Contents:
- Medical Video: Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
- What is lactation amenorrhea?
- How can breastfeeding prevent the release of eggs?
- How to apply the lactation amenorrhea method correctly?
- How effective is lactation amenorrhea in preventing pregnancy?
- When is this method no longer effective in delaying pregnancy?
Medical Video: Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
Have you ever heard of lactation amenorrhea? You can use the lactation amenorrhea method to prevent pregnancy when you have just given birth. Or, you could say that this method is a natural contraceptive for mothers who have just given birth. Want to know more clearly? Please refer to the following explanation.
What is lactation amenorrhea?
Amenorrhea lactation is a natural method of contraception based on the fact that lactation or breastfeeding can cause the mother to experience amenorrhea (cessation of menstruation). Lactation amenorrhea can also be said as the time when breastfeeding can suppress menstruation and fertility.
As is well known that breastfeeding can help you prevent pregnancy. At the beginning of breastfeeding after birth, you can experience no menstruation. This means that your body does not release eggs, so you cannot reach pregnancy when this happens. This is why lactation amenorrhea can be called a natural contraception.
READ ALSO: Let-Down Reflex: The Key to Success in Breastfeeding
How can breastfeeding prevent the release of eggs?
This happens because when you breastfeed, hormones released to stimulate milk production can interfere with the release of hormones needed for ovulation (release of eggs). So, the more often you breastfeed your baby, the more milk production and hormones that help release the process, so that your body has less chance to release eggs.
Research has also shown that mothers who breastfeed their babies exclusively (breast milk alone within 6 months) in a continuous frequency as desired by the baby (ASI on-demand) and those who have not started menstruation anymore are mothers who are very unlikely to get pregnant during the first 6 months after giving birth.
How to apply the lactation amenorrhea method correctly?
In applying the lactation amenorrhea method to prevent pregnancy, you need to do it right. The three points that you must fulfill in applying the lactation amenorrhea method are:
- Feed your baby exclusively, which means the baby only receives food from breast milk for 6 months. You also need to breastfeed your baby according to your baby's wishes, whenever the baby asks (ASI on-demand) You may breastfeed your baby every 4 hours or less during the day and every 6 hours or less during the night.
- You have not gotten your period anymore during breastfeeding. When you have menstruated, it means that your body can release the egg again and already has a chance to get pregnant again.
- You gave birth less than 6 months ago. Yes, the lactation amenorrhea method can only work to prevent pregnancy about 6 months after you give birth. However, nobody knows when you will start menstruating again. In fact, you can get pregnant before you start menstruating again. Therefore, the lactation amenorrhea method is not fully effective in preventing pregnancy. However, at least you are infertile for 6 months after giving birth.
If one of the points above cannot be met, maybe you need another contraceptive to prevent pregnancy.
READ ALSO: 7 Safe Contraceptives During Breastfeeding
How effective is lactation amenorrhea in preventing pregnancy?
Lactation amenorrhea can be your way to delay pregnancy after giving birth. How much effectiveness the lactation amenorrhea method in preventing pregnancy depends on how you apply the method. If you apply it correctly, this method may delay your pregnancy nearing 100%.
- Less than 1 in 100 mothers who breastfeed their babies continuously can properly get pregnant. That is, the chances of pregnancy are very small if the mother actually applies the lactation amenorrhea method.
- About 2 out of 100 mothers who breastfeed their babies continuously can get pregnant in the first six months if they do not breastfeed their babies properly.
You need to remember that the lactation amenorrhea method can prevent pregnancy because of the help of the hormone lactation which suppresses ovulation hormones. However, this method cannot protect you from sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, you still need a condom during sexual intercourse to prevent infection.
When is this method no longer effective in delaying pregnancy?
The lactation amenorrhea method is not always effective in delaying pregnancy. This method can only be relied upon during the first six months after birth to delay pregnancy. The rest, you should start using contraception if you don't plan to have children anymore.
The lactation amenorrhea method is no longer effective in delaying pregnancy if you experience one of the following.
- Mother's menstrual period has returned. Menstruation is an important indicator of fertility. So, if the nursing mother has returned menstruation, that means the mother's fertility has returned and there is another opportunity for her to get pregnant.
- Babies begin to be given food or drinks other than breast milk, or babies often sleep throughout the night so that the time between feedings is very long. You need to remember that ovulation suppression occurs because the baby continues to feed on the mother's breast. So, if the baby rarely suckles in the mother's breast, the hormones that suppress ovulation will gradually diminish, so the mother's eggs will be easier to release again.
- The age of the baby is more than 6 months. Babies who are 6 months old must be fed in addition to breast milk to meet their nutritional needs. Therefore, the lactation amenorrhea method is ineffective because of course the baby is less likely to suckle.
READ ALSO: Breastfeeding Babies at Night Can Prevent Pregnancy
