Home > Health Guides by Topic > Sexuality & Sexual Health > Contraception/Birth Control > Lactational Amenorrhea Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) for Women Who Are Breastfeeding:
A Guide for Teens
What is the Lactational Amenorrhea Method and how does it work?
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) can only work to prevent pregnancy for a woman whose baby is less than six months old and who is only breast-feeding her baby. The suckling (breast-feeding by a baby) changes how a woman's body works and stops a woman's ovaries from releasing an egg. When there is no egg, pregnancy can't happen.
| Out of 100 women using the lactational amenorrhea method | |
| Typical use: 2 women become pregnant |  |
| Perfect use: 2 women become pregnant | |
How effective is Lactational Amenorrhea Method?
If women use LAM and all the conditions are met, it is 98% effective. This means that if 100 women use LAM perfectly, 2 women will become pregnant in a year. Perfect use means if a woman has not had her menstrual period since having her baby, if she is only using breast feeding to feed her baby (at least 6-10 times a day, including night feedings), and if the baby is less than 6 months old. Once any of these 3 conditions are not true, LAM is very unreliable and a woman should use a back-up method of contraception to protect against pregnancy. LAM does not protect against STDs.
Are there any problems with LAM?
LAM is a very natural way to protect against pregnancy. You should contact your health care provider when you start getting your menstrual period again.
Updated 8/13/2005
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