Can you take birth control pills when nursing?

[Anonymous]

I'm an expectant mom with the luck and fortune to become pregnant easily. We are weeks from giving birth to #2. We'll have 2 babies well under 2 for a long while. Anyway, we starting talking about birth control months ago. For some reason, I haven't ever remembered to ask my OBGYN about this (baby brain). So, are birth control pills an option for nursing moms? I nursed my first and plan on nursing again. Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

yes, they are. I took BC pills between my first and second. Now that I'm pretty sure I'm finished, I opted for an IUD.

[Anonymous]

Yes, there are "nursing" pills that have a lower dose of one of the hormones (can't remember which one). You can ask your OB.

[Anonymous]

PP here -- and I nursed #1 until she was nearly 2.5

[Anonymous]

You need to take a progestin-only pill, but those are fine (although somewhat less effective than combination oral contraceptives, although in my book 90% is better than nothing - and more effective if you take it at exactly the same time every day). I'm surprised your OB/GYN has not raised the issue of contraception with you - mine hands out the pills like candy...

[Anonymous]

The "mini pill" can be taken while nursing. It's progesterone only (the regular pill has estrogen and progesterone). You have to be more careful taking the mini pill, always at the same time every day etc.

[Anonymous]

You can only take the mini pill, as the PPs said, and as someone who got pregnant after 4 months of taking it at the same time each day without fail, I highly, highly suggest a second or alternative form of contraception...Congratulations on your newest family member!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can only take the mini pill, as the PPs said, and as someone who got pregnant after 4 months of taking it at the same time each day without fail, I highly, highly suggest a second or alternative form of contraception...Congratulations on your newest family member!

Yikes, this is why I stopped taking the mini-pill after a couple of months. The restricitions on having to take it at the same time every day combined with my exhaustion from having a newborn was just too stressful for me!

[Anonymous]

I recently saw my OB for the 6-wk post partum visit and she didn't even mention the pill. She went on and on about condoms. Post partum lack of sleep brain for me, I neglected to ask her about oral contraception. She stressed the condoms so much that I can't help agree with 9:51pp that you may want to use back up if you're on the pill while nursing.

[Anonymous]

This is the OP. Thank you all. This is very interesting.

I guess we'll go for this mini pill as suggested. I'll ask the doctor at my weekly appointment this week. I'll write it down so I don't forget again. The condom route didn't work for us this last time not because they were faulty though... it was a user problem.

We are open to having another baby but we really don't want a third surprise and especially not so quickly. Well, thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Actually you can take any pill during nursing. Once breast feeding is established, usually recommend wait 4-6 weeks you can start any of the pills. It does not effect nursing at all. If you're worried about getting pregnant prior to that, we generally recommend the Depo shot before discharge and start birth control pill (any) before the next due depo. Even if you opt for the IUD we don't recommend it before 6 weeks post partum. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

You should be careful with PP advice about any pill. Many women experience a decrease in milk supply from the estrogen in the combo pill, even after supply is established. Be very careful with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually you can take any pill during nursing. Once breast feeding is established, usually recommend wait 4-6 weeks you can start any of the pills. It does not effect nursing at all. If you're worried about getting pregnant prior to that, we generally recommend the Depo shot before discharge and start birth control pill (any) before the next due depo. Even if you opt for the IUD we don't recommend it before 6 weeks post partum. Hope this helps.

Thanks! I don't plan on having sex anytime right afterwards. My real concern was not for the milk supply like the next poster mentioned but for exposing the baby to weird hormones through my milk. I don't want him to grow baby boobies or getting a hairy chest. That's ridiculous probably but really it's a concern for him having the hormones through the milk. At the same time, I don't want a two month, a one year old and find out that I'm suddenly pregnant again. It's been tough caring for my first baby, working nearly full time and being pregnant. We didn't really feel like we could afford one baby and now we will have two. (Please no lectures on fiscal responsibility here from any others; we have that stuff in check.)

Also, what is the depo shot? There seems to be all sorts of birth control technology that was invented after my BCP days.

Thanks again to all of you who have contributed, and shared your advice.

[Anonymous]

Depo is Depo Provera, a synthetic form of injectable progesterone.
http://www.life-pharmacy.com/hormones/depo-provera.html

[Anonymous]

depo provera is a progestrone ONLY shot, so it is similar to the "mini pill" mentioned previously. If you are afraid of taking combo pills this is another option. the shot is effective for 3 months and basically prevents pregnancy 99% of the time. new recommendations are to generally limit it to the two year period. Another fav now adays is the Mirena IUD which is again Progesterone ONLY IUD and can prevent pregnancy for five years. As we all know no birth control method is perfect other than abstinence, but compared to the "mini pill" both Mirena and Depo provera are superior in pregnancy prevention.