Postpartum contraception plays a big role in a woman's life, because her body will be able to fully bear a new pregnancy only after two years. Therefore, to reduce the risk of adverse maternal, perinatal and infant outcomes, every woman in labor should be advised to use contraceptives during this time.
During the period of breastfeeding, a woman has the opportunity to use natural contraception – method of lactational amenorrhea, but it is effective only in the first 6 months after childbirth. After this period, it becomes necessary to use other means to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
But what kind of contraceptives do not have a negative impact on the quantitative and qualitative composition of the breast milk of a nursing mother? Read about it on estet-portal.com in this article.
Principles for the correct choice of contraceptives during breastfeeding
There are some guidelines for the correct choice of contraceptive methods while breastfeeding. A doctor who recommends contraception to a woman during lactation should consider:
• Postpartum. Barrier methods, spermicides, and intrauterine devices can be used immediately after delivery. The use of hormonal contraception (mini-pill and injectable progestins) can be started only after a few weeks, since hormones can adversely affect the development of lactation;
• Safety. Some contraceptives, in particular combined oral contraceptives, have a negative effect on the quality and quantity of breast milk. Therefore, a doctor should not recommend the use of combined oral contraceptives to a woman during lactation;
• Efficiency. When choosing a method of contraception, it is imperative to take into account its reliability.
Read us in Telegram
Lactational amenorrhea method as a natural contraceptive
The peculiarity of the natural contraceptive - the method of lactational amenorrhea, is that the process of breastfeeding by a child stimulates production of the pituitary hormone prolactin, which leads to inhibition of ovulation. Therefore, the onset of a new pregnancy becomes impossible.
The lactational amenorrhea method is effective only in the first 6 months after childbirth. After the introduction of complementary foods to the child, the frequency and duration of periods of breastfeeding decreases, which leads to the restoration of the menstrual-ovarian cycle. loop.
Let's consider the basic rules of the lactational amenorrhea method that a woman must adhere to in order to guarantee its effectiveness:
• no more than 6 months have passed since the birth;
• no periods;
• using exclusively breastfeeding method;
• a woman breastfeeds at least 6 times a day, while the interval between feedings is at least 4 hours during the day and 6 hours at night.
If these aspects are observed, the lactational amenorrhea method will be effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy.
What contraceptives can be offered to a breastfeeding mother
If a woman does not want to rely solely on the lactational amenorrhea method, or if it is not possible to use it correctly, then there are many contraceptives that are allowed while breastfeeding.
These include:
1. Barrier methods: male and female condoms, diaphragms;
2. Spermicides: chemical agents that inactivate spermatozoa in the vagina;
3. Intrauterine devices (IUDs): copper and progestin;
4. Progesterone hormonal contraceptives, which exist in tablet (TCPR) and injectable forms (ICPR);
5. Subdermal implants: presented in the form of ampoules that contain progestogens. They are sewn under the skin in the shoulder area.
Non-combined oral contraceptives: what they are and how they work
Most effective birth control during lactation
When choosing a method of contraception, it is important to consider how effective it is in preventing unwanted pregnancies.
According to the World Health Organization, the most reliable contraceptives are subcutaneous implants, progesterone-type contraceptives and intrauterine devices.
For more details on the effectiveness of contraceptives, see the table below.
The chance of an unplanned pregnancy depends largely on the method of contraception chosen. Based on this, a woman during breastfeeding should be recommended drugs that have a sufficient contraceptive effect, but do not have a negative effect on lactation.
Premenstrual Syndrome: The Most Effective Treatment Approaches
Proper use of progesterone-type hormonal contraceptives while breastfeeding
Most often, the choice of nursing mothers stops at the use of progesterone hormonal contraceptives. They are easy to use and are among the most reliable methods of contraception.
When using progestogen contraceptives, both tableted and injectable, the doctor must take into account certain points:
• If a woman has amenorrhea and more than 6 weeks and less than 6 months have passed after childbirth, then progesterone contraceptives can be started at any time;
• If a woman uses progesterone contraceptives and is breastfeeding only, no additional contraceptives are required.
Follow us on Telegram
The chance of ovulation and subsequent pregnancy during the first 6 weeks after delivery is very low. Therefore, if the postpartum period is less than 6 weeks and the child is mainly breastfed, then prescribing progesterone contraceptives is not recommended, since they affect the development of lactation.
Thank you for staying with estet-portal.com. Read other interesting articles on the site in the "Gynecology" section.
Share:
Add a comment