A mother has a baby and feeds it only with her own milk…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A mother has a baby and feeds it only with her own milk. She has heard that she cannot become pregnant during this time, and she asks how this can be so.
- What is the name of the method that this describes?
- Why does the method work?
- For how long, at most, does it work?
- What happens to the method if she starts to give the baby other food and the feeds become less often?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Periodic abstinence avoids coitus on days to of a cycle of days. In the model, ovulation is days before the next period, and the fertile days run from days before ovulation to days after it. Condoms are used once, and they also protect against STIs. An IUD is placed by a trained person. Copper ions reduce the movement of sperms.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. A mother who breast-feeds her baby fully.
Plan. Recall the natural method of this kind and what it depends on.
Step 1. The name. It is lactational amenorrhea. Amenorrhea means no menstruation.
Step 2. The reason. During intense lactation, ovulation does not take place, and so there is no menstrual cycle. With no ovum released, there is almost no chance of conception.
Step 3. The time. NCERT says that the method is effective only up to a maximum of six months after the birth.
Step 4. When feeds change. If the feeds are less frequent, or the baby is given other food, the ovulation may restart. The method then stops working.
Answer: lactational amenorrhea; ovulation is suppressed; six months; it fails.
Check. It is a natural method, so it needs no device and has almost no side effects, but its failure rate is high.
Watch out. The condition is full breast-feeding, and the limit is six months. Both parts matter.
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