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Breastfeeding on cue, not using bottles or pacifiers, avoiding separation of mother and baby, taking a daily nap with your baby, and sleeping with and nursing your baby at night are components of what Sheila Kippley calls “ecological breastfeeding” (EBF). The hormonal load that comes along with practicing EBF naturally suppresses ovulation, and without ovulation, you can’t get pregnant.
There is a strong medical consensus that “Lactation Amenhorrea Method” (depending on the suppression of ovulation as a form of birth control) is effective for 6 months after a baby’s birth. But it is less widely understood that this benefit of breastfeeding can continue for much longer if breastfeeding remains “ecological.” The average time of the returning first menstrual period is 14-15 months; 70% of EBF mothers have their period return between 9 to 20 months. My daughter is now 25 months old, and I still have not ovulated. I’ve had health providers ask me if I am concerned about this, but thanks to my understanding of EBF, I have been able to reassure them that it is within the realm of normal (if a bit on the long side…).
Yes, you can still get pregnant while nursing, and you can get pregnant before you have a menstrual period, since ovulation happens before menstrual flow. EBF makes it much less likely that you will get pregnant while nursing, as does practicing fertility awareness. I think it’s fascinating to consider the implications on family structure within the framework of EBF. For example, most children in EBF families are at least two years apart in age, which limits the strain on the mother.
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