How can breastfeeding become a temporary contraceptive?

 How can breastfeeding become a temporary contraceptive?

For breastfeeding technique i.e. Lactational Amenorrhea Method, conditions such as complete breastfeeding for 6 months and no other food should be followed.

We are celebrating World Breastfeeding Week this week, from July 16 to 22, including Nepal. Breastfeeding is the beginning of life which keeps a person competent, healthy, strong and fit throughout life.

Looking at the practice of breastfeeding in Nepal, according to the Nepal Demographic Health Survey 2022, the practice of exclusively breastfeeding up to 6 months after birth has decreased from 70 percent in 2011 to 56 percent and the prevalence of bottle feeding has increased from 10 percent to 28 percent.

What can be understood from this is that the mother's busyness and employment situation has become an obstacle in breastfeeding the child. The use of other milks and artificial milks available in the market is increasing, which is sure to affect the sustainable development of children.

Naturally, we know that mammals suckle their babies, which is a natural law. Through breastfeeding, the growth and development of the child is also able to sustain itself on earth. This applies to humans as well.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer, acts as a means of temporary family planning, increases love and affection for the child, and provides the child with all the necessary nutrients needed in infancy. In addition to this, there are also benefits such as the child receives the necessary antibodies to increase the ability to fight against diseases, the child is satisfied with growth, proper growth and development, both the mother and child are happy and they can eat infection-free food with the right temperature.

Breastfeeding techniques

If breastfeeding is used as a means of family planning, it is called a family planning technique. We all may be surprised to hear that breastfeeding can also be used for family planning or pregnancy control. You may be surprised to hear that pregnancy can be controlled with breastfeeding techniques. This is not a new thing but may be a new topic for many.

If you have to use breastfeeding technique to control pregnancy, you should understand that this method is effective until the next period or within 6 months after the birth of the child.

This technique is also called LAM (Locational Amenorrhea Method) in English. This means that this method pushes a woman's menstrual cycle after giving birth and does not allow it to speed up and this method works until menstruation.

Also, some women get pregnant again after giving birth to another child without having another period. This means that this method may not be effective for all women. This method is a less effective method of temporary family planning. If there is an idea of ​​birth control using the breastfeeding method, then it is necessary for the pregnant woman to be under the following conditions.

̵ The child should be breastfed from both breasts at least 10 times during the day and at night.

̵ For 6 months, the child should not be fed any water or food other than mother's milk. This method is not effective if the baby has started to be fed additional food.

̵ If menstruation occurs within 6 months of delivery, this method is not effective.

Thus, breastfeeding can be considered as a method of natural temporary pregnancy control only when the above-mentioned conditions are fully complied with.

Methods and procedures for breastfeeding

Another topic that bothers most mothers is how to breastfeed their baby. There is a lot of curiosity about how effective milk sucking can be achieved and the baby is strong.

Regarding breastfeeding, health workers should give necessary advice when going to a health institution for examination during pregnancy. It is effective only if the mother uses it after delivery. A mother may not have that knowledge when she gives birth to her first child. If the baby is not properly breastfed due to reasons such as shyness, shyness, sore nipples, sores and pressured nipples, the baby will not be able to get the required amount of milk.

Similarly, some people also talk about feeding cow's milk or powdered milk because the milk does not come out and does not reach the baby. In such a situation, the rapid growth and development of the child is interrupted and the child becomes malnourished. To prevent such a situation from happening, the mother should learn the method of breastfeeding and breastfeed the child accordingly. For this, it is necessary for all families and women to understand about the correct posture and contact during breastfeeding.

The right way to breastfeed

The mother should hold her breast in an English C shape and sit comfortably. But many people hold the nipple of milk by making scissors with two fingers, this is a wrong posture and the flow of milk is not good.

- The baby's body should be straight.

- The baby's body and mouth should be turned towards the mother's breast.

- The baby's stomach should be attached to the mother's stomach.

- One hand of the mother should hold the whole body of the baby.

- The baby's mouth should be completely open.

- The baby's lower lip should be turned outwards.

- The baby's chin should touch the mother's breast, but the nose should not be closed.

- Most of the black part of the breast must have entered the baby's mouth.

In this way, if the baby sucks milk by adjusting the above position and contact Effective suction. In order to know whether the milk has been sucked more effectively, if the baby slowly draws in and sucks the milk, stops a bit, swallows the milk, if the cheeks are puffy or round, it is sure that the milk has been effectively sucked.