Breastfeeding as birth control

I exclusively breastfeed my LO... I'm just wondering about it being a method of birth control. I'm afraid to take the mini-pill because I just feel like the hormones would go into my breastmilk and harm her... and I'm afraid of IUD because I feel like it could potentially harm my fertility.

So, I've heard that if you exclusively breastfeed, you are good to go in the birth control department, but I've read that the criteria has to include no pacifiers.. Is this accurate?

Also, since I've already gotten my first pp period, does that mean that I am ovulating/fertile again? :-\

Quoting Moose [Mommyhood]:“ I exclusively breastfeed my LO... I'm just wondering about it being a method of birth control. I'm afraid ... [snip!] ... Is this accurate? Also, since I've already gotten my first pp period, does that mean that I am ovulating/fertile again? :-\”

Noooo, not true. I BF and I'm on the mini pill, it's perfectly safe.

BF is NOT a form of birth control. You can still get pregnant on it. Especially if you have gotten your period back.

The mini pill is the one that is safe for BF, because it's only one hormone and a low dose.

I think if you have already had a PP period than you are ovulating again. When I EBF I didn't have a period at all and did not get pregnant even though I wasn't using any BC.

My sister is pregnant and she was breastfeeding.

Totally not true! Ask the many women who are now on their 2nd child because of this "method"

While bf'ing as birth control worked for me (I got pregnant again within two months of weaning), it really is not a reliable method at all. The mini pill is perfectly safe for a baby...that is why they made it! It does not have the hormone in it that affects your baby. The only reason I quit using it is that I am terrible at remembering it and would waste a packet within a week or two of starting from missing so many pills.

Quoting Rachel&JacktheROCK☆:“ I think if you have already had a PP period than you are ovulating again. When I EBF I didn't have a period at all and did not get pregnant even though I wasn't using any BC.”

I would agree with this. I also EBF my kids and didn't use any BC in the first few months and didn't get pregnant.

Taking Charge of Your Fertility gives criteria that need to be met for it to be effective.

1. Exclusively breastfeeding. No formula, no bottles, they also say no pacifiers but I used pacifiers all the time and didn't have fertility return until around the time I started solids.

2. Baby has to be younger than 6 months.

3. No bleeding of any kind since your pp bleeding.

When these 3 rules are met your natural birth control is 98%.

Obviously with your bleeding this can't be relied on anymore.

I'm not entirely sure it was a period though... Because I never really *stopped* bleeding after I gave birth...I stopped for 1 1/2 day at around 6 weeks exactly... Then the next day it came back red. So it went from giving birth, bright red, orangeish, brown, tan, no bleeding for 1 1/2 day, bright red for about 4 or 5 days, no bleeding since then.

Quoting Moose [Mommyhood]:“ I'm not entirely sure it was a period though... Because I never really *stopped* bleeding after I gave ... [snip!] ... birth, bright red, orangeish, brown, tan, no bleeding for 1 1/2 day, bright red for about 4 or 5 days, no bleeding since then.”

It's because your breastfeeding. I was told that you can bleed on and off for up to 12 weeks.

yes and no...

in order for it to be "effective" you are right, no pacifiers, no bottles ever, pumping doesn't count as ebf in this case. it's literally got to be breast all of the time.

and then it is only 98% effective. many women still do get pregnant while bfing.

since you have already ovulated and had a pp period, i wouldn't trust it one little bit. since the whole reason it works for some women is because the hormones suppress ovulation. obviously your ovulation isn't very supressed if it's already happened