It’s no secret that American women shave, pluck and wax unwanted hair as part of their elaborate beauty rituals. It’s not at all uncommon for women to have stray hairs around the areola (the darkened skin around the nipple). It’s certainly not necessary to remove them, but for women who desire to do so for cosmetic reasons, should they shave or pluck? The answer actually is neither one–shaving and plucking could cause infection through cuts or ingrown hairs. So what’s the answer? Carefully trim any unwanted hairs with small scissors.

Admittedly, I have been known to throw caution to the wind and wield a razor. Should you receive a cut from shaving or trimming with scissors, consider using the antibacterial and healing properties of breast milk. For a minor cut, express a bit of milk, apply a thin coating on the cut and allow it to air dry. Consult a doctor as necessary.

Come on ladies, fess up: shave, pluck, trim with scissors or “you’ve got to be kidding me?!”

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

If a woman follows the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) exactly, she has less than a 2% chance of becoming pregnant in the six months after giving birth. LAM has three requirements:

1. The woman’s menstrual period has not returned.
2. The baby is breastfed on demand throughout the day and night with no more than four hours between feedings during the day and six hours at night.
3. The baby is less than six months old.

Is LAM still effective if you’re pumping and bottle-feeding? No. The baby’s suckling at the breast plays a role in suppressing ovulation.

Keep in mind that not everyone feels comfortable with the Lactational Amenorrhea Method of birth control. This Pregnancy Guide article from November 2, 2006, cautions against it:

Some experts believe that if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you’re protected from pregnancy. The theory goes like this: Breastfeeding curbs hormones that trigger ovulation. Some experts say that as long as you’ve had no periods since you gave birth, are nursing at least every four hours during the day and every six at night, and your baby is less than 6 months old, you won’t get pregnant. But BabyCenter lactation expert Susan Condon says every woman’s body responds differently to the hormonal influences of breastfeeding, so even if you’re nursing your newborn all the time, you might be wise to consider yourself fertile. LAM is risky because you’ll probably ovulate before you get your first period, so you can get pregnant without warning. And studies have shown that getting pregnant too soon after giving birth can increase your chances of pregnancy complications, such as preterm labor, and of having a low-birthweight baby.

I tend to agree that LAM is a bit risky. I believe I ovulated and had a period within eight weeks after giving birth (although my periods subsequently went away due to postpartum hyperthyroidism). LAM would not have been reliable for me.

I still think LAM has its merits, particularly when combined with other natural family planning methods. I highly recommend the book pictured above, Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler (click on that title link for more information about the 10th anniversary edition that just came out on November 1, 2006). Taking Charge of Your Fertility simply and clearly explains how to monitor fertility signs such as basal body temperature, cervical fluid and cervical position. By paying attention to those signs a woman can better prevent or achieve pregnancy as she desires. (Keep in mind that getting an accurate basal body temperature requires adequate amounts of sleep–something rare for most new mothers!)

What do you think? Would you or have you relied on LAM as birth control? Have you experienced difficulty with the return of your fertility while breastfeeding?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3