Breast-feeding and the return to ovulation in Durango, Mexico.
Twenty-nine breast-feeding mothers and 10 non-breast-feeding postpartum comparison mothers from a rural area of Mexico were followed longitudinally until ovulation resumed. A simple set of guidelines is described involving three obvious milestones for the breast-feeding mother to safely use the natural contraceptive benefit of breast-feeding. Those milestones are: the first vaginal bleeding episode, the initiation of supplementation, and the child's monthly birthday. In the absence of bleeding and supplementation, 100% of breast-feeding mothers remained anovular for 3 months postpartum, 96% for 4 months, 96% for 5 months, and 96% for 6 months. This suggests that, if a mother understands these three conditions, she can use breast-feeding alone as effectively as modern family planning methods for the prevention of pregnancy.
Rivera
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R
Family Health International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Kennedy
K I
KI
Ortiz
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E
Barrera
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M
Bhiwandiwala
P P
PP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D010060:Ovulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors