Breast feeding Question?

Question

I've seen on here that people use breast feeding as a way of birth control - I am not currently pregnant or breast feeding, I was just curious how this worked.
Does it count as breast feeding if you use a pump? Or only if you breast feed without pumps and bottles?

Just curious! Thanks :-)

Answer 1

There are rules that must be followed to use breastfeeding as birth control....baby must be under 6 months of age, must be nursing at night, must not have any paci's or bottles, no solids, no return of period yet, etc. It's pretty unusual for a woman to get pregnant if her baby is 6 months or younger if she's exclusively nursing, but not 100% effective. Pumping doesn't stimulate prolactin the same way actually nursing does so once you start skipping feedings and pumping you can't consider it effective. Pumping in addition to regular nursing is fine though, as long as you aren't supplementing with a bottle.

BTW, you can get pregnant before you ever have your period return. In order to get that period you must ovulate. The baby I am carrying now is proof positive that you don't have to have a period to get pregnant!

Answer 2

Whether you pump or not, you may not have a period either way. BUT I would not recommend using that as a form of birth control. It works for some women, but not for all. A friend of mine was told that if she nursed, she wouldn't get pregnant. Well, her baby was five months old when she found out she was pregnant again.

Answer 3

According to La Leche League, breastfeeding is 98% effective as a birth control method if:

- Your periods have not returned
- The baby is less than 6 months old.
- You are exclusively breastfeeding - no supplements, no artificial nipples, no solids.
- The baby is nursed on cue, day and night.

Answer 4

You can do it either way. Most people don't have a period when they breastfeed!