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From: ajs@hpfcla.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Nursing as a contraceptive
Message-ID: <32700004@hpfcla.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Mar-84 23:32:00 EST
Article-I.D.: hpfcla.32700004
Posted: Mon Mar 19 23:32:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 22-Mar-84 02:29:22 EST
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Systems Division - Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 13
Nf-ID: #N:hpfcla:32700004:000:689
Nf-From: hpfcla!ajs    Mar 19 20:32:00 1984

There's  a good  article  in the  current  (April)  issue of  Scientific
American, on the contraceptive effects of nursing.  The main point seems
to be that  unsupplemented  nursing  is a very  reliable  form of  birth
control, equal to any existing method (but of course, much safer).

The article claims that nursing has a bad reputation as a  contraceptive
because,  as the child is started on  supplemental  foods, the amount of
suckling stimulus  decreases, so the mother's hormone levels change, and
at some (hard to predict)  time,  ovulation  returns.  It stresses  that
straight demand  nursing,  including  night feedings, is very certain to
prevent ovulation.

Alan Silverstein