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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Is Exclusive BreastFeeding REALLY a 99% effective method of contraception??

26 replies

sophielouise · 06/04/2011 21:01

Just got back from my 6 week check at the Drs, who wanted to talk about contracteption (already?? DH should be so lucky!!) Anyway - she gave me a leaflet with all the different methods (this took me back to my teenage years) On said leaflet it states that if you are breast feeding, then this is a 99% effective method of contraception. However the Dr didn't mention this and instead was keen for me to go on something like the coil or implant etc. I'd really rather avoid these things if the breastfeeding thing is true... so how true is it?? Can you become pregnant if exclusively breastfeeding??

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 06/04/2011 21:02

well yes it CAN be, but there are various criteria you have to meet!
see here

i think it's actually 98% effective

SoupDragon · 06/04/2011 21:04

I would not trust it. Despite exclusively breastfeeding, my periods returned when DC were no more than 2 months old. Without warning.

SoupDragon · 06/04/2011 21:06

Of course it wasn't an issue because i think I would have kicked H in the nads had he suggested it that soon.

[big babies]
[major repair]

whysolate · 06/04/2011 21:09

No. I EBF DC2 and got pregnant with DC3. I definitely would not rely on it as a form of contraception.

Original poster
sophielouise · 06/04/2011 21:12

oh thanks for that link thisisyesterday , and as I thought whysolate - there are stories emerging of people falling pregnant while breastfeeding already...! Perhaps not to be trusted after all...

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 06/04/2011 21:15

ahh but there are also plenty of people who've posted on here who've had to stop breastfeeding in order to conceive number 2, so it does work!

I do know a few people who've used it successfully, but tbh I'm not sure i'd risk it

thisisyesterday · 06/04/2011 21:15

actually I think done alongside a charting/rhythm method it can be used really successfully, but that's a whole lot of effort

LostInTransmogrification · 06/04/2011 21:16

No no no no no no no it isn't guaranteed to work. I was ebf on demand and on the pop contraceptive. Was late with two pills in 6 months and fell pregnant (cue head scratching from doctor!). If you don't want to get pregnant then you need a backup method.

Dilligaf81 · 06/04/2011 21:17

My Dr told me it was I had to BEG for the pill after having DC2. He was 3 mths old when I fell pregnant with DC3.
So I was EBF, my periods hadnt returned AND taking the mini pill after, knowing DC3 (she's now 3) I realise she would have happened even if it was immaculate conception - she was just meant to be.
After DC 3 we used the withdrawel method as we knew we wanted another baby soon. After DC 4 I got the coil and it's great.

RitaMorgan · 06/04/2011 21:25

It does work, so long as you are feeding often (no long breaks at night!), your baby isn't having any formula, dummies, water, food or bottles at all, and your periods haven't returned.

My ds was sleeping 6 hours by 6 weeks and 8 hours by 8 weeks, plus he had a dummy, so I wouldn't have relied on it.

whysolate · 06/04/2011 21:28

I promise that I did fit all of the criteria. I must be in that 1.2%

After DC3 (3 years ago) DH had the snip. So far so good..........

Cymar · 06/04/2011 21:47

No, it's not a reliable method of contraception. I had DS first, he was EBF on demand (at every squeak with absolutely NO other fluids/solids/dummies or anything) for 4.5m and when he was 3.5m old I conceived DD. I hadn't had any periods (not even spotting) for 4.5yrs after DS was born either.

ShowOfHands · 06/04/2011 21:50

I ebf on demand, dd did not go more than 2hrs without feeding for 7 months. No dummies, no ff, no nothing else. Ovulated when she was 11 weeks old. I find it hard to believe I'm in such a tiny percentage. Of all my friends who ebf, it's split down the middle. Roughly half got their periods back before they should have. Maybe they weren't ovulating though. Who knows? Or maybe they had luteal phases that precluded conception. No idea. Would never trust it though.

everyspring · 06/04/2011 21:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AngelDog · 06/04/2011 22:25

Kellymom has info.

Early periods are fairly likely to be non-ovulatory. Late return ones are more likely to involve ovulation from the outset.

It's working for me so far, although I'm hoping AF will return soon (DS is 15 months).

WoTmania · 07/04/2011 12:38

I got pg twice while BF but both times were after the 6 months, (DS1 was arounf 8 months when I ovulated, DS211 months and DD 18 months)

MummyBerryJuice · 07/04/2011 17:33

All this anecdotal evidence is great but there are many stories of women who fall pregnant on the pill, coil etc too.

Here is the Cochrane review of LAM

To summarise a life table of pregnancy at 6 months varied between 11.1 and 39.4% while the LAM practitioners had pregnancy rates between 0.45 and 2.45% (efficacy of between 99.55% and 97.55%) this is equivalent to the efficacy of (if not slightly better than) the oral contraceptive pill.

It is of course your choice as to whether you would want to use this as your contraceptive method of choice but it is a recognised and effective method of contraception.

SoupDragon · 07/04/2011 19:00

The reason I wouldn't trust it is that you could easily not know your periods were about to return. Only to find out that they wouldn't be returning fo a while...

WoTmania · 07/04/2011 19:44

SoupDragon - happenned ot me, twice. Second time we were using condoms too. DD was going to happen.

RJandA · 08/04/2011 08:57

I look at it this way - for a population as a whole, EBFing is an effective way of spacing pregnancies, but it certainly doesn't guarantee anything in anyone's specific case. We live in a country where contraception is easily obtainable, safe, socially acceptable and free, so why wouldn't you take advantage of that?

If an "accident" would be a welcome surprise then go for it, but if you really don't want to get pregnant then I wouldn't rely on it.

On the other hand, if you have to be feeding every 2 hours for it to work anyway, then I imagine nooky is the very last thing on your mind!!!

Everyspring says "Feeding absolutely on demand (e.g. not waiting until back from the shops in 10 minutes)"... so not waiting 10 (or 2!) minutes for any other reasons - i.e. no shouting "just cooooooommmmmmming" when your LO wakes up at the pivotal moment!

theborrower · 08/04/2011 09:29

No method of contraception is 100%, so why not go for the belt and braces approach?

MrsGangly · 08/04/2011 11:44

People seem to be confusing any contraceptive failure with something not be a 'reliable' form of contraception. You are going to find people who have become pregnant using each and every method, including sterilisation!

No method of contraception is 100% effective, the only way to guarantee not getting pregnant is not having sex!

Let's compare LAM with it's success rate of >98% with others:

Male condoms 98%
Combined pill >99%
IUD >99%
Female sterilisation 99.5%

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/825.aspx?CategoryID=117&SubCategoryID=114

anniemac · 08/04/2011 12:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AngelDog · 08/04/2011 12:52

One of the conditions you need to fulfil for BF acting as a contraceptive before 6 months is that your periods haven't returned.

RJandA · 08/04/2011 14:17

Yes but you can ovulate before your first period after giving birth - how would you know when you're about to get your period?