The woman who gives birth has irrefutable proof that her marriage is fertile. If she has some experience of observing his signs of ovulation, she can more easily detect the return of fertility.
After the birth of the child, all women produce large amounts of prolactin, a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland and the brain that triggers lactation. The return of fertility after childbirth depends on the resumption of hormones that stimulate the ovaries.
What happens when the baby is not breastfed?
When the baby is not breastfed, the amount of prolactin decreases rapidly. The first ovulation may occur from the fourth week after the birth of the child.
What happens when the baby is breastfed?
Breastfeeding disrupts control centers responsible for the return of fertility (hypothalamus and pituitary). It stimulates the production of prolactin, thereby promoting lactation but also blocking fertility for some time.
The abundance of milk and temporary infertility are mainly due to the frequency, duration and force feedings.
Breastfeeding of short duration
When the baby is breastfed for a period of less than a month, the return of fertility is possible after the fifth week, usually during the second month.
Full breastfeeding
When the breastfed baby does not receive any solid food or other liquids than milk taken directly in the return of fertility never occurs before the sixth week after delivery.
Can we consider breastfeeding as an effective contraception?
Although breastfeeding makes it possible to postpone the return of fertility, it is not a contraceptive method in itself. For breastfeeding is considered as such, it must meet several conditions. Applying these conditions for breastfeeding is called LAM, the method of breastfeeding and amenorrhea.
The method of breastfeeding and amenorrhea (LAM)
LAM is a natural method that, when conditions for its application are fully respected, achieved an efficiency of 98%.
Here are the three conditions of LAM:
1. Complete and exclusive breastfeeding day and night (at least six feedings per 24 hours and a maximum of six hours between feedings);
2. Baby younger than six months;
3. Mother who did not return rules.
Each of these conditions there are exceptions and require detailed explanations, that is why it is necessary to consult a couple before applying LAM. Contact Serena for more information on LAM and enjoy the support of a couple-specialized instructor.
If, while using LAM, one or more of three criteria are not met, it is important to adopt another method.
The sympto-thermal method after childbirth
If you no longer meet the criteria of LAM but you still have not been returned, the sympto-thermal method taught can allow you to detect the return of your fertility. For nursing mothers, using the sympto-thermal method is easier when she had some experience in observing her fertility signs before pregnancy. Use the sympto-thermal method requires support breastfeeding in a couple-experienced instructor.