After giving birth, your main focus is on taking care of your baby. You want to make sure that your baby gets the most from your breast milk for its long-lasting benefits. But there’s also one important thing that you need to be mindful of and that is Family planning. Pregnancy while breastfeeding is possible, continue reading to learn more.
Getting pregnant while breastfeeding is possible. Although many new moms experience delays in their period while exclusively breastfeeding. In this article, we put together the most frequently asked questions and answers and everything you need to know about how breastfeeding affects your fertility.
What are the natural methods of family planning while breastfeeding?
Here are some of the family planning methods you can adopt to prevent pregnancy after giving birth.
Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) is a form of birth control where the mother is amenorrheic (not menstruating) and exclusively breastfeeding her child. It can be as effective as a birth control pill and is also effective during the first six months postpartum if done properly. However, when your menstrual period starts, you may start ovulating again so you may need to consider other measures for birth control. LAM is most effective if you strictly follow the following:
- Exclusive breastfeeding during the postpartum period
- Breastfeeding sessions every four hours during the day and every six hours every night
- Must not have menstrual periods for 56 days postpartum
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Ecological Breastfeeding
Most breastfeeding mothers practice ecological breastfeeding as they find it more effective than LAM. Ecological breastfeeding prolongs the return of their menstrual period up to 14 months after giving birth. You will find the effectiveness of ecological breastfeeding by doing the following:
- Don’t use breast pumps or bottle-feed your baby or use pacifiers
- Breastfeeding your baby as often as you can
- Don’t restrict nursing or consistently separate yourself from your baby
Nursing women maintain a higher prolactin level and lower gonadal hormone or gonadotropin level postpartum than do non-nursing women. Although it is still possible to get pregnant while you’re breastfeeding, you may consult your doctor or a family planning expert for more birth control options.
Do I need to stop breastfeeding if I want to get pregnant?
Since exclusive breastfeeding prolongs the return of your menstrual period, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop breastfeeding entirely if you’re trying to conceive. Not only it will reduce your milk production but your nursling may not be ready to wean yet. If you have plans to get pregnant again, you may consider these options to start getting your period back and start ovulating.
- Reduce breastfeeding sessions
- If your baby is ready, you may start introducing your baby to solid food.
Will I get pregnant as soon as my period returns?
Your first menstrual cycle after birth may not be the best chance yet to get pregnant as it may take a few menstrual cycles for your fertility to get back on track. However, there will be instances when you will be fertile even before your first menstrual period. It is better to keep track of your menstrual cycle so you’ll know when you’ll start ovulating.
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Can I use birth control pills while breastfeeding?
Although it may not harm your breastfeeding child, some forms of birth control may affect your milk production. Estrogen-containing contraceptives have been linked to low milk supply of breastfeeding mothers so the preferable form of birth control for breastfeeding mothers are the progestin-only contraceptives. Here are some examples of Progestin-only contraceptives:
- Mini pill
- IUD
- Birth control injections
Don’t forget to consult your doctor before taking any contraceptives.
Also read Latching and Breastfeeding Positions: How to Get the Baby to latch better
Is it safe to get pregnant while breastfeeding?
Yes, and it is completely safe for breastfeeding mothers to continue exclusive breastfeeding while pregnant. Although it may trigger some contractions, it won’t result in preterm labor.
However, if you have been experiencing the following, you might want to start weaning your nursling or consult your doctor and a family planning expert for options.
- If you had issues with preterm labor or miscarriage in the past
- When you’re experiencing frequent contractions
- If you’re having twins
Will pregnancy affect my milk production?
There have been cases that the milk production of breastfeeding mothers becomes low between the second and third trimesters or earlier. However, there are a lot of things to do to increase your milk production and these are the following:
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet
- Drink plenty of fluids and rest
- Ask your doctor for supplements if necessary
Read about What is an Overactive Letdown (Milk Ejection Reflex)?
Fertility treatments
Most moms won’t get pregnant easily. The reason behind this could be that they’ve had infertility issues in the past or their return of fertility is just taking some time. That’s why fertility treatments are an option.
Although fertility treatments have not caused any harm to breastfed babies and as not yet been proven by research, it is still best to consult a family planning expert together with your doctor on which treatment will be compatible with breastfeeding. There are two types of fertility treatments:
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – this fertility treatment is where eggs will be collected from your ovaries and will be fertilized by the sperm in a lab until it becomes an embryo. Then, the embryo will be inserted into the uterus.
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – this fertility treatment is where the sperm collected will be inserted directly into the uterus during ovulation.
And there you have it, you are now equipped with wonderful information about getting pregnant while breastfeeding. As you go through the joy of breastfeeding, it is best that you’re fully aware of your and your baby’s safety. And lastly, we want to help you go through safe family planning because, at the end of the day, you want yourself and the whole family to be ready for new responsibilities.
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