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DESCRIPTION
The goal of contraception (or birth control) is to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. The majority of methods of contraception enable sexually active couples to temporarily avoid pregnancy. Permanent birth control is accomplished through sterilization. Be sure you know and understand the different types of birth control available to you, the risks and benefits of each, and any side effects, so that you can make an informed choice.
Contraception Methods Compared
Breastfeeding has been used for countless years by women as a natural form of birth control and for natural child spacing between siblings. If you are pregnant or have just given birth, you may be considering breastfeeding your child. Breastfeeding is one of the healthiest things that you can do for your baby. Your breast milk is designed specially to provide your baby with all of the vitamins, nutrients, and antibodies that she needs to stay healthy. But breastfeeding is not only beneficial to your baby. It can also be very healthy for you as well. In addition to helping you recover from pregnancy more quickly, breastfeeding can also be used as a natural family planning method.
Breastfeeding can be used as a temporary method of birth control by some women who follow the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM). In teaching LAM to breastfeeding new mothers, health care providers and midwives need special training and understanding of how this method works. During the training, they learn how women should breastfeed and the 3 guidelines they must follow in order for this method to work effectively. They will also learn when breastfeeding women who use LAM should switch to a different method of contraception.
If a breastfeeding woman doesn't follow the LAM guidelines and doesn't use another method of family planning or contraception, she can become pregnant.
THE LAM METHOD
The LAM method works by changing the way in which your body produces your reproductive hormones. In order to ovulate and menstruate, your pituitary gland (a small gland inside of your brain) produces two hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). These hormones send signals to your eggs to mature and subsequently be released during ovulation. When you breastfeed, though, this process gets interrupted, thereby interfering with the production of both FSH and GnRH.
As your baby suckles, nerve impulses travel through your body and are received by your brain. This signals the production of a hormone called prolactin, which works to inhibit both FSH and GnRH. As a result, ovulation does not occur and menstruation stops, making it almost impossible to become pregnant.
Breastfeeding can prevent pregnancy as long as the three following conditions are present:1. The mother has not started her periods again after giving birth. Do not count the lochia discharge (postpartum bleeding) that occurs with childbirth. The lochia discharge usually disappears within the first few weeks after the baby is born.
2. The mother is breastfeeding exclusively (on demand) and is not giving the baby supplemental foods, formula or any other substance, including water. You must breastfeed your baby at least 8 to 10 times a day, including at least once a night on both breasts. Do not allow more than 6 hours to pass between any two feedings. Breastfeeding must begin as soon as possible after delivery. The breast milk usually comes in about 3 days (about 72 hours) after delivery. Before that, the breasts have colostrum, a clearish thick liquid which is very important for the first few days of your baby's life since it provides needed immunity and concentrated nutrients that baby needs to recover from it's birth. Avoid the use of bottles and pacifiers.
3. The baby is less than 6 months old.
If all three conditions are met, breastfeeding will help prevent pregnancy. It is not uncommon for mothers who exclusively breastfeed their newborns to experience absence of periods for 6 months, a year, sometimes even longer. However, if even one of these is not true, the mother is not protected against pregnancy. She should consult with her midwife or health care provider about obtaining another type of contraception or using another type of family planning method.
ADVANTAGES
The infant is getting the breast milk with proper nutrition and bonding it needs for a healthy beginning in life. It gives your baby passive immunity.
Effective immediately upon delivery of your baby. Do need to wait for a birth control method to start. Remains effective as long as you continue to breastfeed your baby for more that 65 minutes a day and your periods have not returned.
Breastfeeding uses more calories and allows the mother to return to her pre-pregnancy weight faster.
It is acceptable in most cultures and religious groups as a form of birth control.
It can be used by anyone who is exclusively using breast feeding as the baby's nutrition.
The breastfeeding mother usually has an increased breast size, which she and her partner may find sexually stimulating.
It doesn't rely on any devices or chemicals.
It doesn't cost anything.
It decreases post-partum bleeding and helps the uterus to return to normal size faster. Delays menstrual periods.
Does not interfere with intercourse. It allows a person to have sex at any time, as long as the three conditions are met.
Does not involve the hormones, used in some other forms of birth control, that can have side effects.
DISADVANTAGES
Not 100% effective for birth control. Not reliable if period has returned, no matter what age the baby. It becomes less effective after your period returns or after to 6 months (average time).
May need to use a lubricant because of vaginal dryness.
A woman may ovulate without having a period first.
May be difficult to do if you return to the workplace before the baby is 6 months old.
Some people find that this method may decrease their sexual pleasure.
Breast milk often leaks at inappropriate times and can be messy.
Breasts may be engorged, tender or sore to the touch.
Does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
GENERAL MEASURES
EFFECTIVENESS
EFFECTIVENESS RATES:
- Typical Use: Is currently being studied.
- Perfect Use: 2% - It is estimated that about 2 women out of 100 may become pregnant during the first year if the breastfeeding woman uses LAM perfectly.
Natural family planning is not recommended for birth control during breast-feeding. This method is less reliable and difficult to manage than other forms of birth control, especially with the sporadic ovulation that may occur while you are breast-feeding.
I personally found this method worked very well with me while I was having my babies. I didn't have to worry about using a alternative contraceptive method until my babies were anywhere from 10 months to 18 months old. Only when they began to eat other foods and I was no longer exclusively breastfeeding, my menstrual period returned and I choose to use a diaphragm method. It provided a natural child spacing and allowed my body to heal between pregnancies. - MoonDragon Midwife
MEDICAL CONDITIONS & LAM
Medical conditions when LAM would not be advisable or that affect the use of LAM are few. Generally, the conditions listed below make breastfeeding inadvisable, which in turn makes LAM use impossible.
LAM should not be used under the following conditions:
- Specific infant metabolic disorders.
- Maternal use of mood-altering drugs.
- Maternal use of reserpine, ergotamine, antimetabolites, cyclosporine, bromocriptine, radioactive drugs, lithium, or anticoagulants.
LAM usually is not recommended under the following conditions, except on the basis of careful clinical judgment, taking into account the severity of the condition and the availability and acceptability of other methods:
AIDS or confirmed HIV+. The HIV virus can be passed through breast milk. According to the World Health Organization, if a safe alternative to breastfeeding is available and affordable, a woman who is HIV+ or has AIDS should be informed of the risks of breast and bottle feeding.
Active tuberculosis. Tuberculosis does not spread through breast milk but through direct contact with the mother. If the mother has an active case of tuberculosis, breastfeeding increases the risk of infection due to the frequent and intimate contact with the infant.
NOTIFY YOUR MIDWIFE OR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IF...
You are interested in more information about this method.
Your nipples become sore, red, swollen, or cracked.
You have problems with breastfeeding, such as inverted nipples or very large breasts or nipples and/or the baby is having problems with latching on and sucking.
Your breasts are tender, hot, and engorged. You may have mastitis.
Your period has returned and you need to use another form of contraception.
You have problems with breastfeeding exclusively and are interested in researching other methods of contraception.
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