Natural Family Planning International

“To God be the Glory”—Greg Jennings after his Packers team won the Super Bowl.

Occasionally a breastfeeding mother wonders if it is morally right to continue breastfeeding if there is a potential risk to the embryo not being able to implant properly or be sustained by the uterine lining.  The mother wonders if she should quit breastfeeding and wants a Catholic answer to her concerns.

These same questions have been discussed and answered over the years with regard to breastfeeding and the effect of breastfeeding at the time of conception if the luteal phase is short.  The mother wonders if she will have a healthy pregnancy or will she be responsible for a possible miscarriage.

First, a mother does not know ahead of time whether she will have a short luteal phase in the upcoming menstrual cycle.  Here God is in charge.  Years ago we brought this concern to the renowned moral theologian, Msgr. William Smith.  He said there is nothing immoral with having sexual relations during the fertile time for a breastfeeding mother whose cycles have returned and has experienced short luteal phases.

In addition, recent research has shown that implantation can occur as early as 4 or 5 days after ovulation.  Most short luteal phases are 4 to 5 days in length or longer.  As a mother, you can continue to breastfeed and do what’s best for your child.  Eventually fertility returns and pregnancy usually follows for the breastfeeding mother.  This is God’s timing.

I have had 3 miscarriages.  This concern surfaced immediately with the first miscarriage.  I was only nursing infrequently at that time, but we were concerned that the breastfeeding caused the miscarriage.  We checked many sources immediately after that first miscarriage and learned that my nursing had no effect upon my miscarriage.  We checked again years later with a good Catholic doctor and received the same response.

Short luteal phases can occur at anytime, even for a non-breastfeeding mother.  When a mother is breastfeeding, the breastfeeding may reduce her chances of becoming pregnant.  One couple we know desired another baby but the wife was nursing a toddler.  They tried to lengthen their luteal phase in order to achieve a pregnancy.  It was over a year of such cycles before a pregnancy was achieved.  Again, we are not in charge.  With regard to short luteal phases, we do not know ahead of time what the length of the luteal phase will be.  Likewise such cycles can occur at anytime.  As noted above, a good moral theologian such as Monsignor William Smith says that there is no moral requirement to quit breastfeeding for this reason.

Mothers, remember that the longer you breastfeed, the better the health outcomes are for both you and your baby.  We encourage you to come to our website and read the blogs for World Breastfeeding Week for 2007, 2008, and 2009.  The blogs are at the upper right corner of www.NFPandmore.org.  Those blogs will offer you the encouragement you need to keep breastfeeding.  On the home page you can download our online NFP manual.  A donation is requested if you can afford it.  On pages 103 and 104 of this manual you can read many of the benefits associated with breastfeeding.  It’s amazing how long the benefits last for both mother and child–– even years after the breastfeeding has ceased.  God is good.  He has a plan for mother and baby, and it is good.

Sheila Kippley
www.NFPandmore.org