How much affects breastfeeding the likelihood to conceive?
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I’m still breastfeeding my 13 months old, but seem to be back on regular periods. I’m wondering, has breastfeeding still any reducing effect on my likelihood to conceive or is it just the same as if I wasn’t breastfeeding?
(We’d like to have a second baby, but we’re in no particular hurry.)
I heard it improves it!
Breastfeeding reduces chance of pregnancy by deferring periods. Now that your period is back, your body is ready again to conceive.
First off, good for you for breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is an important factor in reducing child morbidity and mortality (Jones et al. 2003). The medical literature provides substantial evidence that breastfeeding protects children against diarrhea, chronic malnutrition, and respiratory infections (American Academy of Pediatrics 2005). Moreover, evidence demonstrates that the benefits of breastfeeding extend beyond the first year of life (Marquis et al. 1997; Onyango et al. 1999). Despite these benefits, most mothers fail to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for infant feeding: exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, incorporating nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods thereafter, and continuing breastfeeding until two years of age or beyond (WHO 2001).
As for Breastfeeding protecting you against pregnancy…
Breastfeeding does not reliably protect against pregnancy except during the first 6 months postpartum and only then if accompanied by amenorrhea. Reluctance to use other methods of contraception during lactation may result in unplanned pregnancy. The aims of this study were to describe, among women in rural Egypt attending for antenatal care the prevalence of pregnancy during breastfeeding, contraceptive practice and unintended pregnancy. Finally, the study assessed women’s impressions of the effect of conception during breastfeeding on breast milk and on the health of the breastfed infant. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive study using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire for 2617 parous women attending a hospital in Egypt for antenatal care. RESULTS: More than 95% of women breastfed the child before their current pregnancy; 25.3% conceived while breastfeeding. Conception occurred during the first 6 months postpartum in 4.4%, before resumption of menstruation in 15.1% and while exclusively or almost exclusively breastfeeding in 28.1%. Only 10 pregnancies (1.5%) occurred when all the prerequisites of the lactational amenorrhea method of contraception (LAM) were present. Twenty-nine percent of pregnancies conceived during breastfeeding were unintended, 10% of women had considered terminating their pregnancy while 4.4% of them reported trying to do so. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy during breastfeeding is common in Egypt and is often unintended. There is great potential for using LAM, but it must be properly taught, and women should be encouraged to start using effective contraception as soon as any of the prerequisites of LAM expires.
Basically – you’re only good for the first 6 months.
If you are having regular periods, breastfeeding should have minimal, if any, effect on your ability to conceive.