Can a breastfeeding mother get pregnant? & bull; hello healthy

If you have recently had a baby, your doctor may ask you about your next pregnancy plans and what birth control method you will use. In general, women who have just given birth will be less fertile when breastfeeding. However, that does not mean they are infertile. If you wish to use exclusive breastfeeding as a birth control method, you may want to find out the following information.

How to breastfeed so that it can be a family planning method at the same time

The hormones that make your body release breast milk can help suppress the release of your reproductive hormones. Using breast milk as family planning is known as the lactational amenorrhea method (MAL) or lactational amenorrhea method (LAM). There are three rules for MAL to be effective as a family planning method, namely:

• Mothers should breastfeed exclusively without other supplementary feeding. Breastfeeding should be practiced at least every 3 hours during the day and every six hours at night.
• Infants must be less than 6 months old.
• The mother's menstrual cycle must not return at all since childbirth.

If all three of these conditions are met, it is possible for a breastfeeding woman to be unable to become pregnant for 6 months or even more.

ALSO READ: 7 Safe Contraceptives During Breastfeeding

Is breastfeeding an effective birth control method?

Less than 1 in 100 women who apply exclusive breastfeeding without any other foods can become pregnant. About 2 in 100 women can become pregnant in the first 6 months if they do not apply exclusive breastfeeding.

If you want to delay ovulation by breastfeeding, then do the following:

• Breastfeed your baby as needed. Don't worry about the schedule. Usually, breastfeeding a baby six to eight times a day is sufficient to prevent ovulation.
• Avoid training your baby to sleep. Breastfeeding at night is very important to reduce fertility.
• Do not give bottles or teats to your baby.
• Do not give solid food until your baby is 6 months old.
• Continue breastfeeding after you have introduced solid foods to your baby.
• If you want to introduce solid foods, provide them as a supplement to breast milk, not as a substitute for breastmilk.

How often you breastfeed is the most important thing in using breast milk as a birth control method. The hormone prolactin, which is released during breastfeeding, helps suppress ovulation. If you breastfeed frequently, the prolactin levels in your body will remain high. However, once this prolactin hormone decreases, the reproductive hormones will increase. This will cause you to be fertile again.

ALSO READ: How Long Should You Wait For Your Second Child to Get Pregnant?

If you are still breastfeeding but you are still pregnant again, what is the cause?

The frequency of breastfeeding plays an important role in suppressing reproductive hormones. However, the response of your body personally will determine the success of this method.

Some women who breastfeed exclusively claim to have their periods earlier, which is about a few months after giving birth. Some other women breastfeed accompanied by formula, and still have no periods for a year or more. These are the possibilities that make using the breastfeeding method as a contraceptive method quite risky.

When your menstrual cycle returns after giving birth, your body usually doesn't release ova, which means you are anovulating. This eliminates the possibility of pregnancy. However, a small proportion of women ovulate before their first period after giving birth. The odds increase the longer you haven't had your period since giving birth.

Due to the unpredictability of the body's response, it is very important for you to use other birth control methods besides breastfeeding. What's more, if you don't breastfeed exclusively, your menstrual cycle has returned, or if your baby is more than 6 months old.

ALSO READ: Breaking Pregnant Again? What to do?

Other birth control options that you can try

If you are breastfeeding and are not ready to get pregnant again, non-hormonal birth control is the safest option. This birth control method will not reduce the production and quality of your milk. Some non-hormonal birth control options include:

• condom
• diaphragm
• IUD

If you and your partner decide not to have more children, then steady contraception such as tubal ligation (sterilization) may be an option. This birth control method will also have no effect on your breast milk.

Conclusion

If you are planning to prevent pregnancy by breastfeeding, then you need to know that the possibility of getting pregnant remains. Through this knowledge, it is hoped that you will be able to choose the steps that are best for you and your family.

x