Family planning for breastfeeding moms
Jul 31, 2009
THE birth of a baby comes with many concerns for a new mother. One of them is the risk of conceiving while breastfeeding. Ideally, once the right conditions are met, exclusive breastfeeding can provide 98% protection against pregnancy for the first six m
By Susan Muyiyi
THE birth of a baby comes with many concerns for a new mother. One of them is the risk of conceiving while breastfeeding. Ideally, once the right conditions are met, exclusive breastfeeding can provide 98% protection against pregnancy for the first six months after birth, says Dr Tamale Ssali, a consultant gynaecologist at Women’s Hospital International.
However, for the method to work, the mother’s periods should not have returned. Secondly, the mother should also breastfeed her baby exclusively every four hours.
Breastfeeding works by changing the production of reproductive hormones. For you to ovulate and menstruate, your pituitary gland (a small gland inside of your brain) produces two hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). These hormones send signals to your eggs to mature and be released during ovulation. When you breastfeed, though, this process is altered. That is, as your baby suckles, nerve impulses are sent to your brain, which stimulate the production of a hormone called prolactin, which inhibit FSH. As a result, both ovulation and menstruation do not occur, making it difficult to get pregnant.
However, when you return to work, breastfeeding is interrupted putting you at risk of getting pregnant. This is when other birth control become important.
Family planning methods that are recommended for breastfeeding women include barrier methods like the condom, intrauterine devices (coils) and pills that contain progestin only (‘mini’ pills). Charles Kiggundu, a consultant gynaecologist with Mulago Hospital, says contraceptive pills containing both oestrogen and progestin have been associated with reduced breast milk production.
However, always keep back-up contraception in case you forget to swallow the pill.
THE birth of a baby comes with many concerns for a new mother. One of them is the risk of conceiving while breastfeeding. Ideally, once the right conditions are met, exclusive breastfeeding can provide 98% protection against pregnancy for the first six months after birth, says Dr Tamale Ssali, a consultant gynaecologist at Women’s Hospital International.
However, for the method to work, the mother’s periods should not have returned. Secondly, the mother should also breastfeed her baby exclusively every four hours.
Breastfeeding works by changing the production of reproductive hormones. For you to ovulate and menstruate, your pituitary gland (a small gland inside of your brain) produces two hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). These hormones send signals to your eggs to mature and be released during ovulation. When you breastfeed, though, this process is altered. That is, as your baby suckles, nerve impulses are sent to your brain, which stimulate the production of a hormone called prolactin, which inhibit FSH. As a result, both ovulation and menstruation do not occur, making it difficult to get pregnant.
However, when you return to work, breastfeeding is interrupted putting you at risk of getting pregnant. This is when other birth control become important.
Family planning methods that are recommended for breastfeeding women include barrier methods like the condom, intrauterine devices (coils) and pills that contain progestin only (‘mini’ pills). Charles Kiggundu, a consultant gynaecologist with Mulago Hospital, says contraceptive pills containing both oestrogen and progestin have been associated with reduced breast milk production.
However, always keep back-up contraception in case you forget to swallow the pill.