Progestin-only birth control is recommended while breastfeeding as it contains low levels of hormones. Other options include condoms, diaphragms, spermicide, and natural family planning. Breastfeeding alone reduces the chances of pregnancy, but it’s not a foolproof method.
You can take birth control while breastfeeding, but most doctors recommend taking progestin-only birth control. Progestogen-only birth control contains synthetic progesterone without estrogen and is generally considered a low-hormone birth control pill. Small amounts of progestin will likely pass into breast milk while you use this type of birth control pill, but this small amount probably won’t be harmful to your baby. Some women who take progestogen-only birth control pills report an increase in the amount of milk they are able to produce, which would be considered helpful if you are breastfeeding. Other types of hormonal contraceptives, such as those containing estrogen or a combination of estrogen and synthetic progesterone, are generally not recommended while breastfeeding because they may reduce milk production.
If you don’t feel comfortable using hormone-based birth control while breastfeeding, there are other birth control options you may want to consider. Condoms tend to be very reliable for preventing pregnancy and will not affect breastfeeding. If you don’t like the idea of using a condom, you could use a diaphragm, which also prevents pregnancy without affecting breastfeeding. Other options for birth control while breastfeeding include the use of spermicide and permanent forms of birth control, such as vasectomy and tubal ligation. While vasectomies and tubal ligations are nearly 100% effective at preventing pregnancy and do not affect breastfeeding, spermicide used alone may not prevent pregnancy and some of the spermicide may pass into breast milk, although this it’s rare and probably won’t harm your baby.
Some women practice natural family planning while breastfeeding. This birth control method has no effect on breastfeeding, but it may not be an effective way to prevent pregnancy. When you use Natural Family Planning, you try to figure out exactly what time of the month you’re ovulating and avoid sexual activity during that time. In general, your chances of getting pregnant are greatly increased during ovulation, and pregnancy is much less likely to occur when you’re not ovulating. The main problem with this method is that you could end up getting pregnant if you make an incorrect guess about when you are ovulating, and it is also a fact that you can get pregnant even if you are not ovulating.
Whether you use any type of birth control while breastfeeding or not, you should keep in mind that breastfeeding alone reduces your chances of getting pregnant. This is because, while breastfeeding, your body may not release eggs each month, and you cannot become pregnant if no egg is released to allow the sperm to fertilize. Many women are unable to have regular periods while breastfeeding because their bodies are not releasing eggs. Some women rely on breastfeeding alone as a form of birth control, but if you decide to do so, you should consider the fact that it’s not a foolproof method. You won’t necessarily know right away if your body is releasing an egg, and if you have unprotected sex during a month that an egg has been released, you could easily become pregnant.
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