Child Spacing through Breastfeeding

(Public domain)

We are at a point in time when there seems to be less interest in the idea of child spacing through breastfeeding. Many reasons for this decline come to mind: more moms needing to work outside the home, moms living far away from extended family and feeling overwhelmed, and moms just not knowing about the spacing effects of breastfeeding. Maybe you can think of more? I cannot change the first two, but you and CNML can help change the last one.

I am an only child. My mom didn’t breastfeed me, because at that time it wasn’t popular and there wasn’t a lot of support for it. Growing up, I really do not remember seeing very many women breastfeeding. Then when my husband and I were joyfully expecting our first son, a fellow college student in our apartment complex invited me to the local La Leche League meeting. It was there that I found Sheila Kippley’s book, Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing. As I looked more and more into the benefits of breastfeeding, I really wanted to be able to exclusively breastfeed and also to practice ecological breastfeeding.  I also became an LLL Leader.

Although La Leche League has changed, their original philosophy is still dear to my heart. It inspired me to help start the Catholic Nursing Mothers League with Pam Pilch who was also an LLL Leader. Our dream was to build a Catholic breastfeeding organization that gives evidence based information to moms and supports them in breastfeeding and mothering. We also added an extra emphasis: sharing the beauty of ecological breastfeeding and encouraging those who are interested in practicing this lifestyle. 

Nursing moms in North America who practice ecological breastfeeding tend to have on average 14-15 months of natural infertility. My own personal experience definitely confirms that. Although I am a bit of an outlier possibly, I would like to share my experience. My four oldest sons were spaced three years apart exclusively with breastfeeding. With my first son I had 21 months of amenorrhea and then with each child that time increased. With my youngest, I had 31 months of amenorrhea. 

I have been thinking about what may have caused me to have such a long period of amenorrhea - well above the North American average for those practicing ecological breastfeeding. Really I just followed the lead of my baby. I let my babies nurse as often and as much as they wanted. While co-sleeping with my toddlers, I did not encourage them to wean at night - I let them decide when they were ready to stop.  My boys woke up to nurse at least until age 2 and my daughter woke up until age 3. Letting my babies/toddlers nurse as often as they wanted and letting them wean at night when they were ready, I believe, were the keys to my experience of extended amenorrhea.

Can I ask a favor from you? Please consider helping CNML tell moms about the child spacing effects of breastfeeding. You can post links from our website on social media forums you are on or request we mail Sheila’s book to you or to a fellow mom you know. Another option is: I am happy to do a zoom meeting on ecological breastfeeding for you and other interested moms.

Written by Gina Peterson