Why do they call breastfeeding a natural birth control?

I've heard it referred to as such, but never heard an explanation why. I also know it's not as good as being ON birth control too.

What is the Lactational Amenorrhea Method?
The lactational amenorrhea method is just one of a variety of highly effective natural family planning methods. This method is used after childbirth, and involves breastfeeding your child exclusively for at least six months in order to prevent pregnancy. The LAM method has been around for thousands of years but declined greatly in popularity over the past century. In 1988, however, the LAM method was reintroduced thanks to new studies that proved its effectiveness in preventing pregnancies during the postpartum period.

How Does the Lactational Amenorrhea Method Work?
The LAM method works by changing the way in which your body produces your reproductive hormones. In order to ovulate and menstruate, your pituitary gland (a small gland inside of your brain) produces two hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). These hormones send signals to your eggs to mature and subsequently be released during ovulation. When you breastfeed, though, this process gets interrupted, thereby interfering with the production of both FSH and GnRH.

As your baby suckles, nerve impulses travel through your body and are received by your brain. This signals the production of a hormone called prolactin, which works to inhibit both FSH and GnRH. As a result, ovulation does not occur and menstruation stops, making it almost impossible to become pregnant.

Nursing suppresses the hormones that trigger ovulation.

When the amount you nurse makes your hormones change, you'll get your period back. However, everyone's body is different and that happens at a different point for all women, and even for different children.

If you are practicing ecological breastfeeding, no supplements, no pacifiers, no more than a few hours without nursing, then breastfeeding is 98% effective in the first 6 months and in mothers whose periods have not returned. That the same effective rate as the pill alone. If you are not going to practice ecological breastfeeding or want to make sure, you'll want to use an additional form of birth control, like the mini pill (which is safe to use while nursing.)

In cultures where they have no hormonal birth control and women breastfeed, anthropologists have found that the average spread between pregnancies is 18-30 months. That indicates that women are able to control the spacing between their children by breastfeeding.

Even better, the fewer periods you have the lower your risk for certain types of cancer, that's why studies have shown that women who nurse have lower rates of breast and ovarian cancers.

As for me, my period didn't return until my first was 16 months old. I couldn't get pregnant again until I stopped nursing, when he was 2.5 years. Not bad!

The hormones that are triggered by an actively nursing baby that is only breastfeeding will delay your period. However just becuase you aren't having a monthly cycle does not mean that you are not ovulating. It is now being provided in the postpartum information packets to not rely on breastfeeding as a way to prevent pregnancy since it is likely to fail you. Besides think about it....everyone knows you ovulate about 2 weeks before your next period begins. Even when exclusively breastfeeding you don't know when it will begin. Some women it will be soon after birth some at 6 months and some not even until 9 months or later. That egg will be fertile even if you never see a period start!

It has been a common misconception that a woman cannot get pregnant while breastfeeding. It used to be beleived that it was in a way a form of birth control. This was mainly thought because most women go along time without their period with breastfeeding. But it has only been in the last couple years that doctors have become aware that a woman is just as fertile while breastfeeding as not breastfeeding.

it is not a natural birth control..that is what i thought as well because i was not getting my period..what happens when you breastfeed is that all the hormones are concentrated on breast feeding and you are left with no or very little of estrogen hormones..that is why during this time the woman might lose her hair or she may feel dry during sex, or no period. BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CANNOT CONCEIVE. it's the contrary because some women do not even get their period during the nursing period so you do not even know when you are really ovulating!!...but you have eggs ready to be cooked sweetheart!!..however there is a birth control pill called MICRONOR that can be taken and is harmless for the baby because of there is no estrogen in it. and as you slowly stop breast feeding , your estrogen hormones will slowly come back ..ex: the woman might start getting more vaginal secretions, less hair loss..etc

Exclusive breastfeeding (by itself) is 98-99.5% effective in preventing pregnancy as long as all of the following conditions are met:

1. Your baby is less than six months old
2. Your menstrual periods have not yet returned
3. Baby is breastfeeding on cue (both day & night), and gets nothing but breastmilk or only token amounts of other foods.

I think the main idea behind it is since typically when you BF you have no period therefor do not ovulate. Altho I for one got pregnant with my middle child while breast feeding my first! I wasn't relying on breast feeding as birth control but was on the pill. But my first two are 16 mos apart so all breast feeding moms should def use other methods to prevent a new little one!

I have been breastfeeding consistently and regularly for the past 12 months and my periods returned when my son was 3 months old so I am assuming I can get pregnant. I wouldnt be using breastfeeding as a natural birth control.

It stops the ovulation process. It's definitely not safe birth control. But do not take the pill if you are going to breast feed.