This article is part of a series on using breastfeeding as birth control.
Is not having period the best sign that I can't get pregnant while breastfeeding?
Q: I gave birth 6 months ago and my periods are still not back, probably because I'm still breastfeeding. Am I correct in thinking I am infertile? Or can I get pregnant while breastfeeding and no period?
A: No period doesn't necessarily mean no fertility. The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) states that to be sure you can't get pregnant you need to meet all the following criteria:
- your baby is under 6 months
- you don't have you periods
- you practise exclusive or quasi-exclusive breastfeeding on demand, day and night
If you meet the second condition and your periods aren't back yet but don't meet the other two conditions you can still be fertile.
The third condition is often discounted, some mothers wrongly think that they can just breastfeed occasionally and be protected. This is not true. You have to practice exclusive breastfeeding to stay infertile, meaning that your baby should eat no other solid or liquid than your breast milk.
This is, by the way, not only necessary for the birth control purposes but also the best thing you can do for the health of your baby. All medical professionals recommend exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months old. It is for instance what the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially recommends on their website.
In fact you might even manage to stretch the effectiveness of LAM beyond 6 months if you apply condition number 3 religiously.
Producing a high enough volume of milk to exclusively breastfeed their baby might be difficult for some women.
We find Milk Boost Tea to be a considerable help if that's your case. It's a 100% natural herbal tea designed to help you boost your milk volume as well as the quality of your breast milk.
Milk Boost Tea may help you with your milk supply
Among its ingredients is Dong Quai, a root also known as the "female ginseng" for its wide range of health benefits for women. It also contains Sponge gourds (Loofah), famous for their ability to facilitate lactation.
You might also be interested by the other articles in our series about using breastfeeding as birth control:
Article tags: Breastfeeding and maternity
