Re: Birth control options question-- OT

[Guest guest]

I use contraception during ovulation (diaphram). I have read Toni

Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility and am confident of my knowledge

of my body's signs. I have no need to use contraception for 30 days when

I'm fertile for only 5, and don't plan to ever go back on the pill. I

highly recommend this book to every woman, and especially every teenager.

Birth control options question-- OT

From: MeggyEm@...

Listees

Since we all tend to be of the same mind when it comes to the vaccination

issue and health related topics generally, I thought that I might be able to

get some feedback from some who have had to make decisions on birth control

options and choices. Especially those who did so while still breastfeeding.

Anyone that can give me any advice, or tell of their own personal experience

please email me privately. Thanks in advance.

Robin

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/19/99 4:32:08 PM Eastern Standard Time, MeggyEm@...

writes:

> From: MeggyEm@...

>

> Listees

> Since we all tend to be of the same mind when it comes to the vaccination

> issue and health related topics generally, I thought that I might be able

to

>

> get some feedback from some who have had to make decisions on birth

control

> options and choices. Especially those who did so while still

breastfeeding.

>

> Anyone that can give me any advice, or tell of their own personal

experience

>

> please email me privately. Thanks in advance.

> Robin

Have you gotten your period yet? When you are exclusively breastfeeding you

usually won't get it for over a year or until you start to wean. Birth

control pills are definitely out, since they are excreted in breastmilk.

Cory

[Guest guest]

Breastfeeding is also a contraceptive as long as you're not menstruating.

It's called the lactation amenorrhea method. Much research has been done on

this method. For the first six months of life if you're not menstruating and

your baby is exclusively breastfed, your odd of conception are less than

1%.(that's better than oral contraceptives) After six months if you are still

amenorrheaic(having no period) the odds increase to 6% which is still a great

rate for any contraceptive method. Has anyone read The Natural Family

Planning Manual by and Sheila Kippley? By the way I have never started

menstruating prior to sixteen months with my children and I wasn't fertile

until after the first period which is very common. I have five children and

they are twelve years apart using only LAM (lactation amenorrhea method) and

NFP. It's very effective if you follow the rules. HTH, Kimme

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/20/1999 10:23:35 AM Central Standard Time,

Cmermer@... writes:

<< Have you gotten your period yet? When you are exclusively breastfeeding

you

usually won't get it for over a year or until you start to wean. Birth

control pills are definitely out, since they are excreted in breastmilk.

>>

According to my Fam Phy, this isn't true in most cases. In mine, my cycle

started again at 4 mos with my daughter. W/my son -- 0. I bled for 2 mos

afterward, and the cycle started in there somewhere. Also, just because you

aren't having menses, does not mean that you aren't ovulating -- ask any mom

who got an oops when she was in menopause.

[Guest guest]

My daughter was also exclusively breastfed for 8 months. My period returned

within three months.

Toni, mom to home birthed, cloth diapered, breastfed and attachment parented

Hannah

http://home.clarksville.com/~dth

> According to my Fam Phy, this isn't true in most cases. In mine, my cycle

> started again at 4 mos with my daughter. W/my son -- 0. I bled for 2 mos

> afterward, and the cycle started in there somewhere. Also, just because

you

> aren't having menses, does not mean that you aren't ovulating -- ask any

mom

> who got an oops when she was in menopause.

>

> >

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/20/99 8:09:12 PM Pacific Standard Time,

dth@... writes:

<<

My daughter was also exclusively breastfed for 8 months. My period returned

within three months. >>

Mine came at 6 months

I will not use any birth control either much to my husbands annoyance.I

refuse to put anymore chemicals or latex/rubber in my body!

Sara-mom to Nimet UHB/2-9-99

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/20/99 10:23:38 AM Central Standard Time,

Cmermer@... writes:

<< ave you gotten your period yet? When you are exclusively breastfeeding

you

usually won't get it for over a year or until you start to wean. Birth

control pills are definitely out, since they are excreted in breastmilk. >>

Not true...Micronor is for breastfeeding women...and even my non vacinating

mindwife recommmends it...it is low in estrogen and works as long as you are

breastfeeding.

