Topic Overview
Breast-feeding can be used as a method of
, called the lactational amenorrhea
method (LAM). But three conditions must be met to ensure its
effectiveness:
- Your baby must be 6 months of age or younger.
After your baby is 6 months old, you are much more likely to become pregnant
and need to use another method of birth control to prevent
pregnancy.
- You must fully breast-feed your infant, meaning that
the baby receives only breast milk. Also, breast-feeding must be maintained
with both day and night feeding, and no long intervals can occur between
feedings.
- You must not have a period (amenorrhea). When your
periods start, use an additional birth control method.
When these conditions are met, LAM has been shown to be about 98%
effective.1 But many doctors recommend that you
also use another method of birth control.
After 6 months, even if
you are breast-feeding exclusively and your period has not returned, you must
use an additional form of birth control if you do not want to get pregnant. You
can get pregnant before your first period. This is
because you
, then have your period.
At any
point during breast-feeding, use a reliable method of birth control if you do
not want to get pregnant. Many methods are safe to use while you are
breast-feeding, although some are more reliable than others. Options
include:
- Progestin-only birth control pills. The estrogen-progestin methods
of birth control are not recommended in early breast-feeding because they may
reduce the milk supply.
- The shot, such as Depo-Provera, which does not affect milk production.
- The hormonal implant, such as Implanon, which
provides extremely effective birth control for 3 years.
- Barrier
methods, such as condoms or diaphragms. To increase their reliability, use them
with spermicide or foam.
- An
, which is placed inside your
uterus by a health professional.
is not recommended
for birth control during breast-feeding. This method is less reliable and
difficult to manage than other forms of birth control, especially with the
sporadic ovulation that may occur while you are breast-feeding.
For more information, see the topic Birth Control.
References
Citations
Kennedy KI, Trussel J (2007). Postpartum contraception and lactation. In RA Hatcher et al., eds., Contraceptive Technology, 19th ed., pp. 403–431. New York: Ardent Media.