Ecological Breastfeeding is a new label for an old concept. It is simply the way most babies nurse if we let them. Since ancient times mothers and babies stay together acting as a single unit. This allows mothers to nurture babies and babies to learn from their mothers.
Basic Principles
- The primary factor in producing natural lactation amenorrhea or postpartum infertility(the absence of your monthly menstruation due to breastfeeding) is to allow frequent and unrestricted suckling of the baby at the breasts.
- The seven standards of EBF maximizes the many benefits of nursing often which causes natural infertility in most women. This type of baby care follows God designed natural mother-baby relationships. It avoids artificial mother substitutes and provides free access to baby initiated patterns. The natural benefit to EBF is extended natural infertility and lack of ovulation. Causing a lengthy postpartum time of no monthly periods.
- The Seven Standards help promote frequent breastfeeding. Nursing your baby often helps your body to know you are nurturing a baby, reminding your body that it is not time for another pregnancy yet.
Phase 1 of Ecological Breastfeeding:
This phase will produce natural infertility in most women if followed completely for most women.
- Exclusively breastfeed for the first six months. Give no other liquids, solids or even water. Make sure your baby is nursing every few hours and is nursing 15-45 minutes.
- Comfort or pacify your baby by suckling at your breasts.
- Don’t give any pacifiers or bottles.
- Sleep with your baby and offer night feedings.
- Nurse your baby for nap time feedings.
- Nurse frequently day and night. Avoid rigid schedules but keep regular routines to promote hormonal health and ensure the baby is nursing often enough.
- Avoid anything that restricts nursing or separates you from your baby.
Phase 2:
- Phase 2 of EBF begins after six months when your baby starts eating solids or liquids other than breastmilk.
- You can begin to give liquids when your baby shows interest in drinking from a cup, usually after six months.
- Keep using the other 6 steps in phase 1. Don’t decrease nursing in the beginning but gradually decrease as your baby shows more interest in other foods. Let your baby set the pace. Phase 2 is often longer than phase 1 in regards to natural infertility if you keep breastfeeding frequently and unrestricted.
Return of Fertility
The first 6 months: The first 8 weeks postpartum for exclusively breastfeeding mothers are so infertile that in 1988 studies showed that any bleeding during the first 56 days could be disregarded as menstruation bleeding. Most women are infertile during this time if they are frequently and exclusively breastfeeding.
The first 3 months postpartum the chance of becoming pregnant is 1% if the EBF mother continues to not have periods. After 6 months it is increased to 6% chance of pregnancy occurring before her first period after delivery. If using natural family planning, fertility awareness by watching cervical fluid, and abstinence during fertile days this can be reduced even more.
Natural Spacing by Breastfeeding Alone
Ovulation is suppressed by lactation and lack of menstruation. Frequent breastfeeding provides better child spacing than all unnatural forms of birth control. Most EBF mothers experience their first menstrual period 9 to 20 months postpartum. The average is 14 to 15 months. For healthy child spacing 18 to 30 months EBF can be quite effective. The reproductive cycle begins with pregnancy and ends with breastfeeding not childbirth.
Breastfeeding Has More to Offer
Mothers and babies also experience many other benefits of breastfeeding. Babies have fewer hospital visits, fewer intestinal issues and higher IQs. Breastfeeding reduces many diseases such as allergies, asthma, eczema, autoimmune, leukemia, SIDS, and many more. Mothers receive many health benefits too. One of them is a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Others are a reduction in anemia, osteoporosis and heart disease to name a few. Breastfeeding also provides a strong mother baby bond and closeness which is the best environment for babies. Mothers provide intimate uninterrupted care during the first months as God intended. Ecological Breastfeeding is an excellent option for child spacing. Breastfeeding provides many health benefits for both mother and child.