Anjin

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/20/99 10:59:30 PM, C8743@... writes:

<< According to my Fam Phy, this isn't true in most cases. In mine, my cycle

started again at 4 mos with my daughter. W/my son -- 0. I bled for 2 mos

afterward, and the cycle started in there somewhere. >>

Many family physicians are uninformed. If you are exclusively breastfeeding,

then any bleeding prior to 56 days is not considered menstrual bleeding.

Were your children sleeping with you? Were they using pacifiers or were they

getting bottles? These things among others can cause an early return of

fertility. Most women wo nurse ecologically(ie according to baby's needs to

not menstruate until about 14 months postpartum on average. Kimme

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/20/99 11:09:12 PM, dth@... writes:

<< My period returned

within three months. >>

Of course if you have your period at three months you are no longer having

lactation amenorrhea.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/99 07:48:18 AM, Anjin327@... writes:

<< it is low in estrogen and works as long as you are

breastfeeding. >>

But it isn't necessary if you are amenorrheaic.

[Guest guest]

There seem to be a lot of questions about this birthcontrol on this list, I

hope no body minds if I ask one of my own.

My son is now 3 months old and I have not had a period yet, my question is:

is it possible to ovulate without getting a period?

I have not used the pill for a number of years due to a nasty side effect,

pigmentation.

Chelly

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/1999 12:15:25 PM Central Standard Time,

Squeaksoup@... writes:

<< Many family physicians are uninformed. [Yes, many are. However, mine has

delivered over 1,000 babies -- religiously promotes bfdg - his wife

exclusively bf 4 boys over a period of 10 years -- and quite frankly, he

keeps up on this stuff] If you are exclusively breastfeeding, [i exclusively

bf both my children for 1 year]

then any bleeding prior to 56 days is not considered menstrual bleeding.[i

didn't say I had *menstrual bleeding*. I said " I bled for 2 months after

having my son, and my cycle started in there somewhere -- when you bleed for

3-4 months straight with a week break, who can tell? Unless you have

symptoms at ovulation, which I do. Want me to get any more personal than

that?]

Were your children sleeping with you? [Yes, and still are. We have had a

family bed for 6 years] Were they using pacifiers or were they

getting bottles? [i don't believe in bottles or pacifiers, but especially

pacifiers] These things among others can cause an early return of

fertility. Most women wo nurse ecologically(ie according to baby's needs to

not menstruate until about 14 months postpartum on average. Kimme >>

[Can you please tell me exactly where I can find this information. Almost no

one that I know of even comes close to this. And any books I read (albeit

many years ago, so they may be out of date) state that women who rely of bfdg

as a measure of ovulation are fools, basically. I'm not saying it doesn't

happen -- but you must have a much better understanding of your body and how

it works before you can make the decision that you've got 14 mos to goof off.

It takes a lot of responsibility, personal knowledge (no two people operate

the same), and steady record keeping. My son was born 3-1/2 years after my

daughter - and it had NOTHING to do with bfdg (and yes, I still was -- and in

fact I've never stopped) -- it had to do with reading the calendar. Period.

Had I paid attention to the big red star on it, in fact, I would'nt have my

son... So, although this method seemingly works for you -- it isn't

something anyone should rely on if they are NOT wanting more children.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/1999 12:37:15 PM Central Standard Time,

TrentonsMom@... writes:

<< My son is now 3 months old and I have not had a period yet, my question is:

is it possible to ovulate without getting a period? >>

Absolutely. And I don't know where Kimme is getting her info, but I know of

at least one person (if you start asking around you'll find some, I'm sure)

who didn't have their period when they became pregnant with the 2nd kid. A

lady I babysat for became pregnand 2x that way. And she told me this isn't

unusual either -- but like many of us, the pill was not an option for her.

The best thing you can do is go to your doctor with your concerns and ask him

for options -- there is a method (Bradley??) that promotes reading your

mucous, etc. And it works pretty well. I was too lazy to keep using it, but

I know 3 days ahead anyway (headache, rage, pms, right ovary cramp, etc.) so

if I ignore the symptoms, it's my fault.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/1999 12:17:26 PM Central Standard Time,

Squeaksoup@... writes:

<< But it isn't necessary if you are amenorrheaic. >>

Lack of the menstural cycle, is not lack of ovulation. They are connected,

but not dependent upon one another necessarily. Although breastfeeding MAY

suppress ovulation, it can not be relied on entirely. Another method (NFP,

FAM, Bilings, etc.) should be used as a back-up. If you are not against

barrier methods, but your partner is (condoms, which I find yukky myself)

there is the cap or female condom as well.

