How does breastfeeding suppress ovulation

Medela Family Products. Breastfeeding Guide. Share this content. Lactational Amenorrhea Method We all know the numerous benefits of breastfeeding for mothers, including reduced risk for breast and ovarian cancer, an increase in weight loss, increased self-confidence and building an irreplaceable bond. You breastfeed exclusively not supplementing with formula. You have not started menstruating since you gave birth. It is not uncommon for breastfeeding mothers to report cyclical cramping or PMS-type symptoms — symptoms of an oncoming period without the period — for weeks or even months before their period returns.

The amount of time that it takes for the transition to full fertility varies from woman to woman. In general, the earlier that your menses return, the more gradual the return to full fertility. Probably not. If you are still transitioning to full fertility as discussed above , breastfeeding may affect the success of implantation.

Once implantation is successful, breastfeeding should not affect a healthy pregnancy see A New Look at the Safety of Breastfeeding During Pregnancy for more information. If your periods have come back and settled into a regular pattern, it is likely that breastfeeding is no longer affecting your fertility. Changes that are more abrupt tend to bring fertility back faster e. If you decide to make changes to your nursing pattern, the time of day that you make the change e.

Current research indicates that nursing frequency and total amount of time at the breast per 24 hours are the most important factors, rather than the time of day that the suckling occurs. Many mothers wonder whether breastfeeding will affect the reliability of pregnancy tests. It does not — pregnancy tests measure the amount of the hormone hCG human chorionic gonadotropin in blood or urine, and hCG levels are not affected by breastfeeding.

The developing placenta begins releasing hCG upon implantation; a pregnancy can generally be detected with a pregnancy test within days after implantation.

When you do get pregnant while breastfeeding, what next? Birth Control and Breastfeeding. Can I get pregnant while I am breastfeeding? The Garden of Fertility by Katie Singer. Taking Charge of Your Fertility website — check out the library and the discussion boards.

Hum Reprod. Ellison, PT. Breastfeeding, Fertility, and Maternal Condition. Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter, The reliability of menses to indicate the return of ovulation in breastfeeding women in Manila, The Philippines. When an infant stops suckling, breast milk production will quickly cease.

When an infant is suckling frequently and heavily, prolactin levels will increase so that more milk can be produced. The contraceptive effect of the lactational amenorrhoea method is a result of increased levels of prolactin. When prolactin levels increase, the production and secretion of another hormone, gonadotrophin releasing hormone are inhibited. Ovulation cannot occur without a surge in oestrogen levels, and if a woman does not ovulate, pregnancy is prevented.

Lactational amenorrhoea can be used by women who wish to prevent pregnancy and meet the following criteria:.

The method is contraindicated in women who do not meet all of the above criteria. While non-exclusive breastfeeding can exert some contraceptive effect, the risk of pregnancy is increased. The risk of pregnancy is also increased for women who breastfeed exclusively but express milk , either by hand or pump.

Women who express milk e. For more information, see Expressing Breastmilk. Lactational amenorrhoea is also unsuitable for women using some medications, including mood altering medications. Women using medications should check with their doctor about whether the medications will interfere with effective use of lactational amenorrhoea. The effectiveness of lactational amenorrhoea is highly dependent on correct use.

In particular, it is important that breastfeeding must:. It is also important to begin taking another contraceptive method after six months or earlier if the menstrual cycle returns before six months after childbirth. Individuals using lactational amenorrhoea should inquire about and obtain an additional method when they are visiting a health facility, so that they are ready to commence that method at the return of menstrual bleeding.

Alternatively breastfeeding women can commence using progesterone-only hormonal contraceptive methods before the return of the menstrual cycle. When used by women who meet all three criteria for the method i. Menstruation is the key factor which signals the return of fertility, and women who have returned to menses defined as two consecutive days of bleeding or spotting cannot use lactational amenorrhoea.

However, the effectiveness of the method is dependent of the frequency and intensity of breastfeeding. Fertility will increase as the frequency of breastfeeding and the quantity of breast milk decrease.

Women who express milk from their breasts also have a higher risk of pregnancy, even if their infant is feeding exclusively on breast milk.