Birth Control
Options: Breastfeeding
WHAT IS THE CONTRACEPTIVE
EFFECT OF BREASTFEEDING MY BABY?
If you are feeding your baby only milk from your breasts, it is quite likely
that your periods will not return for a
number of months. If this is the case for you, then you probably won’t
get pregnant during the first 6 months
of breastfeeding. After your baby is 6 months old, the contraceptive effect
of breastfeeding decreases,
especially if you start bleeding. The contraceptive effect of breastfeeding
decreases when your periods return
or you start giving your baby formula or foods other than breast milk. At this
point, you need to add additional
methods to protect against pregnancy. Complete information about using breastfeeding
as a contraceptive is
available through your clinician.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?
-
Breastfeeding doesn’t cost anything and can be convenient. It is
about 98% effective as a contraceptive for 6
months.
- Breastfeeding helps
the mother’s womb return to normal and helps her
return to her normal weight.
- Breastfeeding is simply
the best way to feed your baby. “BREAST IS BEST!” It
encourages bonding between
mother and baby and helps your baby have more immunity against infection.
- The uterus returns
to normal more rapidly than when using other methods that affect the menstrual
cycle.
- Monthly periods are
suppressed.
- Breastfeeding generally
does not interfere with sex, and breastfeeding may be pleasurable (physically
and
emotionally) for some women.
- Slight protective effect
against ovarian and pre-menopausal breast cancer in the mother.
- Helps protect baby
against asthma, diarrhea, and ear infections because
mother's immunities are passed
through breast milk, and the child is not exposed to bottle
feeding until later in infancy.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?
-
Breastfeeding does not keep all women from having their periods, and is
not an effective contraceptive after
your periods return. It is difficult to tell when breastfeeding
stops working as birth control. The effectiveness
of breastfeeding after 6 months is greatly reduced.
- This method works best
if you feed your baby only your breast milk. If feeding your baby more
than breast
milk, use a spoon rather than a bottle for the best contraception from
breastfeeding. If you work, pumping
milk from your breasts often helps improve the effectiveness of breastfeeding
as a contraceptive.
- Some women are bothered
by a dry vagina while breastfeeding. This is normal. Intercourse may be
more
comfortable if you use a lubricant for sex, such as Astroglide, Aqua
Lube or KY jelly.
- Breastfeeding women
must be willing and able to eat lots of healthy foods.
- If the mother is
HIV-positive, there is a 14%-29% chance that HIV
will
be passed to her baby. Breastfeeding is
not recommended for HIV-positive mothers who have other safe and
healthy food available for their babies.
- Some women have an
inadequate milk supply.
- Breastfeeding can cause
sore nipples and breasts, as well as a
risk of mastitis (breast infection).
WHAT IF I HAVE
SEX AND DON’T USE BIRTH CONTROL?
Did you know that for
72 hours after sex, you can take emergency contraceptive pills to avoid becoming
pregnant? AND for 5 to 7 days after sex, you can have an IUD put in,
so
you
won’t
become pregnant? Not all
clinicians know about this. If you want more information or would like
the phone numbers of clinicians near you
that prescribe emergency birth control, call the toll-free number: (1-888)
NOT-2-LATE or (1-800) 584-9911.
Some of these sources of help are free. PLAN B is the emergency contraceptive
pill that causes the least
nausea, the least vomiting, and has the lowest failure rate.
