Fertility and Milk Production
Breastfeeding is nature's own form of birth control. If you exclusively breastfeed your baby, you might find that no other contraceptive is necessary. A drop in estrogen production is one of the hormonal changes necessary for milk production to begin, and that drop results in reduced fertility. Doctors call it lactational amenorrhea. Your menstrual cycle just stops. Your fertility is so drastically cut that it's like you're using the pill. For a woman with lactational amenorrhea, there's less than a 2 percent chance of conception. That's about the same level of effectiveness as many of the most popular forms of birth control.
Despite this remarkable contraceptive power, most authorities advise women to use an additional form of birth control to be safe. The reason behind this recommendation is simple: Lactational amenorrhea is easily interrupted, and you may ovulate before the return of your menses. Some women are simply caught off guard.
With precautions, lactational amenorrhea can last at least six months. Some mothers maintain it for much longer. If you plan to rely on breastfeeding as your contraception, the key is maintaining extensive, uninterrupted contact and exclusive nursing with your baby. Here are some guidelines.
Breastfeed exclusively. Do not supplement with any formula or food, or even a bottle of human milk, for at least the first six months.
Stay as close to your baby as possible. Every woman is different. Some women will begin ovulating again if they are separated from their child for as little as three or four hours. Consider sleeping with your baby or at least close by in the same room.
Nurse your older baby often. Your baby should breastfeed at least eight times in a twenty-four-hour period. Feed at least every six hours, and keep your total daily suckling time to a minimum of sixty minutes.
The reliability of this natural contraceptive is reduced when your menses returns or your baby reaches six months of age, so you should begin using another form of birth control immediately if you haven't already done so.