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Breastfeeding has been found to delay the return of
the menses after childbirth. This is not a reliable
method of birth control but it may increase the time between
pregnancies.
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) consists of:
- Sole breastfeeding in the first six months of an infant's life.
- No interval between feedings of more than five hours.
- No supplementation for the infant.
Return of menses and pregnancy are very unlikely if all 3
parameters of LAM are present (
Perez, 1992
).
Once the infant is older than six months of age,
is taking supplemental foods or
is sleeping for more than five hours without breastfeeding,
the effect of breastfeeding as a form of
birth control is not consistent.
Women who do not want to become pregnant and are breastfeeding
even in the first
months postpartum should use another form of birth control.
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