Lactational
Amenorrhea
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. Lactational Amenorrhea |
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Lactation Amenorrhea is the oldest, most widely practiced method of temporary natural family planning.
The Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM), or Ecological Mothering, is an NFP method in that you can effectively postpone another pregnancy by following nursing guidelines. By monitoring your signs of fertility, you can go right into other NFP methods when normal fertility symptoms return. Or, you can let nature take its course. The average spacing (14 months until fertility returns, and a couple years between children ) is optimum for the mother.
The best website for more info on LAM, including a FAQ, 6 dozen real people's experiences, mailing lists, and links to articles and resources was Kelly Mayfield's. The bad news is, it went off-line in 2006. The good news is, we contacted her and agreed to host it right here in The NFP Files until she picks it up again.
Lactational Amenorrhea FAQPersonal Experiences - Collected experiences of women who have used LAM to postpone pregnancy or who have experienced lactational amenorrhea. They have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Mailing ListsPage One (1-10)
LactAm - The Lactational Amenorrhea Method mailing list is an e-mail list devoted to LAM. It is a low volume list where you can ask questions and share experiences with others.
CIN-NFP - This is a natural family planning mailing list, but you can ask all sorts of questions.
Books: See our Resource page for info on these.
Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Matgen Kippley - This is the most complete resource for learning about lactational amenorrhea and how it can be used to postpone pregnancy.
The Art of Natural Family Planning by CCL - This manual of Natural Family Planning contains a section on LAM, as do CCL classes.
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wechler - This is a manual which teaches the Fertility Awareness Method of birth control, which is similar to NFP. It also has a section on LAM.
Internet Sites About Lactational Amenorrhea
Please be advised that some of these sites advocate the use of artificial birth control, or have information on abortion. As practicing Catholics, we disagree with both on moral grounds. But each of these sites provides valid information on lactational amenorrhea. Most are found under the General Contraception Sites heading.
Natural Family Planning Sites:
Breastfeeding: Does It Really Space Babies? - Couple To Couple League
Summary of Natural Mothering, Breastfeeding and Child Spacing Program - Couple To Couple League
NFP Primer - Our own FAQ includes info on LAM
Billings Ovulation Method during Breast-feeding - for those of you familiar with the Ovulation Method (Billings)
Lactation Notes - a basic intro to LAM, from the Ovulation Method folks (WOOMB)
Breast-Feeding As A Contraceptive - from FertililtyUK, short but heavy
General Contraception Sites:
Service Delivery Guidelines (LAM) - Powerpoint slides for counseling clients, from Johns Hopkins U.
Is breastfeeding an effective contraceptive? - FHI shows Bellagio Consensus Conference chart of 3 effectiveness studies
Lactational Amenorrhea Method - Reproductive Health Outlook
LAM training module for teachers - The Linkages Project of USAID has this long booklet good for users or teachersBreastfeeding Sites:
LAM: Another Choice for Mothers. - La Leche League
Lactational Amenorrhea Method - at Breastfeeding.com has the usual USAID blurb on LAM
101 reasons to breastfeed your child
Parenting Sites:
Breastfeeding and fertility - Kidz Are People Too is a nice non-commercial site on all baby issuesScientific Articles:
Bellagio Consensus on LAM - Definitive 1995 international medical conference by WHO, Rockefeller, Georgetown
LAM in Uttar Pradesh, India - This is a real eye-glazer but shows it works, and complains about lack of publicity
Breastfeeding and LAM: Beyond Conventional Approaches - Ted Greiner's breastfeeding site has a good essay on public policy
Lactation Working Group 1996 - The Pontifical Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society co-sponsored a Working Group on lactation that published long papers on breastfeeding's effects on fertility, population growth, and health. Lots for the academic here.CCL's Natural Child Spacing standards
Increasing milk flow
WHO encourages breastfeeding
Breastfeeding cuts respiratory diseases
Spacing of children - what's best
Breastfeeding reduces breast cancer
visitors March 8, 2000 -31 Dec 2006
Launched March 8, 2000
Moved 1 Jan 2007
Last updated 1 Jan 2007