2006-12-10 00:24:59 · 8 answers · asked by as 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
By breast feeding you child, you are telling our body that you are not ready to have another baby yet. Usually you are unable to get pregnant when you are breast-feeding. However this is not an exact birth control method!
2006-12-10 00:29:02 · answer #1 · answered by Kim - E 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it is nature's way of keeping you from having too many babies, or having them too closely together. it is very difficult on the body of a woman to carry a child. as long as you can get adequate sleep, good nutrition and good exercise, it seems possible to have several kids close together without mom's health being compromised, but look at countries where women don't have these benefits; they tend to age very quickly, being old women by the time they reach their forties. In my grandmother's day, women used to say " a tooth for every child" meaning they would lose a tooth for each child they'd birthed. this is because the child takes all nutrients it needs and mom gets what's left. Nature has protected women to some degree by making us infertile for up to 18 months after birth. So long as you are suckling the child frequently, you will not ovulate again for another 5 months or so. Of course, this means that you could become pregnant again without ever seeing another period!
I have had four kids, all of them quite far apart (had my first in1984, and the last in 2001; feel like i've been a mother since the beginning of time!); all were breast fed and I am Catholic so I don't use birth control. I'd probably have eight kids if I hadn't breast fed!
if you have any concerns about your health, get in touch with Mothercraft, or any concerns about breastfeeding get in touch with LaLeche League, you can also contact your Public Health Nurse for free info. best of luck, and good on you for breast feeding; it's the greatest gift you can give your child besides love.
2006-12-10 08:39:28 · answer #2 · answered by soobee 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Iam the mother of five children..three of which were concieved while I was breast feeding and 2 while I was not having a period.It is not a fact that a breesfeeding mother does not have periods,every womans body is different and acts differently...if you are worried go see a doctor DO NOT rely on the old wives tale that a breast feeding mother can not get pregnant.
2006-12-10 09:33:43 · answer #3 · answered by Kay 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Congrats to you for still breastfeeding! What a great start you've given him! You'll both benefit from this very special relationship for as long as you continue to nurse.
The people who said you can't get PG are wrong. You CAN get pregnant while still breastfeeding. (Although if the baby is less than 6 mos, you're nursing exclusively and your periods have not returned, then it is as reliable as condoms for birth control.) Since your baby is older, I wouldn't count on breastfeeding as a method of BC. You'll ovulate for the first time before you bleed, so you won't know you're fertile yet unless you watch your body's signals very closely.
All that said, it is NORMAL that you haven't had a period yet. Some women get their cycles back right away even while nursing, some get theirs back around the time baby starts solids, and some never have a period the entire time they nurse. It's really one of those "anything is normal" things. If you are nursing on cue and night nursing, that does help to keep it away longer.
Personally, my period returned at 10 mos with my first, 9.5 mos with my second (even though I was tandem nursing!) and around 16 mos with my third. I was still nursing each time when my period returned. I was still nursing my younger child each time I got PG with the next one.
2006-12-10 08:42:35 · answer #4 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Alot of times, breastfeeding keeps you from having a period. As you breastfeed less, it should come back. Its just a natural thing that happens. Some people also say its a natural form of birth control, but don't rely on it. People do get pregnant while breastfeeding.
2006-12-10 08:29:09 · answer #5 · answered by Velken 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is quite common not to get your period until after you have stopped breastfeeding. Breastfeeding causes hormones to be released that inhibit your menstruation, but you shouldn't think that just because you don't get your periods doesn't mean you aren't ovulating. You can still get pregnant if you have unprotected sex while breastfeeding.
2006-12-10 08:35:32 · answer #6 · answered by gypsyiiiis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By feeding him I am assuming that you are still breast feeding him. As long as you breast feed you will not have cycles, the strange part is that you can still ovulate, so you can get pregnant. This is normal. Hope that helps.
2006-12-10 08:34:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It will probably start once you wean your child. It's completely normal, don't worry.
2006-12-10 09:28:57 · answer #8 · answered by lori_a_esser 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