$Unique_ID{BRK01606}
$Pretitle{Pregnancy and Childbirth}
$Title{Is It Possible to Become Pregnant While Nursing a Baby?}
$Subject{nursing pregnancy}
$Volume{K-19}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Is It Possible to Become Pregnant While Nursing a Baby?


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QUESTION:  I am writing to you for my daughter for she is too busy to write.
She has a newborn baby that she is nursing.  She believes that this is enough
protection against another pregnancy, which would be most difficult at this
time.  Is she safe now, or is it still possible to become pregnant while
nursing a baby?  I am sure that there is more than one young mother who would
be interested in the answer to this question.

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ANSWER:  The long held belief that the process of nursing a new born is a
safeguard against another pregnancy may not be the absolute truth that some
think it is.  It makes sense that nature would provide a mechanism that allows
a mother to devote all her attention to a baby, and that may lend some support
to those who tell of their lack of fertility during this period, but there is
more to the story.  It is clear that there are fewer pregnancies immediately
after child birth in nursing (lactating) mothers then in women who do not
nurse.  The period of relative infertility lasts only six weeks in non-nursing
mothers, but the presence of a hormone (prolactin) that is stimulated by the
baby's sucking, can suppress the actions of the hormones that promote
ovulation in nursing mothers for a prolonged period.
     However this protection only seems to last for as long as nursing
continues uninterrupted.  While total breast feeding provides protection
against another pregnancy, any schedule that reduces regular nursing can
reduce the amount of prolactin in the blood, allowing ovulation, and a
possible pregnancy to occur.  One of the overlooked reductions in nursing is
the elimination of the night feeding.  This allows for a period of from 8 to
10 hours to pass without the sucking stimulus, and the levels of prolactin may
return to normal.  Thus the protection your daughter seeks depends upon
maintaining a timetable that most families find unacceptable, as it disturbs
the sleep schedule so necessary for the rest needed to keep up with our daily
occupations and activities.
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
