At the present time, despite the huge number of contraceptive pills, coils and others, has not lost its relevance and the lactational amenorrhea method. This method is quite effective contraception, but subject to compliance with all requirements. However, many women are mistaken, thinking that as long as breastfeeding, unwanted pregnancy they are not threatened, and if you still get pregnant, then around the blame "unreliable" method of contraception - lactational amenorrhea method.

The benefits of using this method is unquestionable, it has a positive effect on a woman and her child. But only if all the requirements for this method.

What is the lactational amenorrhea method

Lactational amenorrhea method is based on the fact that while a woman is breastfeeding, she has no menstruation. The fact is that while breast-feeding in the mother's body produces the hormone that is responsible for milk production - prolactin. Prolactin, in turn, inhibits the action of hormones, by which ovulation occurs in the ovaries, and therefore, a woman can not get pregnant.

Basic requirements for the lactational amenorrhea method

To lactational amenorrhea method worked quite effectively in terms of contraception, you must follow a few simple rules:

• The frequency of feedings

In the first place in this method plays the role of the frequency of feedings. Moreover, it is necessary not to feed the baby on the regime, and on demand. Happy baby should be fed every three - four o'clock (the more the better), and at night at least every six hours. Especially in this plan benefit mothers of restless children, who often require chest. But if the night-feeding baby Breastfeeding - a personal choice   missing, lactational amenorrhea method or ineffective, or has a very weak contraceptive effect.

• Duration method

It should be noted that the lactational amenorrhea method Lactational amenorrhea - the natural recovery of the body after birth   It is effective only during the first six months after birth. This is due to the fact that after the child turns six months, breastfeeding is added solid foods that naturally reduces the incidence of breast-feeding and suck the milk volume. That is, the prolactin decreases.

• Amenorrhea

Speaking about the effectiveness of lactational amenorrhea method is stupid, if a woman began menstruating. Moreover, the menstrual cycle can recover and on the background of breastfeeding, and thus restored and ovulation.

• Lack of mixed feeding

Sometimes the mother does not have enough breast milk for the saturation of the child, so it is necessary in addition to breastfeeding introduce infant formula Dairy mixture - selection of useful power . Mixed feeding significantly reduces the effectiveness of lactational amenorrhea method, since prolactin is insufficient to inhibit ovulation Ovulation - How to determine as accurately as possible? .

Benefits

Of course, the lactational amenorrhea method, like all the other methods of protection from unwanted pregnancy, has its advantages and disadvantages. As noted above, this method has a beneficial effect on the health of the child and the mother's health.

Positive aspects of the method for the mother:

• rather high efficiency of the method, reaching 98% (but only if all the requirements);
• the simple use of the method (not require administration, for example as in hormonal contraception pills clock);
• instantaneous efficiency (as the woman started to breastfeed and in compliance with all the conditions, because the action begins method);
• there is no impact on sexual intercourse (no need to interrupt sexual intercourse, or use for a certain period of time spermicide);
• reduces the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (with sore nipples - breastfeeding is actively produced oxytocin, which is responsible for the contraction of the uterus);
• the absence of any physical side effects (no nausea, headache, and others, such as, for example, in hormonal contraception);
• no need for medical supervision.

Positive aspects of the child:

• transmission from mother's breast milk antibodies;
• breast milk - it's a great source of power;
• reducing the risk of infection in the artificial feeding mixtures (no contact with the pathogens).

Anna Sozinova

Nature has created a unique and perfect the mechanism, allowing the woman to bear children. This mechanism is called the menstrual cycle. That's menstrual cycle, which is formed under the influence of the nervous and endocrine systems, it allows a woman to conceive, carry and give birth to a child.

How does the menstrual cycle

The menstrual cycle begins on the first day of menstruation and this continues until the first day of the next menstruation. It is divided into two phases. In the first phase under the influence of female sex hormones estrogen (they are secreted by the ovaries) and follicle-stimulating pituitary hormone (FSH) is a maturing egg in the ovary. As soon as the egg matures, this information enters the cortex of the brain, which causes a sharp reduction in the secretion of FSH. As a result, reduce the hormonal support of the vial in which the egg is matured (follicle) bursts and the egg is released from the ovary, getting first in the abdomen and then into the fallopian tube.

The moment of release of the egg from the ovary is called ovulation Ovulation - How to determine as accurately as possible? . This is a very important point, because the egg lives only a day, which means that pregnancy can occur only during these days. But why pregnancy occurs, and at other times? In fact, it just seems, because the sperm as opposed to egg live an average of three days and may well wait for the egg if intercourse was before ovulation.

After ovulation occurs the second phase of the menstrual cycle. In place of the bursting of the follicle in the ovary there is a temporary endocrine gland - the corpus luteum, which begins to secrete progesterone female sex hormones Progesterone - norm and pathology   and to a lesser extent - estrogens. It also comes under the influence of the pituitary hormone, but this time the other - luteinizing hormone (LH). The main task of progesterone is to protect future pregnancies. Therefore, it reduces the motor activity of the muscle fibers of the uterus, not allowing them to shrink too much. If pregnancy does not occur, this information goes to the cerebral cortex, which tells the endocrine system, the discontinuance of the secretion of progesterone, the amount of LH is reduced, the corpus luteum does not secrete progesterone in the wall of the uterus occur vascular changes, it starts to decline, resulting in a rejected inner mucosa and menstrual bleeding begins.

If pregnancy occurs in a week the embryo enters the uterus, it is embedded in the wall of the shell and begins to produce another hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The task of hCG - more to stimulate the secretion of progesterone by the corpus luteum. Under the influence of hCG yellow body menstruation begins to grow rapidly and is transformed into the corpus luteum of pregnancy, which will provide the body of a pregnant woman progesterone until the moment when the will form the placenta, which will take care of all of the hormonal maintenance of pregnancy, it will happen after the fifteenth - sixteenth week pregnancy.

Menstrual corpus luteum and the corpus luteum of pregnancy

Menstrual corpus luteum functions for twelve or sixteen days. In adolescence and menopause functional activity of the corpus luteum is reduced, the duration of its existence less than childbearing age. Progesterone and estrogen secreted by the corpus luteum, provide the correct timing for cyclic processes in the whole body and women, especially in the uterus. On the seventh - eighth day after ovulation occurs maximizing production of progesterone in the blood. Then begins the reverse evolution of the corpus luteum, the twelfth - fourteenth day of its cells that secrete hormones are replaced by connective tissue, which causes uterine contractions and menstruation. And the forty-fifth day after ovulation the yellow body turns into a whitish body (tripe), located in the substance of the ovary.

In the case of fertilization and embryo formation forms the corpus luteum of pregnancy, which has a much larger volume and consequently generates more progesterone, which regulates the rhythm of contractile activity of uterine tubes and inhibits uterine activity and thus regulates the basic mechanisms of the implantation of the embryo in the uterine wall.

Hormonal activity of the corpus luteum of pregnancy rises sharply, especially in the first three months of pregnancy. Stage heyday of the corpus luteum continues to six months of pregnancy, after which it begins to reverse development. The main endocrine function of the corpus luteum in the fourth month of pregnancy, the placenta moves to continue to the end of pregnancy, placental ensure the functioning of the system.

The menstrual cycle Menstrual cycle and its characteristics   Women absolutely all the links related to each other and failure of one of the unit may cause malfunction of the menstrual cycle, and hence the inability to have a baby.

Galina Romanenko