Lactational Amenorrhea
🥚 Lactational Amenorrhea Method 🥚
What is LAM 🤔?
It is a postnatal method of fertility control/contraception, that relies on exclusive (or almost exclusive) breastfeeding.
NOOOOOOO, I hear you scream! ‘My neighbours friends wife got pregnant again 2 weeks after giving birth despite fully breastfeeding! LAM is not a method of contraception.’
‘You are extra mega fertile after giving birth!’
Well, ok, I hear ya.
It’s a tricky subject to talk about objectively.
Lots of emotive anecdotes and stories, some of them of course true, but let’s not use them to take away from the fact that LAM is a valid method of contraception IF certain rules are followed.
And yes. Literally EVERY method of contraception has a failure rate.
Every single one.
So let’s not take away from the simplicity and effectiveness of this method by saying it can fail.
Of course it can.
Just like the pill or a condom.
So, what is LAM?
🥚Simply put, this method relies on the hormones of breastfeeding to suppress ovulation, so no egg to fertilise and turn into a pregnancy will be hanging about when you have sex!
Is it effective?
🥚 Well, yes. It has a effectiveness between 98-99%.
Similar to condom use.
The downside of LAM is that it is TEMPORARY (it’s reliability is significantly reduced after 6 months or when LAM rules can’t be followed anymore)
What are the rules to make LAM as effective as it can be?
🥚 Effectiveness relies on adherence to the following rules. If the rules can’t be followed anymore, it is strongly recommended to choose another method of contraception.
🥚 Rule 1: the baby is no older than 6 months
🥚 Rule 2: Menstruation has not returned. If in doubt, or there has been any bleeding since lochia stopped, assume menses have returned to be extra sure.
🥚Rule 3: the baby must breastfeed *exclusively* (or pretty much exclusively) day and night. This means that the baby takes all feeds directly from the breast, satisfies all suckling needs at the breast (so no dummies) and is not having any supplementary foods.
🥚Rule 4: feeds in the daytime should be spaced no longer then 4 hours in the day and 6 hours in the nighttime roughly. The baby sleeping through the night may make your body more likely to ovulate. (This makes this method extra safe and non adherence may make LAM a little less reliable).
🥚 LAM success is not simply associated with feeding for a number of months but also with the way feeding happens throughout the day and night, how much the baby suckles and how frequently.
🥚 Also, perhaps remember: *OVULATION happens before MENSTRUATION*, so, common sense tells me it’s wise to switch to another method of contraception should you get some very clear signs of ovulation, such as egg white cervical mucus, the telltale ovarian twinge (mittelschmerz) or anything else that is typically associated with ovulation for you.
🥚 Of course LAM is not for everyone, and there are plenty of other options for contraception after a baby, but LAM is very much poopooed these days when really, it is a very valid way to avoid another pregnancy for the first six months or until menses return.
Anyway, hope this was helpful 🥚🥚