Why does a baby cry at night? Does night feeding prevent pregnancy?

A baby crying at night worries many parents, but the cause is not always an illness or discomfort. Newborns are not yet fully accustomed to the day and night routine, which is why they may wake up frequently at night. Hunger, a wet diaper, being too hot or cold, fatigue, the need for a cuddle, and overstimulation are among the most common reasons for a baby's crying.

Especially in the first months of life, it is natural for a baby to want to feed several times at night. Therefore, night crying often indicates that the child is hungry or needs to feed. However, this raises another question among mothers: does frequent night feeding prevent pregnancy?

During breastfeeding, the hormone prolactin increases in the body, which can temporarily suppress the resumption of ovulation in the ovaries. Especially if the baby is regularly breastfed day and night, the return of the menstrual cycle is more likely to be delayed. Based on this, there is a temporary method of contraception in medicine called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method, or LAM.

However, the notion that "if I breastfeed my baby a lot, I won't get pregnant" cannot be considered true in all cases. For LAM to be effective, three important conditions must be met simultaneously: menstruation has not yet returned, the baby is younger than six months, and they are exclusively or almost exclusively breastfed. It is important that breastfeeding continues regularly both during the day and at night. When all these conditions are met, the risk of pregnancy is very low and, according to the CDC, can be less than 2 percent.

However, if the baby is over six months old, menstruation returns, or the intervals between feedings increase significantly, LAM cannot be relied upon as the sole means of protection against pregnancy.

One of the most important aspects is that ovulation can occur even before the first period returns. Therefore, the conclusion "my period hasn't come yet, so I won't get pregnant" may be incorrect. Night feeding can help delay ovulation, but it alone does not provide absolute protection against pregnancy.

If a woman is not planning a pregnancy at the moment, it is advisable to choose an additional contraceptive method suitable for her during the breastfeeding period with a doctor. Thus, a baby's night crying may be associated with natural needs, and while night feeding affects hormonal processes in the mother's body, it cannot be considered a complete protection against pregnancy.