Pregnancy during lactation: advice from gynecologists

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

There is a widespread belief that as long as a woman has not stopped breastfeeding and her critical days have not recovered, conception is impossible. This belief is incorrect. Two to three months after delivery, there is a chance of re-pregnancy. In some nursing mothers, this ability is restored in a shorter time. The symptoms indicating conception, in such a situation, are fuzzy. The article talks about pregnancy during lactation, its signs.

Do I need to use contraception during this period?

Expectant mothers often ask a specialist about the possibility of conception while breastfeeding. Many women believe that lactation is a natural defense against unplanned pregnancy. So, you can not care about contraceptives during this period. Is it really? Pregnancylactation possible.

However, cases of conception at this time are quite rare. Breastfeeding creates barriers to fertilization.

Features of lactational amenorrhea

This method is used by many women. It replaces the means of protection against unwanted conception. The fact is that during lactation, the ability of the female body to fertilize does not resume immediately. Breastfed mothers take longer to recover than formula fed mothers.

Sometimes during all this time there are no critical days. However, pregnancy during lactation without menstruation still occurs. Doctors periodically encounter similar cases, they are discussed on the forums. Why does conception occur during breastfeeding? In fact, even before the resumption of the cycle, the woman is in the process of maturation of gametes. Due to the absence of critical days, she does not know about it. Namely, during such a period, the chance of conception increases. The chance of pregnancy during lactation is about 10%. Therefore, the absence of monthly bleeding is not a reliable method of contraception. But the method can be successfully applied if certain rules are strictly followed.

Important recommendations

To increase the effectiveness of lactational amenorrhea as a method of protection, the following tips will help:

1. Feeding your baby on demand, not on schedule. You should breastfeed your baby not only during the day, butand at night, do not add water and mixtures to the diet. Pacifiers must not be used. During the day, the baby needs to receive milk from 6 to 10 times. Breaks between feedings should not be longer than six hours.
2. If the baby is already six months old, the frequency of attachments to the breast does not matter. The baby's diet should be expanded. After 6 months complementary foods are added to the milk. During this period, the chances of pregnancy during lactation increase. If spouses are not planning a child in the near future, they need to use protection.

During breastfeeding, a woman's fertility is reduced as a result of the production of large amounts of prolactin. This substance is necessary for the secretion of milk. Therefore, subject to certain rules, lactational amenorrhea can be used as a method of protection. However, over time, the child needs less and less breastfeeding. There is not much milk anymore. The concentration of prolactin in the mother's body decreases, and then monthly bleeding resumes. The restoration of critical days means that the female reproductive system is capable of fertilization. In this case, you need to consult a doctor. You should choose a contraceptive.

It will help to reliably protect a woman from unplanned conception.

Symptoms indicating pregnancy

It often happens that a young mother is so absorbed in caring for a newborn that she does not notice the appearance of these signs. ATduring the first weeks of pregnancy during lactation, a woman may attribute the malaise to fatigue, anxiety, lack of sleep, or overload of the body after delivery. Typical symptoms of conception include:

1. The appearance of seals in the tissues of the mammary glands.
2. Cracks and discomfort in the nipples.
3. Feeling of heaviness, spasms in the lower part of the peritoneum.
4. Feeling sick and throwing up.
5. Discomfort in the lumbar region.
6. Dizziness.

Often in the case of pregnancy during lactation, a woman associates the signs of this condition with inflammatory processes. However, nursing mothers often refuse to visit a doctor and undergo examinations, as they believe that drugs cannot be used during such a period. Sometimes they use folk remedies: herbal baths, ointments, and so on.

Other symptoms

Discomfort in the lower back and nausea a woman can explain overwork and the need to often take the baby in her arms. However, there is one important aspect that indicates that conception occurred during the period of breastfeeding. Among the signs of pregnancy during lactation, experts call a change in the quality of milk. Its taste becomes worse, and the consistency thickens. As a result, the baby is reluctant to eat or completely refuses to feed. In such cases, the mother decides to stop lactating and replaces the milk with formula.

Another symptom that often indicatesconception, is the absence of critical days six months after delivery. In such a situation, the woman needs to be tested.

The process of lactation does not affect the ability of the device to detect pregnancy. Within seven to ten days after conception, two stripes will appear on it.

Is there always a chance to keep a baby?

If a woman finds out about pregnancy during lactation, she often thinks about the issue of saving the life of the fetus. In the case when the mother had a caesarean section during the first delivery, it is necessary to consult a specialist. It is possible to bear a he althy baby if there is a healed suture in the uterus. If the scar has not yet stabilized, pregnancy poses a threat to both the woman and the child. Therefore, conception is permissible only six months after such an operation.

Besides, a caesarean section is a procedure that requires a long recovery. It is necessary that a sufficient amount of iron accumulates in the body of a woman. Otherwise, the unborn child will have problems with the respiratory system. If the first delivery went well, the lactation pregnancy can be saved. Breastfeeding, as a rule, does not stop. However, there are situations where it is not allowed.

When should lactation be stopped?

You need to transfer the child to artificial nutrition if:

1. When the nipple area is stimulated, contractile movements of the uterus occur. This phenomenon can lead to spontaneousabortion.
2. The presence of nervousness and gastrointestinal disorders in an infant after drinking milk.

If a woman will have a good rest and eat right, trying to get the necessary substances, and not maintain harmony, she will be able to bear and give birth to a baby normally. The weather is easier to educate than children who have a significant age difference.

Features of natural feeding

When pregnant and lactating at the same time, a woman should follow the following recommendations:

1. Reduce the number of breastfeeds.
2. Gradually add other foods to milk.
3. Shorten feeding time.
4. Eat foods high in calcium and iron. Try to diversify your diet.
5. Consult your doctor about taking vitamin supplements.



6. Maintain the cleanliness of the mammary glands, regularly care for the skin in the nipple area.
7. Try to get more rest, do not forget about walks in the fresh air, get enough sleep.

Lactation can be continued until the ninth month of pregnancy. However, we must remember that this process is often associated with severe discomfort in the nipple area. After delivery, the breasts regenerate on their own, and the woman can breastfeed her youngest child.