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Breastfeeding As Birth Control

© Shawna Smith

One of the many questions faced by new parents is what method of birth control to use. Of course, you may not think it is that important when you’re struggling through sleepless nights with a newborn, but eventually this issue will come up. When it does, you need to have all of your options.

When you’re breastfeeding, you can take advantage of a method that’s as old as the human race, but is only just now regaining popularity. It is the Lactational Amenorrhea Method, or LAM. This natural method of birth control is simply a result of “ecological breastfeeding,” or breastfeeding the way we were intended.

Lactational amenorrhea is the absence of monthly periods while breastfeeding. When you breastfeed, your periods are delayed in returning for a certain time. If you use ecological breastfeeding, almost always this time is fairly long. During lactational amenorrhea you are usually infertile.

KEEP IN MIND that this method can only be relied on by itself for the first 6 months. Basically, if you baby is 6 months or younger, and breastfeeding exclusively, you only have a 1-2% chance of getting pregnant. After solids are introduced, your chances go up to 6% - which is still very good! However, if you are dead set against getting pregnant, you will probably want a backup method to protect you if you’re in that 6%.

So, what is the difference between breastfeeding and ecological breastfeeding? Easy – and since it’s really the way we were designed to nurse, once you get started it’s the most natural thing in the world. The most important factor is unrestricted access to the breast. I can’t stress this enough. People are so intent on scheduling their babies – a nasty by-product of formula feeding – that they won’t put baby to the breast when that is what is so very important. If your baby wants to nurse all day – let him! (You’ll get some much-needed rest!)

Besides unrestricted nursings, use your breasts to pacify your baby instead of a pacifier. Besides the obvious advantage of superior comforting, your breasts will get the suckling stimulation needed to support LAM. Your baby would rather have you than a piece of plastic anyhow!

Sharing sleep will also help, because your baby can nurse at will anytime during the night. This will also help you both to get a better night’s sleep, since you won’t have to fully wake to nurse. Also, you and your baby will quickly develop the same night/sleeping rhythms when you sleep side by side.