Will having sex during breastfeeding lead to pregnancy?

It is possible for a woman to get pregnant if she and her husband have sex while the woman is breastfeeding. The chance of this happening is 50-50. Some people think that women will not get pregnant if they have sex during breastfeeding, so they will increase the frequency of sex appropriately without taking any contraceptive measures. This practice is wrong. During breastfeeding, women will resume menstruation and ovulation at a certain time. If you do not want to get pregnant during breastfeeding, it is still very important to take necessary contraceptive measures.

It is possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding. More than 50% of women have resumed ovulation within 60 days after delivery. Therefore, once you resume sexual life after childbirth, you should use contraception immediately and not fail to take measures just because you are still in the menopausal period. When a woman is breastfeeding, her ovarian function is suppressed, and theoretically it is more difficult for her to become pregnant. However, there are reports that breastfeeding women can become pregnant 5 weeks after giving birth. Pregnancy is a rather complicated process, so it is not considered safe to have sex during breastfeeding. If you have sex during breastfeeding, you should take contraceptive measures. Male condoms are generally better. If you suspect you are pregnant, you can use emergency contraception.

Amenorrhea usually occurs during breastfeeding, but for a long time in the past, due to the lack of in-depth clinical research, the mechanism of breastfeeding contraception has not been correctly understood, and there has also been a lack of guidance on appropriate specific methods. Therefore, breastfeeding contraception has been considered unreliable. However, in recent years, more and more studies have shown that breastfeeding as a contraceptive is feasible.

Gynecologists have evaluated the scientific nature of the effects of breastfeeding on reproductive health and reached a consensus: for women who are fully breastfeeding or nearly fully breastfeeding and have amenorrhea without using any contraceptive methods, the risk of pregnancy within 6 months after delivery is less than 2%. Therefore, medical experts have published guidelines for lactation contraception, pointing out that the lactation amenorrhea method must fully meet the following three conditions:

①Amenorrhea.

② Complete or near-exclusive breastfeeding.

③Within 6 months after delivery.

If any of the above three conditions changes, other contraceptive methods should be chosen immediately. Since then, the lactation amenorrhea method has been widely promoted and adopted, becoming the most highly recommended contraceptive method internationally.

The following is a detailed introduction to the principles of contraception through breastfeeding.

When a woman is breastfeeding after giving birth, the baby sucks the nipple and the mother secretes prolactin and oxytocin, which inhibit the release of gonadotropin, thereby inhibiting ovulation and achieving the purpose of contraception. The following research results can provide a specific understanding of the effects of this neurofeedback. For a two-month-old baby, after sucking the nipple for 10 minutes, the prolactin level in the mother's body can increase by 8.5%, and the release of prolactin reaches its peak after 30 minutes. Prolactin levels return to pre-sucking levels 3 hours after the baby stops sucking the nipple.

From this we can see that sufficient breastfeeding frequency and duration are the key to effective contraception. To maintain the contraceptive effect, complete or near-complete breastfeeding must be achieved, that is, relying solely on breastfeeding within 4-6 months after delivery and breastfeeding at any time when the baby is hungry. If complementary foods are needed, breastfeed first and then add complementary foods; when the mother or baby is sick, it is best to insist on breastfeeding without using bottles, rubber or imitation nipples.

The reason why breastfeeding contraception is becoming more and more popular is not only because of its good contraceptive effect, but more importantly, it is beneficial to the physical and intellectual development of the baby and conforms to the principle of eugenics. Breast milk is the best nutrition for babies. Breastfeeding increases the chances of mother-infant contact, strengthens the emotional exchange between mother and child, and is beneficial to the child's future healthy mental development. As far as the mother is concerned, breastfeeding stimulates the posterior pituitary gland to secrete oxytocin, which is also beneficial to the mother's uterine involution and body recovery, and increases women's self-confidence after childbirth.

Although the lactational amenorrhoea method is an ideal contraceptive option for breastfeeding women, it is not recommended if:

①Women infected with AIDS or carrying the HIV virus.

②Women with active viral hepatitis.

③Women with open breast injuries.

It can be seen that the chance of pregnancy during breastfeeding is relatively low, but it is not necessarily an absolutely safe period, mothers must know this. In order to avoid pregnancy before your body has recovered, it is recommended to take good contraceptive measures.