Please consider this article a "girlfriend's guide" to breastfeeding and natural family planning. The internet offers a plethora of sturdy information on these topics, but I hope to offer an insider's look at what it's *really* like to use natural birth control methods while breastfeeding. My findings may surprise you.
First, is breastfeeding an effective method of "natural family planning?" According to the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM), which relies on the natural ovulation-suppressing hormones of breastfeeding, it is. If a mother is breastfeeding exclusively (i.e. little or no supplementation, limited use of pacifiers and bottles, and nursing at least every 4 hours during the day and every 6 hours at night), has not had her period return, and has a baby under 6 months old, then breastfeeding should be about 98% effective in preventing pregnancy. If any of these three factors change, then a mother must presume she could become fertile again at any moment and take precautions.
Here's my experience with LAM. Despite round-the-clock breastfeeding of a baby who refused the pacifier and bottle, my period returned, with a vengeance, at 4 months. I also experienced copious amounts of cervical fluid about 10 days before my period returned, so even though it's believed that most post-partum cycles are anovulatory, I believe mine may have been fertile. Pretty scary, huh?
We probably all know women who conceived only a few months after giving birth. I know several who conceived despite exclusive breastfeeding. In the initial glow of parenthood, it's tempting to desire more children right away, but children require incredible amounts of time and energy, and I, at least, need room to breathe in between. I don't plan to rely on LAM in the future.
The good news is that babies are the best contraception in existence. Sexual desire and energy get trampled to death under the relentless march of diapers, nursings, burpings, and all-nighters. It's a mystery that any couple manages to conceive more than one child. :-) Let's say, though, that you and your partner have managed to take a break from the relentless march and have stopped along the way for a few quiet moments for just the two of you. Are natural family planning and breastfeeding compatible?
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