Here is an article (found at <A

HREF= " http://www.epigee.org/guide/natural.html#lam " >Natural Birth Control</A>

). My comments are in blue...

Lactational Amenorrhea Method

Average Failure Rate: 6%

Even today, breastfeeding prevents more pregnancies in the world than all

other methods of birth control combined. Utilizing what is known about the

endocrine system and patterns of fertility in nursing women, a highly

effective, temporary [this means you can use it only for so long, not for

indefinitely] method of contraception has been developed called the

Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM). It can be used as long as a women nurses

her baby frequently and has no periods.

Among breastfeeding women, menstruation will usually not occur for several

months after the birth of a child. In fact, most breastfeeding women do not

ovulate for four to 24 months [so it is NORMAL for menstrual cycle to return

after 4 or 6 months -- in which case this method is not good, regardless of

how often you are bfdg and whether you use a bottle or not] after delivery,

whereas non-breastfeeding women can ovulate as early as one or two months

after delivery. The hormone that stimulates milk production decreases the

hormone necessary for maintaining the menstrual cycle.

For breastfeeding to act as an effective contraceptive, a woman must nurse ten

or more times throughout the day and introduce no other foods into her

baby's diet. [i would like to know how many babies over the age of 2 months

nurse 10 or more times a day? My son, who was exclusively bf for 8mos and

weighed in (if I remember correctly) well over avg, he was huge - bfd at the

most 8x per day - and that was BABY led. My neighbor's son was considerably

smaller, but bf exclusively for 1 year, and same thing - she was lucky to get

to 8x per day] Because babies need extra food at about six months, it is not

recommended that this method be used beyond that time. Although nursing can

act as a contraceptive for as long as three years, it will not postpone

menstruation indefinitely. Many breastfeeding women will not ovulate until

after the first period, but the longer LAM is used, the more likely it is

that ovulation will precede the first menses. Cervical mucus changes will

herald the first ovulation; a woman should start checking daily at six weeks

postpartum. Pregnant women and new mothers should confer with a trained

counselor before initiating LAM. Women with no periods who breastfeed without

practicing LAM, have a pregnancy rate of 6% over a year. Perfect users can

expect a failure rate of only 0.5%.

[You'll have to go to the site to get these links, they didn't copy over]

Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing: How Ecological Breastfeeding Spaces

Babies by Sheila K. Kippley. Order this book directly through Amazon.com

Ecological Breastfeeding

Family Planning for the Breastfeeding Woman

Lactational Amenorrhea Methods

Breast is Best: Kids are People Too

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/99 5:31:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,

C8743@... writes:

<< there is a method (Bradley??) that promotes reading your

mucous, etc. And it works pretty well. >>

Here is a site recommended to me.

http://www.woomb.org/

[Guest guest]

> Many family physicians are uninformed. If you are exclusively

breastfeeding,

> then any bleeding prior to 56 days is not considered menstrual bleeding.

> Were your children sleeping with you? Were they using pacifiers or were

they

> getting bottles? These things among others can cause an early return of

> fertility. Most women wo nurse ecologically(ie according to baby's needs

to

> not menstruate until about 14 months postpartum on average.

I exclusively breastfed on demand 24 hours a day for 8 months and still

demand breastfeed at this time. I sleep with my child, she has never had a

pacifier in her mouth nor a bottle. I had distinct periods starting at

three months. My midwife says this is not uncommon at all. On a particular

board I used to frequent the large majority of mothers had a period return

within 3-6 months and they all exclusively breastfed. I thought I was weird

until I met them.

Toni, mom to home birthed, cloth diapered, breastfed and attachment parented

Hannah

http://home.clarksville.com/~dth

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/99 5:31:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,

C8743@... writes:

> there is a method (Bradley??) that promotes reading your

> mucous, etc.

I went to Bradley childbirth classes, perhaps my instructor would know of

this. Thanks for all your input.

