Doesn't breastfeeding keep you from getting pregnant?

For some reason I think I have heard that breast feeding is a form of birth control. Anyone know for sure?

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Asked by LuckyClown at 2:25 PM on Feb. 16, 2009 in Babies (0-12 months)

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anon, that was extremely rude. Seriously. Breastfeeding has been used in MANY cultures for natural family planning.

"Demographic data recorded prior to the 20th century from birth records all over the world indicate that the average spacing of children was about two years when mother's milk supplied the major source of calories for infants during the first year to 1.5 years of life."[1] Robert L. Jackson, M.D., "Ecological breastfeeding and child spacing," Clinical Pediatrics 27:8 (August 1988) 373-377

Answer by celticreverie at 4:50 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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it can help but it is not 100% effective. I know bunches of people that have gotten pregnant while nursing

Answer by Amanduhpanda at 2:26 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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NO!!!!! It will not prevent it, some people are less likely while breastfeeding, but use another form of contraception too! My Dr. just yelled at me when I asked for some bc now that I'm not bfing and said I should have been on some bc all along. We used condoms though....

Answer by Navymama at 2:26 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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No, it's not. Some women do not ovulate or have periods while breastfeeding. But a lot of women do. It's not a form of birth control at all. But like I said before, it can reduce your fertility temporarily.

Answer by DDry at 2:26 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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NO.

It does not stop from you from getting your period either, which I was VERY dissapointed about.

Answer by Loa1002 at 2:27 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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Nothing is 100% unless you got sergery done! N NOOOOOO my boyfriends cousin thought the samething n got pregnant when she was breastfeeding!

Answer by kylie_2008 at 2:28 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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No it does not stop you from getting pregnant. It can delay you gettting your cycle back but that does not mean that you are not ovulating with out bleeding---which can happen when nursing. I got pregnant with my son while still nursing my daughter. All of my nursing friends got pregnant with #2 or #3 while still nursing the previous child.

Answer by Carajust at 2:30 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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This is from the planned parenthood site:
"Using breastfeeding as birth control can be effective for six months after delivery only if a woman

does not substitute other foods for a breast milk meal
feeds her baby at least every four hours during the day and every six hours at night
has not had a period since she delivered her baby"

What I have heard is don't count on breastfeeding as birth control.

Answer by Bmat at 2:30 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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NO!. its absolutely NOT TRUE!

breastfeeding does not stop you from getting pregnant.

breastfeeding is simply and only there to feed your baby and to give your baby all the nutrions it will need.

but its no birth control.. at all.

Answer by m.robertson811 at 2:31 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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"Has not had a period since she delivered her baby"

Um..you ovulate BEFORE you bleed! So...you can still get pregnant having not bled yet from a period!

My cousin has three kids conceived while breastfeeding....she still thinks it works. DOH!

Answer by TiccledBlue at 2:33 PM on Feb. 16, 2009
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