My younger sister has an 8-month-old baby boy. She had a normal delivery and she has been breast-feeding him since then. The only problem she had was that she did not start having her periods.

Her doctor and her mother-in-law assured her that quite a few women do not have periods for as long as a year after delivery, especially when they are breast-feeding the child. Even she was told that breast-feeding acts as a contraceptive.

My questions:

1.         Is she pregnant again, if not when will she start her period?

2.         Is it true what her doctor and her mother assure her?

3.         Does breast feeding act as a contraceptive?

Thanks in advance.