This if for Linda Rosetti's request for references to back up the claim than
contraceptive pills for breastfeeding women should be the kind without estrogen:

Try contacting Miriam Labbok, first of all.  She could give you lots of
references.

What I have here is a report by her published by IMPACT, titled
"Breastfeeding: Protecting a Natural Resource," 1988.  On p. 8, in Box 2
titled "Breastfeeding and Family Planning" it says:

"...blah...blah...blah...LAM...non-hormonal methods....No study as yet has
shown any of the accepted contraceptive methods to be harmful to nursing
infants, but a contraceptive containing estrogen (i.e., the Pill) may reduce
breastmilk output and is not the preferred method.  For this reason, the
mini-Pill (progestin only) may be the best alternative for women who prefer
the Pill.  Other low-dose progesterone-only methods are equally appropriate.
When breastfeeding is no longer providing a significant proportion of the
child's food needs, concerns related to the possibility of a decrease in
milk production from using the Pill are reduced."

She then cites:

Labbok, M.H., and Krasovec, K. eds.  Guidelines for Breastfeeding in Child
Survival and Family Planning Programs, Washington D.C.: Georgetown
University, IISNFP, 1989.

Kennedy, K.  Consensus Statement on the Use of Breastfeeding as a Family
Planning Method, Contraception, 35(5), 1989.


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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352