Pregnant While Breastfeeding – Risks and Ways of Prevention

Mothers should avoid getting pregnant while breastfeeding their children. Normally you have few chances of getting pregnant while you are breastfeeding your child. However, there is no rule for this and a mother that is breastfeeding should take care to avoid conceiving again.

There are various aspects of pregnancy during breastfeeding for such mothers to know, which already have a nursing baby in their lap. Nursing tends to reduce the nutrients supply required for the developing fetus.

Similarly, the development of new fetus can reduce the amount of vital nutrients from the breast milk. This could lead to impaired development of either or both.

Moreover, there are more chances of miscarriage or premature labor for women who are breastfeeding their child as the baby's suckling could stimulate contractions.

How to Help Prevent Pregnancy While Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can be a natural contraceptive. For up to six months after childbirth, women typically do not have their periods and ovulation and that reduces the likelihood of getting pregnant while breastfeeding versus getting pregnant if they weren't breastfeeding. This is called LAM (Lactational Amenorrhea Method).

LAM is one of the most effective birth control methods for nursing mothers. Breastfeeding mothers should provide very limited supplemental feedings to their babies and try to use breastfeeding instead. This will help in avoiding conception during that period. To have significant contraceptive benefits of breastfeeding, it is suggested that the gap between two feedings should be less than 4 hours during daytime and less than six hours during the nighttime.

Husbands Support during Breastfeeding

Nursing mothers may have some doubts about breastfeeding and their husbands or partners. A nursing baby’s father has a unique relationship with his baby. This is an important element for the child’s development since the beginning of infancy. The loving support, help and companionship of the baby’s father provides a unique bond between the baby, breastfeeding mother and the father.

Breast feeding moms can feed their babies for a longer period when they get their hubby’s support. The complete involvement of the dad (with the baby and the mom) right from conception, to childbirth and breastfeeding can result in the forging of a better bond between the mother, child and her father.

By getting involved, the male partner can understand the various problems and challenges associated with a breastfeeding mother. He can better manage common problems that women have while breastfeeding. These problems could be like discomfort, fear of the baby not getting proper supply of milk and the difficulty of continuing to breastfeed after getting to work again.

It is recommended that dads as well as moms be properly educated to promote breastfeeding. Husbands should know that their "warm support" and encouragement has a vital role in successful breastfeeding. Husband’s support can prove out to be more effective than help from a health professional.

Dad can be with mom and baby during feedings. This way he can enhance his bonding with the baby with the help of certain gestures such as making eye contact, softly touching, holding & talking to baby. Father can feed the child with expressed milk in the absence of mother.

Support of husbands can work wonders for a strong bonding between the child, mother and the father and result in leading happy family life.

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