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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

breast feeding as contraception.

22 replies

pinkdolly · 18/10/2006 12:46

hi all,

i have a 14 week old baby who is exclusively breastfed. My doc says that i wont need to take contraception until she is 6 months as bf is enough.

Just wandered if anyone else had done this, does it really work?

OP posts:
covenoveneer · 18/10/2006 12:48

NOOOOOOO. It reduces the chance but I know many babies concieved due to this misconception.

foundintranslation · 18/10/2006 12:48

It might. But it might well not. You can ovulate before having your periods back, for example.

if you really don't want to get pg then you will have to use some kind of contraception, even if it has to be condoms or abstinence...

QueenQuootieSpookypieBee · 18/10/2006 12:50

its not 100%... DS is 6 months, and ive had no period... but then he feeds very often

LIZS · 18/10/2006 12:51

I had periods at 6 weeks-ish and 9 weeks-ish both times even though b'feeding. So was potentially fertile v early on. Don't risk it if another baby now would be a problem.

Original poster
pinkdolly · 18/10/2006 13:00

oh, i dont think another baby would be a problem. I was just interested coz my doc said i would be fine and my friend wasn't too sure.

I still havent had my first period and my dd feeds a lot, she always has. she likes her 'booby'.

just wandered why a doc might give this advice if its not true?

OP posts:
nebthenoob · 18/10/2006 13:10

Amazed that GP has given you this advice - I know various babies conceived while bf.
At our GPs they sit you down at the six week check and say 'what are you doing about contraception - you can get pregnant while breast feeding' (at which stage you say 'contraception? Why would I need that?')

hotmama · 18/10/2006 13:11

My understanding is that you need to ensure that you bf regularly and not have long gaps.

I was told by the consultant at the hosp after having dd2, that don't rely on bf as a contraception if gaps are longer than 5 hours. In the early days this isn't a problem - but bear this in mind when you are wanting the lo to sleep through.

I'm taking no chances as there is only 16 months between my dd's - so I exclusively bf for 6 months and took the minipill. Dd2 is nearly 9 months and I haven't had a period - not sure if this is because of bf or taking the minipill. HTH

geekgrrl · 18/10/2006 13:16

From what I've read, it works reliably as long as you don't have gaps of more than 4 hours between feedings (ever! - even at night) and feed nothing else, not even water.

Worked well for me even after introduction of solids - no periods for the first 11 months, found myself pregnant when dd1 was 12 months old. We'd not used any contraception and I conceive at the drop of a hat (or should that be a pair of pants?) - usually during the first cycle after stopping contraception.

Original poster
pinkdolly · 18/10/2006 13:17

thanx,

it was at my 6 week check that doc gave me this advice. we raised concerns over contraceptives as for various reasons didnt want to go on the pill. had tried coil and didn't get on with it and i am phobic with needles.

At which point the doc simply said that if you are exclusively breastfeeding you dont need to worry about it till she is 6 months old.

Not that dh and I are at it like rabbits anyway, with 3 children under 5 and dd3 sleeping in our bed we just dont find the time. So it's almost mission impossible anyhow.

OP posts:
BlueberryPancake · 18/10/2006 13:25

THis was explained to me once by a friend midwife. She said that a very powerful hormone is released when BF is becoming estalished - usually during 2nd month of BF. This is released in the body in one large 'dose' which will last for some time, depending on how often/long you BF. It usually prevents ovulation and periods for a time, but there is absolutly no way to know when the hormone will 'dissipate'. You might ovulate and not have your periods, or the opposite could happen as well - have your periods without ovulating.

I took the minipill whilst bf, I know some women would frown upon that but I really, really didn't want to get pregnant (had an emergency section with healing problems). Once I had my first periods (when DS was 8 months old) I stopped the pill and got pregnant again, and I was still breastfeeding.

PeachyBobbingParty · 18/10/2006 14:03

Ojn the babyfriendly course, the Unicef MW told us that it's fine as long as you BF 8 times a day, below thata nd you're risking PG

leanoracat · 18/10/2006 14:36

But remember that no form of contraception is 100% guaranteed to protect from pregnancy, and I guess that also applies to breastfeeding. Although, having said that, I found an epesiotomy to be quite effective!

amijee · 18/10/2006 18:14

Breastfeeding should NEVER be thought of as a contraceptive - even if you are feeding 2 hourly like myself. I know of no reason why the mini pill should be an issue in breast feeding. Lots of mums have had "irish twins" - babies 10 mths apart. (sorry if I have offended any irish people!)

lulumama · 18/10/2006 18:29

"NOOOOOOO. It reduces the chance but I know many babies concieved due to this misconception."

misconception indeed!!

i think it is more of a risk as the baby gets older and feeds less...but i know at least 3 people who ended up with 2nd babies a little quicker than expected....

it is one of those things that is true...but needs to be done the right way IFYSWIM....

flack · 18/10/2006 18:40

From what I read...If you breastfeed fully (not anything else) then it provides 98% protection until the baby is 6 months old or until you get a period. 98% is as good as many other forms of contracpetion.

That's because if you get a period before 6 months (while fully breastfeeding) it will almost certainly be anovulatory (you won't have ovulated). But the one after that you will ovulate.

Think that it would be very hard on your body if you were in the 2% who got pregnant before 6 months while fully br'fd, though. And it doesn't sound like he made it clear about it only being good to 6 months or first period, too.

popsycal · 18/10/2006 19:00

from what i know i undersatnad that only if you are feeding 2 hourly through the night is it likely to be reliable as contraception and even then you shold not rely on it

however
i have found breast feediong coupled witha non-sleeping baby for twenty months is a remarkable contraceptive aid!

Plibble · 18/10/2006 19:17

Beware, though. I got my period back when DD was 14 weeks old and I was still breastfeeding every 3 hours in the day. I am pretty sure that I ovulated 2 weeks before my period. Wouldn't have been good to have a one year old and a newborn...

popsycal · 18/10/2006 19:18

at the other extreme, I am still feeding my 19 month old but have not had a period but would not dream of NOT using contraception

pianomummy · 18/10/2006 19:20

the gaps between feeds need to be less than 3 hours (that's through the night as well), and even then if another baby would be a problem then it's best not to rely on breastfeeding as contraception.

lemonAIIEEE · 18/10/2006 19:22

The definition of "bf fully" to get contraceptive protection, though, is quite strict. I think it's something like bf at least every 2 hours in the day and at least every 6 hours at night (PLEASE don't rely on my vague memory, though). And the baby must have nothing else to eat or drink. And you must not have a period or have any fertile-quality cervical fluid.

popsycal · 18/10/2006 19:38

....'fully breastfed'is every 2 hours, inlcuding at night....

Plibble · 18/10/2006 19:46

Every 2 hours !?! Anyone who does that and still finds the energy for a bit of action is wonderwoman in my book.

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