I have been considering going on birth control, specifically my doctor recommended Loestrin24? I have never taken BC meds while breastfeeding so was curious if anyone had any adverse side effects to their baby, your milk supply, or anything else? My doc sent in the prescription, but I don't want to take it unless it's okay. My doc reassured me, but I want to hear from people who have actually been there.
Also, I'm considering BC for many reasons specifically to shorten my LOOOOONG periods and I always get my period during my annual beach vacation and due to my children's births I can no longer wear tampons so that totally ruins the vacation. I am not considering any other type of BC that is longer lasting (ie Mirena) because my husband will be getting a vasectomy once our baby is through the SIDS stage of life so please don't recommend anything unless it's something I can stop taking or doing immediately. Thanks for any tips or information mamas!
I used a low dose BC with all 3 of my kids. I did not want an unplanned pregnancy, and never experienced any problems with milk supply or anything else. I did not get my period until I went off that pill when we were TTC (and I was weaning) baby.
I can't give you any info on the BC your doc prescribed, but I took the mini-pill with my first and had no supply issues. And a bonus was no period! But you have to be diligent about taking it the same time everyday. After my second I had a tubal so I didn't have to take anything that time around. You could try calling a lactation consultant too, they would be able to tell you more info. Oh, & if you do the mini pill, when you are done breastfeeding you could always switch to a different pill - that what I did when we weaned.
When I breastfed my doc put me on the Mini-pill - its a progesterone only pill that is safe to use while breastfeeding and will not reduce your supply. Ask your doctor about it and see if this is an option for you. Best wishes!
p.s. here's a little info on the mini pill:
http://www.contracept.org/mini-pill.php
I went on Jolivette (another minipill) when my son was about 5 months old. Like Cupcake Sweet my supply went way down. When I figured out why he was so upset all the time, I stopped taking the pill and was pumping like crazy trying to get my supply back and I never did. Good luck, but if you notice any changes in your baby, definitely stop taking it as soon as you can!
I use natural family planning, but decided to try a low dose bcp after my second child. Quite contrary to what I was told, it greatly diminished my milk supply. It was awful. My baby wasn't on formula or bottles and I didn't pump and store so me and the baby were both crying; Her from hunger and me from watching my baby suffer. I managed to pump some out and my husband used a medicine syringe to feed her the milk. We had to work really hard to get my supply back up. I never tried bc after that. NFP has always worked for me, but I don't think it would help with a long period. I hope things have advanced so that it works out well for you because bcp sound like your best option based on your needs. Best wishes.
Hi, H.:
Personally, I would not recommend BC pills to any woman. The side effects are extremely dangerous.
Make your own decision.
Good luck.
D.
I took Camila while nursing. And I nursed my son for a LONG time. It was fine for both of us. No issues with supply or anything. I didn't even get my period for almost 2 years after giving birth either. It was great.
I agree with you about Mirena. It is not for everyone. My issue with it is that does allow conception, it just doesn't allow the egg to attach and morally, I have a problem with that. The mini pill has a small chance of doing that too but it is much, much less.
I used the progesterone only pill as well. While I have never had any type of BC reduce the length of my period, I hear that is a side effect for some (lucky!!). I don't recall having any significant problems with it. I see that Cupcake Sweet had a production issue. Toward the end of the breastfeeding cycle, I too had production problems but I can't say with 100% accuracy that one had to do with the other. I did end up using Fenugreek tablets which increased my production so that could be a back up plan if you had to. Good luck!
