While you are nursing
Provided you follow certain rules, nursing offers a good protection against getting pregnant during the first six month. This is called lactation amenorrhea method.
The rules are:
- The child is exclusively or almost exclusively nursed. (The time between nursing your child is no more than 4 hours during the day and 6 hours at nighttime. Only small amounts of tea or water are given in addition. Using a breast pump and bottle-feed the child is not considered as nursing.)
- You have not had your menstruation. (Bleeding is considered to be menstruation if it lasts at least 2 days and is as strong as a regular menstruation, or it comes one day as strong as a regular menstruation and at least two further days with light bleeding, or it lasts at least 3 days and is less than a regular menstruation.)
- The child is less than 6 months old
If you meet all of the above mentioned criteria, you will be protected from pregnancy with 98% efficiency. Whenever one of the criteria is no longer fulfilled, the chances for conceiving are significantly higher and you should start using other methods of contraception. (Contraception, Contraception while nursing)
Women who are not nursing should start using contraceptives 4 weeks after giving birth. You may start using hormonal methods at that time. An IUD should only be inserted 6 weeks after childbirth. A diaphragm need to be re-fitted after giving birth. This is possible at the earliest 2 to 3 months after childbirth.
Help with acute crises Directly after childbirth your body goes through great hormonal changes which may lead to the so-called Baby-Blues for a couple of days. All the sudden your whole life seems to change: everyday life, relationship and sexuality, even your own personality. Furthermore there are often feelings of exhaustion and excessive demands. The new experience needs to be incorporated in your life and living with a new person takes some adjusting, too. That is why many young parents experience the initial time with their child as strenuous and conflict-laden – concerning themselves and their relationship. Given a little patience many of these problems solve themselves, sometimes it may be helpful to get counselling though.
Only on rare occasions a “real” postpartum depression occurs, and treatment is imperative in these particular cases. We are happy to assist you with finding the suitable psychological and medical consultation. - Should you have questions concerning your relationship there are several institutions, beside the family planning centre, where you can get information:
profamilia and the AWO
- Should your baby not stop crying you may turn to the Schreiambulanz, telephone:(040) 74570209 or to your midwife
- Help and advice with postpartum depression are offered by Schatten und Licht, phone (040) 42803-2715; Eltern-Kind-Ambulanz, phone (040) 42803-2230, both located in the UKE. You can also turn to the Kinderkrankenhaus Altona, phone (040) 88908270
- Should you be in a difficult situation while giving birth and need additional help you can turn to a family-midwife.
You can find one on the internet at www.midwife.de
