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| Name: 3 time nursing mom | Date: May 12th, 2006 7:49 AM |
| Sharon, Confidence in postponing your period by using breastfeeding can be acheived by following certain principles. This is now being called "Ecological Breastfeeding". If you are getting your period at this early stage of breastfeeding, chances are it is because one of the following principles had not been practiced. Here is some information from the Couple to Couple League, an authority on the subject. It states better then I can what I have also read from other reliable sources. Doing a keyword search "Ecological Breastfeeding" will bring up a whole plethora of information on the subject. Summary of Ecological Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing Program Basic Principles: Frequent and unrestricted nursing is the primary factor in producing natural lactation amenorrhea and infertility. (Lactation amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual periods due to breastfeeding.) Ecological Breastfeeding (EBF) almost always provides this frequent nursing and natural infertility. It is that type of baby care which follows the natural mother-baby relationship. It avoids the use of mother-substitutes, such as bottles and pacifiers; it follows the baby-initiated patterns. EBF is the norm and offers many built-in benefits, one of which is extended natural infertility. In essence, a lengthy postpartum amenorrhea is the expected norm. Ecological Breastfeeding: The Early Months: This phase almost invariably produces natural infertility as long as the program is complete. Phase I usually lasts six months. The key to natural infertility is frequent and unrestricted nursing. The following Seven Standards help to ensure this frequent nursing. 1)Do exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; don't use other liquids and solids. 2)Pacify the baby at the breast. 3)Don't use bottles and pacifiers. 4)Sleep with the baby for night feedings. 5)Sleep with the baby for a daily-nap feeding. 6)Nurse frequently day and night, and avoid schedules. 7)Avoid any practice that restricts nursing or separates mom and baby. Ecological Breastfeeding: Later Months: At around six months of age, the baby will start taking solids or liquids other than breast milk. Aside from Standard #1, exclusive breastfeeding, the other six standards will remain operative until the baby gradually loses interest in breastfeeding. This time is one of very gradual change in which the amount of nursing is 1) not decreased at all at first, and 2) lessened only gradually at the baby's pace. The time of natural infertility that a woman can achieve at this time is frequently longer than the first six months if the EBF program is followed with continued frequent and unrestricted nursing, although this varies from woman to woman. Chance of Pregnancy: The First 6 Months. The first 8 weeks postpartum for the exclusively breastfeeding mother are so infertile that in 1988 scientists agreed that any vaginal bleeding during the first 56 days postpartum can be ignored for determining amenorrhea or fertility for the exclusively breastfeeding mother. This rule would also apply to the EBF mother. During the first 3 months postpartum, the chance of pregnancy occurring is practically nil if the EBF mother remains in amenorrhea. During the next 3 months postpartum, there is only a 1% chance of pregnancy if the EBF mother continues to remain in amenorrhea. After 6 Months. For the nursing mother there is about a 6% chance of pregnancy occurring prior to the first menstruation. This assumes no fertility awareness and unrestricted intercourse. This risk can be reduced to close to 1% through the techniques of systematic natural family planning — observing the signs of fertility and abstaining accordingly. About 70% of EBF mothers experience their first menstruation between 9 and 20 months postpartum. The average return of menstruation for EBF mothers is between 14 and 15 months. Natural Spacing by Breastfeeding Alone: For many couples who desire 18 to 30 months between the births of their children, Ecological Breastfeeding should be sufficient. http://ccli.org /nfp/ebf/summary.php Yo u will hear many people tell you that you cannot trust breastfeeding to postpone your periods, even doctors. And this is true if you do not follow the above practices. But it has been proven over and over without any doubt that if the above habits are practiced, the aforementioned percentages are indeed correct and trustworthy. These percentages are just as good as any form of artificial birth control, and offers none of the side effects to you or your Little One. As for being able to use breastfeeding to postpone ovulation and subsequent periods, once you have gotten your first period, that I don't know. I suppose it is possible to be able to practice Ecological Breastfeeding and get a return of "lactation amenorrhea", but I really do not know if a woman can count on it. I suppose it really doesn't hurt to try. I know I experienced lactation amenorrhea with eachof my Little Ones. I didn't know that I was doing it with my first two actually. With my first, my former mother-in-law started her on solids a two months of age. She was the caregiver while I was at work, that combined with my youthful 'fear' of my strong minded mother-in-law, kept me from having much say in the matter. Still, my first Little One was a strong nurser and I did not get my period until she was 7 months old. My second one, I was more self confident, and she did not have solids until after her 9th month. My period returned after 20 months. And I was working full time and pumping with both my first and second, returning to work after 6 weeks of leave (that was all we were 'allowed' back then). And my third, she was 24 months before I got my period, and I was working part time and pumping for her first year, returning to work after 3 months of glorious leave. What joy! 2 years and 9 months without my period! LOL Now the "Ecological Breastfeeding" guidelines state that for confidence in the method, mother and baby should not be seperated the first year at all....no working away from baby. But as you can see from my experience, it still can be done. But we always had the baby sleeping with us also. Many couples are not comfortable with that. Also, I have read from several sources that the first period a woman has after giving birth is not preceded by ovulation. This is called anovulation. If you hope to continue having the breastfeeding benefit of delayed ovulation, I would recommend reading "Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing: How Ecological Breastfeeding Spaces Babies" by Sheila Kippley It's absolutely excellent! Good luck. I hope this information helps. ↑ |
