Later studies concerning ecological breastfeeding were done by H. William Taylor. His latest research confirmed that ecological breastfeeding certainly spaces babies.  Mothers who nursed in a cultural way had a median time of 8.2 months before their first menses, while  mothers who nursed more in line with ecological breastfeeding had a median time of 12.8 months before their first menses.  (“Continuously Recorded Suckling Behavior and Its Effect on Lactational Amenorrhoea,” Journal of Biosocial Science, 1999, 31: 289-310)

In this study Taylor also established a sub-group of mothers whose practices were close to the Seven Standards.  That is, Taylor eliminated those mothers who returned to work outside the home, who did not sleep with their baby at night, who introduced solids before six months, and who nursed less than a median of 9 times a day in the first three months.  Thus he ended up with a group of mothers who were following a more ecological breastfeeding program; these 55 mothers had a median wait of 15.9 months before their first menses.  (Personal correspondence after previous research was submitted to Cambridge University for publication, May 27, 1998)

From the feedback I have received, there are many nursing mothers using natural child spacing and systematic natural family planning as a result of our books, writings and talks. My husband also promotes the breastfeeding aspect of natural family planning whenever he has a chance to do so.  Both of us continually remind others that breastfeeding is one way to experience natural baby spacing.  In our opinion ecological breastfeeding  should be included in any discussion or teaching on natural family planning.

Worldwide, breastfeeding is used much more than systematic NFP to space children naturally.  Since the beginning of the human race and up to the early 1900s, breastfeeding was the only option in accord with Catholic teaching except total abstinence.   All couples deserve to know this option as well as systematic NFP.  In other words, breastfeeding is an excellent NFP choice.

Sheila Kippley
Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding

The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding are these:
1.Do exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; don’t use other liquids ad solids.
2.Pacify your baby at your breasts.
3.Don’t use bottles and pacifiers.
4.Sleep with your baby for night feedings.
5.Sleep with your baby for a daily-nap feeding.
6.Nurse frequently day and night, and avoid schedules.
7.Avoid any practice that restricts nursing or separates you from your baby.

Nursing mothers who follow the Seven Standards of ecological breastfeeding have one of the best natural family planning methods.  It’s so natural that it is hard to see it as a method, but today people like to talk in those terms.   As with the Lacational Amenorrhea Method, any vaginal bleeding can be ignored during the first 56 days in determining amenorrhea if the mother is exclusively breastfeeding or doing ecological breastfeeding.

Most importantly, ecological breastfeeding provides extended natural infertility.  During the first three months postpartum, the chance of pregnancy occurring is practically nil if the ecologically breastfeeding mother remains in amenorrhea while following the Seven Standards.  During the next three months postpartum, there is only a 1% chance of pregnancy if the ecologically breastfeeding mother continues to remain in amenorrhea while following the Seven Standards.

Sometime between six and eight months of age, the baby begins to take some solid food.  As the American Academy of Pediatrics stated in their “Breastfeeding Policy Statement”  of February 2005, exclusively breastfed babies “may not be ready to accept other foods until approximately 8 months of age” (p. 499).  Once solid foods are begun, there are only Six Standards operating for ecological breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding infertility usually continues, however, because the amount of nursing is usually not decreased at first and frequent, unrestricted nursing continues.

Specifics of Natural Child Spacing to be continued next week.

Sheila Kippley
Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding

My contribution to the promotion of breastfeeding and natural child spacing has been the teaching that there is more to natural child spacing than exclusive breastfeeding, that mothering practices make a significant difference in prolonging natural infertility.  

Exclusive breastfeeding is insufficient by itself to maintain amenorrhea.  There are many mothers who experience an early return of menstruation while exclusively breastfeeding.  I learned this while listening to mothers at La Leche League meetings for a dozen years.  Studies on the Lactational Amenorrhea Method also prove that about 50% of the mothers have an early return of menstruation while exclusively breastfeeding.   If “fully” breastfeeding is well defined and frequent nursing day and night is stressed, only 18% of the LAM users have a return 0f menstruation by 6 months. (Labbok, NFP conference, 2010)

In the early 1970s, I emphasized not only the concept that you need to do more than exclusively breastfeed to space babies naturally but also that you need to remain  with your baby, that mother-baby togetherness is the key to natural child spacing.  

In the first and second editions of Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing (self-published; Harper & Row), I inserted a questionnaire at the back of the book for mothers to fill in and return after they had completed their breastfeeding experience.  The survey dealt with detailed questions about their mothering practices, their use of any form of natural family planning or birth control, and the return of their first bleeding, spotting, or period.  This collection of surveys eventually led to published research.

In our original research John and I focused on six practices in our survey-questionnaire.  These practices later evolved into the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding.  The Seven Standards are basically maternal behaviors associated with natural postpartum infertility.  We called this type of breastfeeding “ecological breastfeeding” to show that it involved a special mother-baby relationship.  We also called this form of baby care “natural mothering.”

John and I isolated each Standard to see if any one standard had more of an impact on maintaining infertility than any of the others.  What our research showed was that each Standard was important in maintaining breastfeeding infertility and that no Standard was sufficient by itself.  It was for this reason that I often used the example of a “breastfeeding infertility” pie when giving talks.  The pie is made up of seven pieces.  Each piece is important.  A mother interested in breastfeeding infertility needs more than just one piece of the pie and definitely more than just exclusive breastfeeding.  She needs all seven parts or standards.

To be continued next week

Sheila Kippley
Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding

Research for review