Population Reports
GATHER Guide To Counseling
CONTENTS
Overviews
GATHER Steps
Special Clients,
Special Topics
Tools & Tips
Published by the Population Information Program, Center for Communication
Programs, The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore,
Maryland 21202, USA
Volume XXVI, Number 4
December, 1998
Series J, Number 48 |
Family Planning for
the Breastfeeding
Woman
Reproductive health care providers should encourage breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is good for nearly
every baby. It also can be a natural form of family planning.
When can breastfeeding prevent pregnancy? To find out, you can ask the client these 3
questions:
- Have your menstrual periods returned?
If she answers “no,” ask question 2. If instead she answers “yes,” she needs another family planning
method. She should keep breastfeeding her baby.
- Are you regularly giving your baby much other food besides breast milk or allowing long
periods without breastfeeding, either day or night?
If she answers “no,” ask question 3. If instead she answers “yes,” she needs another method. She
should keep breastfeeding her baby.
- Is your baby more than 6 months old?
As long as she can answer “no” to all 3 questions, breastfeeding will prevent pregnancy about as
effectively as the Pill or IUD when they are used correctly.
Using breastfeeding for family planning is called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM). A woman
who relies on LAM should be encouraged to:
- Breastfeed often, both day and night. The baby should get at least 85% of feedings as breast
milk.
- Breastfeed correctly. (Counsel the client about breastfeeding technique and diet.)
- Start other foods when the baby is 6 months old. Breastfeed before giving other food, if possible.
Breast milk can be an important food for the child’s first 2 years or more.
When to start another family planning method? As soon as the answer to
any of the 3 questions is “yes.” See the Help—Choosing
a Family Planning Method for information on methods to use during
breastfeeding.
Should a woman with HIV/AIDS breastfeed? HIV may be passed to the baby in breast milk.
Where infectious diseases pose little risk and safe, affordable other food is available, advise her to feed
her baby that other food and no breast milk. Help her choose a family planning method other than LAM.
If she still chooses to breastfeed, however, she can use LAM. |
