Natural Family Planning International

No one should say that breastfeeding does not work as a natural baby spacer  It all depends on a mother’s pattern of nursing.  It does work when done correctly…when the mother cares for her baby in a very natural way and she remains with her baby.  Many couples and researchers have discovered that God’s baby plan via ecological breastfeeding does provide a natural spacing of births.  In addition, this is a form of natural family planning in which the couple can enjoy the spacing without periodic abstinence.

Couples interested in natural child spacing should follow the Seven Standards of eco-breastfeeding.  I once did a survey of a small number of moms who said eco-breastfeeding did not work.  Of those who returned the survey, none had followed all the Standards.  A few mothers in the past have publicly discredited ecological breastfeeding for natural child spacing.  When possible, I send a survey to these mothers, but not one of these surveys has been returned.

Here is what other moms say about this natural way of spacing babies:

“Ecological breastfeeding proved to be a great way of naturally spacing children.”

“I’m still nursing my son who is 13 months old and JUST got my cycle back.  I’ve been charting for a week now and loving this.  Many of my friends use medical ways to control their fertility.  I feel it is harmful to the body.”

“My youngest is almost 18 months now, and I still have not experienced my first postpartum period.”

“My daughter is 14 months old now and I was concerned about my continued infertility.  Your book reassured me that rather than being unusual, breastfeeding infertility is natural, normal and healthy.”

“I am currently nursing my 17 month old without a return of my periods.”

“My son nurses on and off during the nights.  He is 22 months old and I have not had a period yet.”

“Breastfeeding has a very definite effect on child spacing.  With my bottle-fed children I conceived again at 8 months after childbirth despite other contraceptives.  It has been 15 months since the last baby was born.  No period yet.”

NFPI believes that every couple (engaged or married) should be taught this option of natural family planning.  Those involved with marriage and family life in the Church should be actively promoting this option as well as encouraging couples to be generous in having children.

Sheila Kippley
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor
PS:  John and I speak out frequently about the spacing benefit of ecological breastfeeding plus we stress the many benefits for both mother and baby in this breastfeeding relationship.  Too many in the NFP movement and in the Church ignore this message.  That’s why we keep promoting this important message.

Dr. Christopher Tietze of The Population Council sought to clarify the confusion as to whether or not a woman could conceive while nursing her baby and attempted to review all the available demographic medical work.  In New York, September 1961, his work was presented before the International Population Conference; the paper was titled “The Effect of Breastfeeding on the Rate of Conception.”  In this paper he concluded the following points:

1.  The prolonged absence of menstruation seems to be the major factor involved in the delay of conception among nursing mothers;
2. During breastfeeding and with the absence of menstruation, “ovulation is suppressed and  conception therefore impossible;”
3. While ovulation is normally followed by a menstrual flow, “the first menstrual flow is preceded by ovulation in only a minority of women;”
4. A woman has about a 5% chance of conceiving before the return of her first menstrual period;
5. When menstruation returns, the first two periods are usually sterile;
6. The risk of conceiving “increases rapidly after menstruation has returned;”
7. And since “breastfeeding tends to prolong the interval between pregnancies, it seems worthwhile to evaluate it as a method of child spacing.”  

To learn more about natural child spacing, please read The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding.
Sheila Kippley