Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) uses full breastfeeding as family planning in the first months after birth. Frequent nursing delays the return of ovulation. A couple relies on it only while the mother is fully or nearly fully breastfeeding, has had no period, and the baby is under six months old.
A woman who meets those conditions has about a 2 percent chance of pregnancy in the first six months. Fertility then returns on no set schedule. Among 55 women after birth, every type of ovarian activity turned up. Some had none at all, and some had fully fertile cycles.1 Charting carries a couple through that gap, where a calendar cannot.
Cited in this entry
- Brown JB. Types of ovarian activity in women and their significance: the continuum (a reinterpretation of early findings). Human Reproduction Update. 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20923873/
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult an RRM clinician or healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation.