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The fact is that it is very difficult to get pregnant again while still breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is very effective at preventing pregnancy, around 98% - 99%, although it cannot be said that pregnancy while breastfeeding cannot occur. The fertility rate of breastfeeding mothers is indeed low, but that does not mean that breastfeeding mothers cannot get pregnant at all. If the mother breastfeeds her baby day and night, it can take about a year or more to return to the previous ovulation cycle. However, if breastfeeding is interspersed with formula milk or if the baby is not breastfed at night (it could be because they don't sleep together), the menstrual cycle can return to normal within 3-5 months.
Breastfeeding stops the hormones that stimulate ovulation. The longer you breastfeed, the more difficult it will be for you to get pregnant during that breastfeeding period. You may ovulate 3 months after you start breastfeeding, but because your periods don't come before 2 weeks after ovulation, you won't know until it's too late!
In order to get pregnant again even though you are still breastfeeding
Even if you don't have your period after a few months after giving birth, your body will usually release its first egg after delivery, before the onset of your first period. You won't know until 2 weeks later when you have your period. The best chance of getting pregnant while breastfeeding is by having sexual intercourse regularly without protection.
The process of breastfeeding stimulates the hormone prolactin, also known as the "milk hormone," which, when high levels, will stop the ovulation process.
If your baby starts falling asleep throughout the night, your prolactin levels will decrease and it is likely that within 3-8 months you will have a fertile period - this can also happen if you intersperse breastfeeding activities with formula or bottle feeding.
If you exclusively breastfeed your baby day and night, the prolactin levels in the body will increase. This high hormone level will naturally decrease over time. However, you won't have a period for up to a year after giving birth.
Some women control their pregnancy by breastfeeding; this thing is called lactational amernorrhoea method or LAM. This is quite risky, considering the first ovulation which is difficult to know when the period. If you are interested in trying, contact the doctor who deals with breastfeeding-related problems at the nearest hospital or children's care center.
If you decide not to become pregnant during breastfeeding, it is a good idea to start using contraception when you start having sex again.
Women who want to get pregnant can still breastfeed normally. Check out some of the things that need to be considered below so that the body is ready to welcome the fetus and increase the chances of pregnancy.
(Important note: if your baby is under 9 months of age, your priority is to breastfeed, not to get pregnant again, because babies really need the nutrition and bonding with their mother, which can be obtained from breastfeeding.)
- Reduce breastfeeding at night (at least 6 hours) so that the supply of milk can be reduced. With this, your body will pick up messages to continue other bodily functions like normal days that are not related to breastfeeding, such as ovulation.
- Start giving your baby solid foods and other supporting fluids at 6 months of age. This further helps reduce the supply of milk. Your baby is still getting the nutrition it needs and you can still benefit from bonding with the baby during breastfeeding during the day.
- Wean your baby directly, aka not gradually. If your continuously stimulated nipples prevent your body from ovulating, then weaning the baby is the last option so that a pregnancy during breastfeeding can be successful. However, this is not recommended if your baby is less than 6 months old. It goes without saying that weaning babies should really be a last resort and this is not recommended as breastfeeding is very important for the health and development of your baby. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for infants up to 6 months of age and supplementary feeding in addition to breastfeeding until the age of 2 years.
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