Did you know that breastfeeding suppresses your fertility in the early months after birth? It’s called the Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM) of birth control.
Breastfeeding has many advantages for you and your baby. However, you must know very well how to use this condition in order to take advantage of the natural birth control method it provides.
What is Amenorrhea?
Amenorrhea is considered a physiological suppression of menstruation. However, when you are breastfeeding your baby, this suppression can be used as a postpartum contraception.
How Amenorrhea works?
During lactation your body is making breast milk. The hormone required to stimulate milk production prevents the release of the hormone that triggers ovulation.
The amenorrhea method works as long as you keep constantly nursing your baby after childbirth.
How effective is Lactation Amenorrhea?
This natural birth control method works perfectly if you keep control on when and what time you breastfeed your baby.
Remember, you should not forget the period of 6 weeks of postpartum sexual abstinence. After that period, this method can work for up to six months while you are continuously nursing your baby.
This type of birth control can be a good choice for you only when:
- Your baby is fully or nearly fully breastfed. This means no more than 2 mouthfuls a day of juice, water, or other foods. Preferably your baby does not drink anything besides breast milk.
- Your baby does not go more than 4 hours between breastfeeding during the day.
- Your baby does not go more than 6 hours between breastfeeding during the night.
- Your monthly periods have not returned.
- Your baby is under 6 months of age.
Each year, 2 out of every 100 women can get pregnant while using the LAM as a method of birth control, so it is around 98% effective.
What are the benefits of Amenorrhea?
Whereas lactation amenorrhea is a natural method of contraception, there are no additional hormones that may affect to you, or the quality of breast milk.
It does not have side effects.
Having sex with your partner is more spontaneous and natural because nothing needs to be put in place before intercourse, like a condom.
Breastfeeding your baby definitely has many advantages. Read breastfeeding tips.
Final Thoughts:
You can safely use this method of contraception, and at the same time you can enjoy sex with your partner. However, it requires a strict control of breastfeeding without interruption for six months. That’s your choice.
If you begin menstruation, you should use another method of contraception immediately.
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