- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
May 2011 Moms
MrsD1
member
BF'ing as BC - Thoughts?
MrsD1
member
I'm EBF'ing, not pumping, and have never used a bottle with DD. I feed on demand, which is at least every 2 hrs. during the day and 2-4 hrs. at night. All of these things, including the fact that DD is under 6 months, make BF'ing as BC 98-99% effective for me.
That being said, I keep having doubts. I know my doubts probably stem from the fact that I got pregnant with DD when I hadn't had my period for a year prior to getting pregnant. We were planning on starting to try so I went off my BC pills and got pregnant immediately. I didn't even know I was pregnant until I was 8 weeks. I keep picturing that happening again and not knowing until I'm 20 weeks or something and start to show a little.
Sure, we want to plan for another but not until sometime early next year. I'd also like to be able to rely on this method for awhile, as I don't want to go back on the pill for a short period of time before TTGP again. If BF'ing as BC truly is as effective for me as BC pills, I'd like to be able to rely on just that for awhile longer.
Obviously if I get my period I will use another form of BC. My only concern is that I won't have a period but will ovulate anyway and get pregnant.
Thoughts? Anyone else EBF'ing and using it as BC?
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: BF'ing as BC - Thoughts?
Uhh...this may sound dumb, but I don't think I ever realized that it's such an effective method. I've been freaking out because I'm on the mini pill and hear so many horror stories about how ineffective it really is. I'll keep taking the pill, but now I'll freak out a little less knowing I have a back up! After reading your post, I read up all about it and yes - if you BF correctly (every 4 hours during the day and 6 hours at night, at least), you won't make the hormone necessary to ovulate. So I'd say you're safe!
Good luck!
Mommy to Rachel 1.15.06 and Ashley 5.17.11
My OB told me this. For us, EBF'ing and the, ahem, withdrawal method proved to be very effective for us. The first month DH stopped withdrawal, after I had stopped BFing, we got pg.
This time around, I'm doing the above 2 plus taking the minipill. Between the 3 I'm pretty confident that our odds of conceiving are very, very low.
I think its risky. A woman from my LLL meeting did everything "right" and still got pregnant a few months postpartum. And she never got a period at all, so in actually took about 12 weeks to realize she was even pregnant.
Just doesn't seem like the smartest plan in my opinion, to be honest.
Ecological breastfeeding is said to be 98-99% accurate. I found this article, which explains it pretty well: https://www.llli.org/nb/nbsepoct08p4.html
I wouldn't rely on BFing as BC, but I also pump for DH to give bottles when I'm at work and use pacifiers, and DD sleeps really long stretches most nights.
BFP #1 9/7/10, EDD 5/14/11, Violet born 5/27/11.
BFP #2 4/9/12, EDD 12/16/12, M/C Rory 4/24/12.
BFP #3 10/6/12, EDD 6/16/12., Matilda born 6/17/13.
If you're comfortable with it and meet the criteria for LAM, go for it. Yes, there's a chance it will fail (e.g. you ovulate before your period returns), but there is also the chance that BC pills will fail, a condom will break, an IUD will become misplaced, etc.
LAM won't work for me because I've already had two periods or breakthrough bleeding or something.
I decided to go on the minipill even though I meet the criteria for LAM (at least in frequency, we do use a paci).
The reading I did said not to rely on it past 6 months, so you will need a plan eventually, even if it's just withdrawal.
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet
I decided not to go on any type of birth control postpartum, but think we'll TTA for the next 1-2 years. I asked my OB about this method, to which she replied: "No glove... no love..."
I couldn't stop laughing. Perhaps you're a better candidate for this method than I am.
LAM has been proven highly effective in multiple studies from around the world--just as effective as some artificial forms of contraception. Not sure why it gets so much skepticism around these parts. Maybe because it's natural and not something that comes from a pharmacy or doctor's office?
And yes I know, "but I know so and so who got pregnant this way!" But we all know people who have gotten pregnant using IUDs or BC pills or condoms too. It doesn't mean they are useless or ineffective.
Thanks, Andi.
Good points. I think people do doubt it because it's natural. However, one would think doctors would have more sense than to dismiss it as an ineffective form of BC.
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet