What Is Lactational Amenorrhea | Hea Boosters
Breastfeeding is an act of love and adoration. While a lot of moms, initially struggle to breastfeed and get into the flow later on, a few moms get in the rhythm very quickly. Did you know it can also be a form of natural contraception? If not, then keep on reading. Breastfeeding can promote temporary contraception when you want to avoid getting pregnant after you have just given birth. It is called Lactational Amenorrhoea Contraception (LAC).
While breastfeeding, the amount of estrogen produced by our body reduces rapidly. While during ovulation, our body produces estrogen in huge quantities. A significant increase in estrogen triggers ovulation, but during breastfeeding, a woman’s body produces less estrogen than ordinarily, which means that chances are she won't ovulate and get pregnant.
If you are breastfeeding exclusively and do not offer your baby any additional food for the first year of their lives, then you can achieve viable results (98%) with the LAC method. As long as you are not menstruating or you have delivered in less than a year ago, you can use this method to avoid any unwanted pregnancies.
Prolactin increases during the pregnancy, which allows your body to make milk as well as making your breasts swell. While you are pregnant, your body cannot deliver milk, because your body is producing another chemical called progesterone, which increases during the pregnancy.
Progesterone comes from the placenta thus after delivery, doctors remove it from your belly because as long as the placenta stays in the belly your body won’t be able to create breast milk. Following labor, when the placenta is removed, progesterone levels decrease and milk creation increases.
The prophylactic impact of the lactational amenorrhoea method is a result of the increased amount of prolactin. When the prolactin levels increase, the creation and delivery of another chemical called gonadotropin are restrained. When gonadotropin delivering chemical levels is low, then our body would also decrease the amount of estrogen it produces. Ovulation can't happen without high estrogen levels, and if a woman doesn't ovulate, pregnancy is delayed.
Start taking another preventative technique following a half year or prior if the period returns before a half year after labor. Then again breastfeeding women can begin using progesterone-just hormonal prophylactic strategies before the arrival of the period.
In women who don't experience periods after delivery along with exclusive breastfeeding, lactational amenorrhoea is 94% viable, one-year post-pregnancy. The viability of the technique is reliant on breastfeeding. Fertility tends to increase as the breastfeeding frequency reduces and the amount of breastmilk declines.
Conclusion:
So, if you are worried about whether LAC is for you or not, then we have listed a few points that may help you make your mind:
Sources:
Contraceptive efficacy of lactational amenorrhoea
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1346183/
Lactational amenorrhoea method for family planning
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6823189/
Postpartum Sexuality and the Lactational Amenorrhea Method for Contraception
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26457855/
While breastfeeding, the amount of estrogen produced by our body reduces rapidly. While during ovulation, our body produces estrogen in huge quantities. A significant increase in estrogen triggers ovulation, but during breastfeeding, a woman’s body produces less estrogen than ordinarily, which means that chances are she won't ovulate and get pregnant.
If you are breastfeeding exclusively and do not offer your baby any additional food for the first year of their lives, then you can achieve viable results (98%) with the LAC method. As long as you are not menstruating or you have delivered in less than a year ago, you can use this method to avoid any unwanted pregnancies.
Using breastfeeding as contraception:
Lactation (the creation of breast milk) fundamentally happens by two chemicals, prolactin, and oxytocin. Prolactin animates milk creation, while oxytocin is responsible for the flow of milk from the ducts to the areola.Prolactin increases during the pregnancy, which allows your body to make milk as well as making your breasts swell. While you are pregnant, your body cannot deliver milk, because your body is producing another chemical called progesterone, which increases during the pregnancy.
Progesterone comes from the placenta thus after delivery, doctors remove it from your belly because as long as the placenta stays in the belly your body won’t be able to create breast milk. Following labor, when the placenta is removed, progesterone levels decrease and milk creation increases.
The prophylactic impact of the lactational amenorrhoea method is a result of the increased amount of prolactin. When the prolactin levels increase, the creation and delivery of another chemical called gonadotropin are restrained. When gonadotropin delivering chemical levels is low, then our body would also decrease the amount of estrogen it produces. Ovulation can't happen without high estrogen levels, and if a woman doesn't ovulate, pregnancy is delayed.
For whom lactational amenorrhoea technique works?
Lactational amenorrhoea can be used by women who wish to delay pregnancy and meet the conditions of this method:- They have delivered a baby in less than a year;
- They are only breastfeeding their baby; and
- They have are not menstruating since labor
Right way of lactational amenorrhoea:
The adequacy of lactational amenorrhoea is exceptionally reliant upon right use. Specifically, it is significant that breastfeeding must:- Happen at customary spans (for example on request and essentially like clockwork during the day and at regular intervals around evening time); and,
- Be selective, or practically restrictive (for example supplemental food sources ought not to surpass 5 -10% of the newborn child's wholesome admission).
Start taking another preventative technique following a half year or prior if the period returns before a half year after labor. Then again breastfeeding women can begin using progesterone-just hormonal prophylactic strategies before the arrival of the period.
Viability of lactational amenorrhoea:
When any woman who meets each of the three conditions for the method lactational amenorrhoea is successful in delaying pregnancy in 98% of cases. The period is the key factor that marks the fertility in a woman, and women who have gotten back to menses can't use lactational amenorrhoea.In women who don't experience periods after delivery along with exclusive breastfeeding, lactational amenorrhoea is 94% viable, one-year post-pregnancy. The viability of the technique is reliant on breastfeeding. Fertility tends to increase as the breastfeeding frequency reduces and the amount of breastmilk declines.
Advantages of lactational amenorrhoea:
Lactational amenorrhoea promotes selective breastfeeding, which has medical advantages for both the mother and baby. These include:- Low bleeding after labor (mother);
- The uterus gets back to its original size (mother);
- Healthy development (newborn);
- Diminished danger of illness and infections (newborn).
Conclusion:
So, if you are worried about whether LAC is for you or not, then we have listed a few points that may help you make your mind:
- It doesn't cost anything
- You don’t need to make any investments
- No known side effects.
Sources:
Contraceptive efficacy of lactational amenorrhoea
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1346183/
Lactational amenorrhoea method for family planning
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6823189/
Postpartum Sexuality and the Lactational Amenorrhea Method for Contraception
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26457855/