Natural Family Planning International

Ecological Breastfeeding and Exclusive Breastfeeding:  These two types of breastfeeding are often confused with each other, but they are completely different when discussing natural child spacing. Website discussions about pregnancy rates during breastfeeding often confuse these two terms.  Even NFP teachers and doctors have shown confusion regarding these terms.  Let’s get them right.

Exclusive breastfeeding means the mother is giving her baby only her breast milk directly from her breast.  The baby is receiving nothing else for his nourishment.  The exclusive breastfeeding rule (also called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method or LAM) for natural infertility requires 3 conditions:
1) The baby is not yet 6 months old.
2) The mother is exclusively breastfeeding.
3) The mother has not experienced menstruation after the 56th day postpartum.
The pregnancy rate of LAM is 1% to 2% prior to the return of menstruation.

Ecological breastfeeding is described by the Seven Standards:
1. Breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of life; don’t use other liquids and solids, not even water.
2. Pacify or comfort your baby at your breasts.
3. Don’t use bottles and don’t use 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.

The pregnancy rate for eco-breastfeeding is almost nil during the first 3 months if the mother is doing the Seven Standards and has had no menstrual bleeding after the 56th day postpartum.  With eco-breastfeeding, the second 3 months have a pregnancy rate of about 1% if the mother remains in amenorrhea.  After 6 months, the pregnancy rate is 6% for a mother who does not abstain or continues to rely on breastfeeding.  If the mother needs to postpone a pregnancy, she can switch into charting and use her fertility signs and systematic natural family planning.

For those interested in more information on these two types of breastfeeding, read Chapter 6 in Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach.  For those interested in natural birth spacing, read The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  Today and tomorrow are the last 2 days of the 40% sale at lulu.com.

The Seven Standards book sells for $11.99 but the price is now $7.19.  The ebook is only priced at $5.99 but the sale price is $3.59.  Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing sells for $14.95 but the sale price is $8.95.  This ebook is also priced at $5.99 with the sale price at $3.59.  Both books compliment each other and make an excellent gift for a new mother.  The Seven Standards is quite cheap and can be bought in bulk to hand out among friends, relatives, or church members. The NFP manual and Battle-Scarred continue to be on sale also.

Again we encourage mothers who have eco-breastfed to complete the NFPI breastfeeding survey.

Sheila Kippley

A French mother analyzed how she cared for her three babies.  Following is her own analysis after she completed the NFPI breastfeeding survey for each baby.
Baby 1
Breastfed for 6 months
Exclusive breastfeeding for 2 months
Cultural breastfeeding for 4 months
Amenorrhea duration: 6 months

Baby 2
Breastfed for 12 months
Exclusive breastfeeding for 3.5 months
Then culturally breastfed for 8.5 months
Amenorrhea duration: 9.5 months

Baby 3
Breastfed for 16 months
Ecologically breastfed for 15 months
Then weaned during 1 month
Amenorrhea duration: 15.5 months

The Seven Standards of ecological breastfeeding describes the maternal behaviors associated with extended natural infertility.  The main benefit is that this type of natural mothering keeps the mother with her baby.  In our society where the emphasis is often on pumping or the breast milk, one must remember how important the mother is to her baby.  In God’s plan the nurturing and nourishment provided by the mother on a continual basis keeps the mother near her baby.  As we can see, God’s plan is good.
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Ecological Breastfeeding:  For those interested in spacing births via ecological breastfeeding, I encourage you to read The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor. It is the latest, up-to-date version on this topic.

The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor, Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing, Battle-Scarred, and Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach are 40% off through August 7 at lulu.com.

Breastfeeding Survey:  Any mother who has done ecological breastfeeding and has had a return of menstruation is invited to complete the NFPI breastfeeding survey.  If a mother believes the Seven Standards did not give her an extended period of breastfeeding infertility, we would like to hear from her also.

Sheila Kippley

Among the Seven Standards, the most ignored Standard is the Fifth Standard: Sleep with your baby for a daily nap-feeding.  In my book, The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding, I emphasized this Standard.  This short rest or nap refreshes a mother.  It’s a Standard that should not be ignored.

“As a doula and an NFP teacher, I have worked with several mothers of twins who have nursed exclusively. The single most important factor in the return of cycles for these moms has been whether or not they could lay down during the day for a nap. Neither pacifier use nor nighttime feedings is as predictive as napping. For those who did nap – even for as little as 30 minutes – the menses was delayed beyond a year. For those who did not, nearly all experienced the return of cycles before 6 months. It’s not gold standard research, but it is a remarkable trend I have noticed over the past 10 years.”
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“Thank you so much for offering your book online and for all your research.  We took the NFP classes before we were married, had some success after marriage prior to having our first child and then after, really struggled with NFP.  We have 5 children in 5 years even while using ecological breastfeeding (except the nap).  We co-slept and breastfed on demand.  I wish I read this earlier other than the fact that we might have not been blessed with our children if I had.  This had the clearest information on NFP that I have read.  I made it to a first birthday party without being pregnant for the first time.  I tried to take a nap when possible, used extended breastfeeding and added the cervix recommendations (which are the clearest in your book).  My fertility didn’t come back until 10 months this time instead of the usual 2-3 months.  The longest I nursed before was 19 months and I am still nursing my 1 and almost 2 1/2 year old this time.  We will be making a donation soon even though we can’t afford much and I have recommended this site to tons of people.  I was tempted to give up because we just couldn’t afford any more kids and were really struggling with homeschooling and having so many kids so close together so I really appreciate your help!”
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“Thank you for your encouragement.  My baby was about 8 weeks old when I began bleeding again (period?).  We emailed about it and you told me that Dr. Miriam Labbok had done research on this subject and found that bleeding at 8 weeks postpartum for an exclusively breastfeeding mother was infertile.  Indeed, I have been experiencing amenorrhea since that episode.  My baby is now 6 months old and growing beautifully, thank G-d.  I do not leave him at all, he nurses on demand throughout the day and night, and we take our daily nap which is a blessing in itself for so many reasons.
I bless your name each day for the gift you have given me.  If not for your book I would either have five children under the age of five or have spoken to a rav for permission to use some sort of birth control.  Neither one is very appealing to me.  Not to mention, that the babies would have suffered too!  I am immensely grateful that I am instead enjoying the nursing experience once again with my third baby!”
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Ecological Breastfeeding:  For those interested in spacing births via ecological breastfeeding, I encourage you to read The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor.  It is the latest, up-to-date version on this topic.

The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor, Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing, Battle-Scarred, and Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach are 40% off through August 7 at lulu.com.

Breastfeeding Survey:  Any mother who has done ecological breastfeeding and has had a return of menstruation is invited to complete the NFPI breastfeeding survey.  If a mother believes the Seven Standards did not give her an extended period of breastfeeding infertility, we would like to hear from her also.

Sheila Kippley