contraception. As a doctor, I have seen many women who got pregnant even after practicing exclusive breastfeeding. It is advisable that all nursing mothers use any of the modern methods of contraceptions like IUD, implanon, pills, injectables etc for preventing pregnancy. In summary, breastfeeding causes lactational ammenorrhea (LAM), but it is not a reliable method of contraception.
Can breastfeeding prevent pregnancy? Yes and at the same time no… Reasons have been explained above.
