Christine33

Hey there

Hope you are all well.

I have a question.....

Have any of you lovely ladies used breast feeding as a form of contraception after your little one was born? I am pregnant and I am so into breastfeeding my beanie when he/she arrives (I am praying I will manage). I have also been thinking of contraception once beanie has arrived and I have read that breast feeding can be used as a form of contraception. Has anyone done/been doing this or would like to?

I am not keen on taking the pill again as I felt awful on it (headaches, moody, tired, put weight on). We dont' really want to use condoms and I want to have more children so the coil is not really an option. I have also heard that the patch and injections can cause rapid weight gain and I am already overweight so that doesn't appeal to me.....

Does anyone have any adivce for me?

Thanking you sooo much.

xxxxx
Christine

xxleannexx

im not 100% but i have been told that breast feeding is not an effective form of contraception and shouldnt be used.

masi

I used it as a form of contraception, after my first, and got pregnant. I found out i was pregnant when my son was 4 mths old. So unless you want your kids very close together, i really wouldn't advise!!
I had implanon the contraceptive implant, and it worked fantastic. I had it took out so we could try for our 4th and final baby. I got pregnant straight away, so as soon as it's removed it's out of your system.

Christine33

Thanks for your message.

Did you gain weight when you had the implantation? I have concerns about this as I was about 1.5stones overweight prior to getting pregnant plus I have put on weight during this pregnancy so I cannot really afford to get any bigger

Thanks

Christine
XXXX

masi

Not really, but i was overweight before i had as i had just had my 3rd child. I was still able to lose weight just as easily as before.
Just remember if it causes you to put on weight, it's surely better than falling pregnant before you are ready, and gaining loads more weight.
On the plus side it's fab because you don't have to worry about taking pills going for jabs.etc. You have it fitted, and forget about it for 3 yrs

Margerle

Ecological Breastfeeding will cause lactational amenorhea (no ovulation due to breastfeeding). But you must adhere to some fairly stringent 'rules' to make this work. You and baby basically become one. You feed on demand, and you both sleep together are two of the main ones if I remember.

Something as simple as when baby starts sleeping apart from you, or is introduced to solids, some women experience a return of their fertile cycles.

For more info, google ecological breastfeeding.

If you are looking for a natural way to avoid pregnancy you might try NFP.

Natural family planning (no, not the rhythm method ).

A great site for this is http://www.ovusoft.com/

Some hospitals also offer classes on NFP (here in the US anyhow). I use the Creighton Method of NFP and have avoided pregnancy for 5 years.



Edit: My bun in the oven is due to DH not listening when I said we were in a very fertile window

BurtonBaby

When my mom had me she breastfed me and thought it would work as contraception. When I was 5 months old, she found out she was pregnant with my little sister. BIG surprise. I'm going to ask my doctor for the implant when I go for my 6 week appt. I didn't care for the pill either. You'll find something that works for you tho.

vejables

i have been breastfeeding and got my period today, so i must have ovulated. i wouldn't advise only using this. i have had a mirena placed, and its safe to use during breastfeeding and quite cheap if you figure its good for 5 years. oh, and EASY too!!! dont have to worry about it. lol