For some, birth control and breastfeeding do not sound good together, but if you are careful, there are contraceptives that are not harmful to your child while you breastfeed. However, there can be some that can really be harmful to your baby when your milk supply is affected. There are a lot of birth control options you can choose from, but you have to be really careful.
For example, contraceptives that contain estrogen may lessen your supply of breast milk. It is also theorized that these contraceptives can cause you to stop producing milk in just months. According to studies, not all moms will face this issue, but only a few will be unaffected. If you have a little milk supply or are breastfeeding a child that is at least 1-year-old, Dr. Thomas Hale (author, Medications and Mothers’ Milk) advises to be cautious of contraceptives with estrogen.
Birth Control and Breastfeeding - Safer Contraceptive for You
Most Doctors would recommend taking Progestin-only contraceptives, especially if their health require certain hormones. These progestin-only contraceptives can be as follows:
- POP, or progestin-only pill, also referred to as “mini-pill”
- Depo-Provera
- IUD (popularly known as Mirena)
- Birth Control Implants
This form of birth control can be beneficial for moms if they start it between 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth. Note that these must be taken in normal doses, as higher doses can lessen the quality and amount of your milk supply. There are, however, a small number of moms who would still have negative birth control side effects with their milk supply despite having a progestin-only contraceptive.
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Birth Control Common Questions Answered
Before proceeding with long-term contraceptives like IUD or Depo-Provera (birth control implant), it is important to test the “mini-pills” first. If you notice a drop in your milk supply, you can easily stop taking the contraceptive instead of waiting for months for your Depo-Provera or IUD to be taken out.
As a last resort, you may choose to take “morning-after pill”. The two types of this pill are the combination pill (which contains estrogen and progestin) and the progestin-only pill.
Since estrogen reduces the milk supply, you may only be able to release a small amount of milk after taking the combination morning-after pill. However, your supply will go back to normal after.
Warning: Don’t use morning-after pill often. This type of pill is not designed for long-term use.
Birth Control Effects to Breastfeeding Babies
Studies have shown that there are no harmful effects of contraceptives to newborn babies. However, some people are concerned about the babies’ young liver and its ability to absorb the hormones that they get through the milk.
Most mothers report that while taking birth control, their babies would become fussy. These may be caused by the lessened quality of milk (less lactose, protein, and nitrogen content). Some mothers report that their baby’s fussiness is reduced after stopping their birth control intake.
For moms who like to be sure of their child’s safety, the natural birth control is the best option. There are already apps out there that can help you easily track your ovulation. Taking your basal body temperature is also not an old thing.
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