After childbirth, a woman develops lactational amenorrhea. During this period, you can, without fear of the consequences, have sex without additional contraception. What is the effectiveness of protection by the method of lactational amenorrhea? What conditions must be met to rule out unwanted pregnancy?
Pregnancy and lactation are a big burden on the female body. Nature saves it from exhaustion. She does not allow repeated pregnancy immediately after childbirth, causing lactational amenorrhea in the newly-made mother. Let's find out what it is, and why the risk of getting pregnant while breastfeeding is very small.
What is lactational amenorrhea
Amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation for several periods in a row. Lactational amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation against the background of lactation (breastfeeding). In the first half of the menstrual cycle in women, the follicle matures. When it bursts, an egg comes out of it - ovulation occurs. And if fertilization does not occur during the movement of the egg through the fallopian tube, menstruation begins.
After the birth of the baby, the woman begins breastfeeding. When a baby sucks, a special hormone called prolactin is produced. It promotes the formation of a sufficient amount of milk and inhibits the synthesis of hormones responsible for the maturation of follicles. Follicles do not mature - eggs do not come out. No eggs, no ovulation. No ovulation - no menstruation.
Duration of lactational amenorrhea
Menstruation does not resume as long as there is sufficient prolactin in the female body. The release of this hormone depends on the frequency and duration of breastfeeding. Therefore, the duration of lactational amenorrhea is usually 6-9 months. It is at this age that one breastfeeding of the baby is replaced by complementary foods, and the usual breastfeeding regime is disrupted.
Attention! 6-9 months is the average duration of lactational amenorrhea. But it may end earlier (2-3 months after childbirth) or later (12-14). The maximum limit of the norm is 1.5-2 years, provided that lactation is maintained during this period. If during this time the menstrual cycle has not resumed, you need to visit a gynecologist and undergo an examination.
Is it possible to restore the menstrual cycle before the introduction of complementary foods
The first menstruation can begin immediately after the restoration of the uterine lining: 2-3 months after delivery. This usually happens if the following factors are present:
- Large intervals between breastfeeding (more than 3-4 hours);
- Between feedings, the baby satisfies the sucking reflex with a pacifier;
- Mom feeds the baby with formula or gives him water;
- The child is completely artificially fed.
Attention! Women with high fertility (ability to reproduce offspring) may not have lactational amenorrhea. If your mother, grandmother or other blood relatives did not have her, then the likelihood that you will not have her is very high. In this case, the frequency and duration of the attachment of the baby to the breast does not matter.
Lack of menstruation after completing lactation
If a woman stops breastfeeding, her prolactin levels drop. This promotes the production of hormones responsible for the maturation of follicles. Therefore, after the completion of lactation, the menstrual cycle should resume within 1-2 months. If menstruation does not occur, this is not the norm. This happens when the hormonal background is disturbed, which is easily corrected through hormone therapy.
Advice! Visit your gynecologist if you are missing your period after breastfeeding is complete. He will give directions for an ultrasound of the pelvic organs and a blood test to detect hormonal levels. The doctor will also check to see if the condition is related to a new pregnancy.
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Lactational amenorrhea as a method of contraception
Lactational amenorrhea suppresses ovulation. This means that it is impossible to get pregnant during it. Therefore, women perceive this period as a method of contraception. However, it guarantees high efficiency in preventing unwanted pregnancy only if each of the following conditions is met:
- The baby is under 6 months old;
- The baby does not suck the pacifier. A child who has satisfied his sucking reflex can suckle less intensively;
- The intervals between feedings do not exceed 3-4 hours even at night;
- Mom does not give the child water and does not feed him with a mixture - only GW;
- The first complementary foods have not yet been introduced;
- Mom breastfeeds even if she is sick;
- After giving birth, there was not a single period;
- If the mother begins to have breast problems (milk stagnation, lactostasis, breast swelling), then the effectiveness of lactational amenorrhea decreases to almost zero
Attention! Bottle feeding with breast milk cannot prevent a new pregnancy. Expressing by hand or with a breast pump does not stimulate the nipples properly. Therefore, ovulation can occur at any time.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
Advantages of lactational amenorrhea as a method of contraception:
- Naturalness... This method is a gift from nature itself, and it is safe for the baby;
- Free... There is no need to buy special contraceptives at the pharmacy;
- Simplicity. Know yourself, feed the baby and enjoy the absence of menstruation and pregnancy;
- Efficiency method 98%. The same result is provided only by oral, injectable and barrier contraceptives.
Disadvantages of the method:
- Short duration... 6 months after childbirth, the effectiveness of this method of contraception decreases;
- The need to comply with all conditions... If even one item from the list of conditions that ensure the effectiveness of the method is violated, you can no longer rely on it;
- Lack of protection against genital infections... Only barrier methods of contraception can protect against STDs.
Attention! When the menstrual cycle resumes, ovulation occurs first, and only then menstruation. Therefore, the first ovulation goes unnoticed. That is why it is so important to comply with conditions that prevent the maturation of eggs. If you are in doubt about the effectiveness of lactational amenorrhea, consider other ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies. During lactation, you can use barrier and some types of oral contraceptives, which are prescribed by your doctor.
Can lactational amenorrhea be confused with pregnancy?
No method of contraception gives 100% protection against a new pregnancy. The risk of getting pregnant during lactational amenorrhea is 2-3%. The unpleasantness of this phenomenon lies in the fact that pregnancy in this case is the last thing a woman suspects. Often, she learns about her position only at 16-20 weeks, when the first movements of the fetus begin.
If during amenorrhea a woman is sexually active, then she should be alerted by the symptoms of early toxicosis. This is a good reason to visit a gynecologist. The most accurate way to find out if a woman is pregnant is to detect the level of hCG in the blood together with an ultrasound scan. Early diagnosis will help to make a timely decision about maintaining or terminating the pregnancy.
Lactational amenorrhea is physiologically normal for a woman after childbirth if she is breastfeeding. The length of this period depends on hereditary and individual factors. Under certain conditions, it is almost impossible to get pregnant at this time. But, like all methods of contraception, lactational amenorrhea does not protect against unwanted pregnancy by 100%.
