Breast-feeding and natural family planning
Marcu, G.; Ciochină, A.D.; Deleanu, A.; Băcăuanu, A.; Moroşanu, L.; Sistoc, L.; Brumă, L.
Revista Medico-Chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici Si Naturalisti Din Iasi 97(2): 243-246
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0048-7848 PMID: 7997664 Document Number: 411019
Two longitudinal studies of breast feeding behavior were conducted in a sample of Romanian women from rural Chisinau and Iasi in 1991. Daily records were maintained of suckling patterns, supplementary feeding, illness, cervical mucus, basal body temperatures, and coital frequency. The sample included 180 mothers, of whom 50 provided complete records. 31 mothers provided blood samples for hormonal analysis of the return of menses. The sample age averaged 25 years. Women had one to five children. 55% had completed some tertiary education. The mean birth weight of infants was 3325 g. 35 couples used natural family planning methods throughout the study period. 50% of mothers breast fed longer than 12 months. The average age for beginning of supplementation was 20.4 weeks after delivery. Menses returned by 40 weeks after delivery for 50% of mothers. Supplementary feeding was unrelated to the return of menses. Of the 52 women, who kept records with mucus and basal body temperature, 17 reported evidence of ovulation with a normal luteal phase before menses. 10 cases were confirmed by hormonal testing. Only 1 mother was fully breast feeding when the ovulation probably returned, based on a mucus observation. 35% of mothers showed evidence of normal ovulation before first menses. 52 weeks postpartum was the mean for return of ovulation. By the 7th cycle, all women had normal ovulation. 20 of the 34 couples practicing family planning had resumed intercourse within the first 6 weeks after delivery. Frequency of intercourse did not vary over the period of amenorrhea. 87% felt comfortable using natural family planning, although 50% had difficulty in at least one cycle. No pregnancies occurred before first menstrual bleeding among breast feeding mothers or mothers who had weaned their babies. Education should be provided to breast feeding mothers regarding the signs of returning fertility, as an additional tool in use of natural family planning.