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Original poster

Breastfeeding as contraception

69 replies

bfcontraconcerns · 13/02/2021 19:03

So, I’ve been researching it. My baby is 6m. Not started weaning yet.
No bottles, totally ebf. No dummy. Contact naps on me in the day and we co sleep at night.

My friend tells me this provides good contraception (is it LAM method?) anyway, I’m not sure as for the last month my baby sleeps 6-8 hours at night with no feeds - so I’ve been taking the mini pill as well but am I wrong or is my friend ? 6-8 hrs seems a long time
I dont fully understand how this works and the pill doesn’t suit me that well but if I need it I need it ! Just wondered if anyone knew more about this

OP posts:

Hailtomyteeth · 13/02/2021 20:02

Worked for my great grandma, she had a baby every third year from 17 to 43, which wasn't too close together for health and wellbeing. Read 'Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing' if you can find a copy - it's ancient.

VinylDetective · 13/02/2021 20:04

My granny had five kids in 52 months so it definitely didn’t work for her.

Bramblecrumble · 13/02/2021 20:05

I was convinced when my mum was breastfeeding, she has no periods between, 13 months between me and my sis.

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WineInTheWillows · 13/02/2021 20:06

I personally know 3 babies conceived while their mothers were exclusively breastfeeding their siblings. And I conceived my second when my periods hadn't returned and I was still breastfeeding my first (we were TTC but the internet did make it seem like it was unlikely we'd conceive until periods returned- happened first time in actuality.

Also worth considering that the mini pill might be stopping your periods but your body ready to resume the second you come off them.

WineInTheWillows · 13/02/2021 20:07

Forgot to close brackets- ooh, that's annoying!

Ultimateblends · 13/02/2021 20:07

Absolutely not.
Pregnant when DC1 was 4 months.

DC1 was ivf, and I should have been able to get pregnant at all... never mind whilst breastfeeding DC.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 13/02/2021 20:11

My periods returned exactly two weeks after my babies slept more than 6hrs once.

DD2 was conceived when DD1 was 12 months when I was still breastfeeding (but obviously not exclusively, it was her only milk source). We had unprotected sex once.

cerealcrunch · 13/02/2021 20:11

Nope I wouldn't rely on it. I also know people who had unplanned DC as they thought they were protected due to bf.

2tired2bewitty · 13/02/2021 20:15

11 months between DH and BIL because MIL was advised that breast was effective contraception.

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 13/02/2021 20:17

I wouldn't be here if it worked...

mindutopia · 13/02/2021 20:18

No it definitely doesn’t reliably. My cycle went back to normal ovulatory cycles at 3 months, despite ebf round the clock (mine never so much as had a bottle of expressed milk). I got the coil put in straight away!

I have a good friend who had years and years of fertility treatment to have her first. She was ebf and got pregnant naturally and at 43 when her baby was 4 months. She was of course thrilled because she never thought she’d have a second after so many losses and all the rounds of IVF and her age. But yikes, yes, it can happen.

ViciousJackdaw · 13/02/2021 20:25

Breastfeeding as contraception

🤣🤣🤣

dementedpixie · 13/02/2021 20:26

It can be used as contraception under specific conditions

Thatwentbadly · 13/02/2021 20:26

@bfcontraconcerns

So, I’ve been researching it. My baby is 6m. Not started weaning yet. No bottles, totally ebf. No dummy. Contact naps on me in the day and we co sleep at night.

My baby was like this and periods returned at 4 months. Unless you want to get pregnant again so soon then don’t use bf as a sole method of contraception.

fibeee · 13/02/2021 20:40

I’m not sure I’d recommend it. I was really shocked when my period came back at 5 1/2 months pp (so I assume I ovulated). My baby was EBF, feeding several times a night and didn’t use a dummy. Had I used BFing as contraception I probably would have had a surprise baby on the way.

firstimemamma · 13/02/2021 20:51

The thing is to your period has to return at some stage and you ovulate before the first one comes. That's the risk - you never know when that could be. I did all the stuff you're doing with your baby and got my first period at the 7 month mark. Don't risk it.

MargaretThursday · 13/02/2021 21:00

For me, I got pregnant with #2 when breastfeeding #1. (#1 was 2yo)
However we had been trying for #2 for about 6 months. The month I conceived #2 I had cut down from 2 feeds a day to 1.

TitInATrance · 13/02/2021 21:01

MIL relied on breastfeeding as contraception, then got mastitis and had to stop/cut back ...DH was one of the resulting twins. Well known in my family, off I go to name change again!

ScrumptiousBears · 13/02/2021 21:06

I can't believe this is still a question. OP was this not discussed with you before you left hospital? It is not a reliable form of contraception and lots of people have fallen pregnant thinking they were covered. Just no.

Original poster

bfcontraconcerns · 13/02/2021 21:15

@ScrumptiousBears

No they didn’t really discuss much at all ! I was sent home quite quickly and didn’t really have much support it was v v busy

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 13/02/2021 21:50

The problem is you can't really tell if it's worked or not and whether you're breastfeeding "enough". My periods came back at 18 months with DC1 and 4 months with DC2 - DC2 had some formula, but not a huge amount and I think by the time they returned I was EBF again. Absolutely through the night!

OTOH some people find they can't conceive despite periods until they wean.

It's probably sensible to assume that it's likely to lower your fertility a bit but use a different method if you actually want contraception.

scaevola · 13/02/2021 22:20

You are past the window when it is going to be useful

LAM only works if
a) your baby is under 6 months, and
b) is fully breastfed on demand 24/7 without long gaps between feeds, and
c) your period have not returned

Taking any contraceptive pill will muck up your natural hormonal cues, so make LAM ineffective.

It's also not a method for anyone for whom another (closely spaced) pregnancy would be a disaster - especially when more predictable reliable methods (including BF friendly methods) are available

underneaththeash · 13/02/2021 22:29

@WatchWatch I Cannot find those stats in any scientific paper in pubmed. Where are they from?
OP what I can find is that bfing may be reliable fir the first 3mo, but remember you ovulate before before your period.

DinoHat · 13/02/2021 22:32

I EBF and got my period back at 6 weeks PP, I’m SO glad I didn’t take any chances as was perfectly possible I could have been pregnant with a 6 week old!!

dementedpixie · 13/02/2021 22:32

www.fertilityuk.org/breastfeeding/

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