Chelly

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/99 08:31:29 PM, C8743@... writes:

<< And I don't know where Kimme is getting her info, but I know of

at least one person (if you start asking around you'll find some, I'm sure)

who didn't have their period when they became pregnant with the 2nd kid. A

lady I babysat for became pregnand 2x that way. >>

Miriam Labbok MD has done most of the research. A 6% chance of contraception

doesn't mean no pregnancies. Have you ever taken statistics?

[Guest guest]

Some sites you all may find interesting:

LAM site: WABA

http://www.waba.org.br/lam.htm

Breastfeeding and LAM: Beyond Conventional Approaches by Ted Greiner, PhD

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/3156/lam.htm

Vollweiler

owner, Breastfeeding and Attachment Parenting Twins

http://members.tripod.com/~breastfeedingtwins/index.html

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/99 12:17:29 PM Central Standard Time,

Squeaksoup@... writes:

<< But it isn't necessary if you are amenorrheaic >>

That may be true! But when you had one baby 18 years ago and used a cervical

cap for 17yrs and then had it fail ONCE and low and behold you find yourself

with a baby at FORTY you would use BFing (which I do and no I have not had a

period) and BC pills AND a cervical cap....just to make sure it does'nt

happen again *grin*...I LOVE my baby dearly but I don't want another one in

my forties!

Anjin

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/21/99 12:37:02 PM Central Standard Time,

TrentonsMom@... writes:

<< My son is now 3 months old and I have not had a period yet, my question is:

is it possible to ovulate without getting a period? >>

YES!!! I have two nieces.... ten months apart...ask their mother...she was

exclusively breastfeeding...her first was just an infant.

Anjin

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/22/99 06:30:48 AM, Anjin327@... writes:

<< YES!!! I have two nieces.... ten months apart...ask their mother...she was

exclusively breastfeeding...her first was just an infant.

Anjin >>

This is almost impossible if a women is exclusively breastfeeding. There

must have been some separation going on. The odds of conception in the first

three months post-partum in an exclusively woman are almost nil. From three

to six months the odds are less than 1 %. This also assumes a lack of a

menstrual period. In an exclusively breastfeeding woman menstruation never

occurs prior to 56 days and this is the exception for it to happen this

early. Kimme

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/22/1999 11:11:28 AM Central Standard Time,

Squeaksoup@... writes:

<< This is almost impossible if a women is exclusively breastfeeding. >>

Kimme, as I posted earlier this is not *almost impossible*. I feel like

you're calling us liars when you post info like you just did. According to

the several places I looked (and read) a woman must be bfdg the baby AT LEAST

10 times daily, ongoing, not intermittently. In my case and anyone I have

asked, this just doesn't happen. You would never be unattached from your

child, literally. In the beginning, this may be true, however, as the

balance happens between mother and child, and the child is eating when they

need to, a rhythm develops. Most infants are not eating every 2 hours or

less (usually less if you add in sleep time), unless they are trying to up

the supply -- and then this would last for 3-4 days. So, again, I state,

this method will only work for a few people -- and the stats on it are 6% for

the average -- that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of hit and miss in

there. I still say the absolute best drugless way to go is KNOW YOUR BODY

AND KNOW WHEN YOU OVULATE. Then just avoid those days as best you can.

[Guest guest]

< AT LEAST

10 times daily, ongoing, not intermittently. In my case and anyone I have

asked, this just doesn't happen. >>

Hmm. It does in my home. My ds is 18 months old and nurses 20 or more times

in a 24 hour period.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 99-11-22 12:11:37 EST, you write:

<< This is almost impossible if a women is exclusively breastfeeding. There

must have been some separation going on. The odds of conception in the

first

three months post-partum in an exclusively woman are almost nil. From three

to six months the odds are less than 1 %. This also assumes a lack of a

menstrual period. In an exclusively breastfeeding woman menstruation never

occurs prior to 56 days and this is the exception for it to happen this

early. Kimme >>

hehehe ...well I guess miracles do happen Kimme...no separation she is a very

good mother and very attentive...she breastfed her babies 20 years ago when

it wasn't in vogue...she was shocked to say the least because she never got a

period...all's I am saying is it can happen and people who write books CAN be

wrong...and my Father always says, " Never say Never " ...

Anjin