by Charity Buntz

Created on: October 10, 2008

Does breast-feeding prevent pregnancy? I don't think that this is a subject that can be classified as either a myth or a fact. But, having to choose, I will say that it is indeed a fact. There are many factors that affect the extent to which breast-feeding prevents pregnancy. We'll discuss those factors later, but first here's my story.

I had my first daughter at age 25. Determined to breast-feed, I worked through the first couple of weeks with her until we finally had a routine. Sure, my breasts were still sore and she didn't always latch on to both sides so well, but we were making it work nonetheless. I continued breast-feeding on-demand for the first 10 months of my daughters life. I slowly introduced baby foods at around 6 months, but for the most part, it was just mommy's milk! Ten months post-delivery I had to return back to work. Instead of pumping and storing milk, I decided to give my daughter formula during the day and just breast-feed her at night and in the morning. About a month later, I went to just once a day, right before bedtime. And right around her first birthday, I quit breast-feeding altogether. It was hard to let go, but it felt like the right time for us. Two weeks later I was so tired. Tired and nauseated. I didn't have morning sickness with my first pregnancy, so at first I didn't even think about that. When it didn't go away, I realized that maybe I was pregnant. I took a test and lo and behold, baby number two was on its way! You see, breast-feeding did help prevent pregnancy for me, for as long as I was doing it full-time, every feeding. Once I began the weaning process, my body began changing again.

If a woman breast-feeds frequently for long periods of time (as the sole nutrition for the baby), it will delay ovulation and therefore, the release of eggs. This is because stimulation of the nipple when sucking triggers the production of prolactin which is a chemical that suppresses the hormones that cause ovulation and menstruation. Many think this is nature's way of spacing out children and allowing a woman's body to recuperate before carrying another baby. However, most doctors would inform you that this is only effective until the baby is about 6 months old. Often, as babies get older, they are breast-fed less as new foods are being introduced into their diets. Some breast-feeding mothers see the return of the menstruation around 6 months even if they are still breast-feeding. I, however, did not. I found out I was pregnant before I ever had my first period post-delivery.

So breast-feeding can certainly help prevent pregnancy for a least a little while. During the first 6 months mothers who solely breast-feed can have about a 99% chance of not getting pregnant. That rivals most birth control methods including condoms, the birth control pill and most certainly the withdrawal method! However, if you want to be absolutely certain that you do not become pregnant, talk to your doctor about using two forms of birth control.

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