Can You Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding?

Can You Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding? Many women have often wondered this. Most believe that it is not possible, due to the absence of menstruation during these months. However, many women have relied on this fact and subsequently became pregnant, without planning it.

The fact is that, although it happens very rarely, it is possible to get pregnant during this period. Breastfeeding can be a type of birth control method. However, there are many difficult conditions that must be met to be truly effective.

Let’s take a look at more information to understand a woman’s fertility during this period. In this way we can prevent unwanted pregnancies.

What Happens in a Woman’s Body During Breastfeeding?

When a woman has just become a mother, it usually takes between three and eight months for her periods to return to normal. The main cause of this is the effect of breastfeeding. This is even more pronounced when the newborn baby is exclusively breastfed.

But how does breastfeeding affect a woman’s menstrual cycle? There is a direct relationship between the sucking of the baby and the absence of ovulation. This is due to the hormonal changes that this suction causes, changes that prevent ovulation from occurring.

Without ovulation there is no menstruation or possibility of pregnancy. Normally, little by little, the woman’s body returns to normal. Menstruation becomes regular again and with it comes the possibility of getting pregnant. However, the process is complex and different in every woman.

Some women may begin to ovulate before their periods start again. This means that they can ovulate again at any time without knowing it. In that case, the risk of becoming pregnant while breastfeeding is very high.

Breastfeeding as a method of contraception

The contraceptive effect of breastfeeding is called LAM: lactational amenorrhea method. Although it is 99% effective, it does have to strictly meet some requirements.

• The first is that the woman has not yet had her period and less than six months have passed since the delivery.
• It is also necessary to give the newborn baby only breast milk. This should be done often, day and night. The time between feedings should not exceed four hours during the day and six hours during the night.

• Also, do not use formula milk to feed or supplement the baby with solid foods. The flasks of milk instead of breastfeeding will also reduce the effectiveness of this method.

If a woman meets all of these conditions, it will be very unlikely that she will become pregnant while breastfeeding. However, if any of these conditions are not met, the risk of an unplanned pregnancy increases significantly.

Yes, it is possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding

While breastfeeding can be used as a birth control method, there are many prerequisites for being 100% effective and not always easy to meet. A woman can become pregnant while breastfeeding, so if she does not want to become pregnant, it is advisable to use other contraceptive methods.

The couple is better off going to a gynecologist, who can advise them on the best options. The choice of the most suitable method depends on many factors. This concerns, for example, the personal situation of each woman and the specific phase she is going through.

• Condoms are without a doubt the best option. They do not affect the mother’s hormones and do not interfere with the baby’s nutrition. However, there are other options if you don’t want to use this method of contraception.
• The mini-pill is also an excellent alternative. It is very similar to the classic birth control pill, but it contains no estrogen. This makes it possible to take it during the lactation period, as it does not affect the nutrition of the newborn baby.
• Another very safe option in terms of effectiveness and totally harmless to the baby is the IUD. But doctors recommend not using it until six weeks after delivery. A good option would be to use this method after the first six weeks, and combine it with the condom for the first few weeks of using it.