Breastfeeding as a contraceptive

Mashudu Mambo
EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding for the first six months has proved to be one of the most effective birth control methods for lactating mothers which has seen a 98 percent success rate, revealed a medical practitioner.
The method is called the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) , a birth control method that relies on hormones a woman’s body makes while breastfeeding.
A medical practitioner, Dr Misheck Ruwende said this method uses hormones that disrupt the formation of the ovum.
“There are hormonal changes that take place in a woman’s body during breastfeeding. These hormonal changes disrupt the formation of ovums and remember a period is an ovum produced every month and when it does not meet a sperm, it dissolves as menstrual blood,” he said.
Dr Ruwende indicated that this method is effective like the contraceptive pills that are used by women.
“This is a very efficient method and if done properly it is 98 percent effective. It is as effective as the pills that people are commonly using. It is effective when the women are exclusively breastfeeding as these hormones will be suppressing the production of the ovum,” he said.
He highlighted that there are three strict rules that have to be followed to ensure that favourable results are achieved.
“This method is very safe and effective but it is essential to follow these rules which are to ensure that the child being breastfed is below six months and that the child is fully breastfed on demand. This means that lactating mothers must ensure that they must breastfeed their children between three to four hours or in cases where the babies want milk even at night,” he said.
Dr Ruwende added that a number of women have challenges in using this method because they do not follow the procedures.
“This method only works when the woman has not yet started menstruating. When the period returns, probably after 52 days post-delivery and when one has a period for at least two days, this means that this natural method can no longer work. Women usually fail on this method because they do not strictly follow these three rules,” said Dr Ruwende.