Why Does Missing One Feeding Make Lactation Not a Good Form of Birth Control?

Most women possess the physiologic capacity to produce breast milk. Breastfeeding requires a maternal and neonatal partnership. Complex hormonal interplay in the endocrine system drives milk production. A lactating woman has a harder time ovulating. Lactation was generally viewed as one method of birth control.

Missing one feeding makes lactation not a good form of birth control. A lactating woman will have very suppressed levels of estrogen and progesterone. If a woman skips any feeds then suppression of the cycle stops. Lactation only works as birth control when a mother maintains an uninterrupted feeding schedule. Women should not rely on lactation for birth control because one missed feeding allows the menstrual cycle to resume.