Can I take birth control pills while breastfeeding?

A woman's body will suffer great harm after giving birth, so it is important to regulate the body in all aspects. It is worth mentioning that if you are still breastfeeding and have sexual intercourse, you must take contraceptive measures, because it is not suitable to take contraceptives at this time.

1. Can I take birth control pills during breastfeeding?

Nowadays, due to policy influence, many people are not allowed to have a second child. Once they resume sexual intercourse after childbirth, they have to consider contraceptive methods. So, can you take contraceptive pills during breastfeeding? Which contraceptive method is the safest and most effective during breastfeeding? It depends on the specific situation.

If you are a new mother who is not breastfeeding, you can start taking oral contraceptives 2-3 months after delivery. If you suffer from heart, liver, kidney or other important organ diseases or diabetes, you should not take birth control pills, because these drugs may increase the burden on these organs and affect your body's recovery after childbirth.

If you are breastfeeding your baby, you should not take birth control pills. Because birth control pills can have adverse effects on the baby through breast milk, and may also reduce milk secretion.

2. Precautions for contraception during lactation

Oral contraceptives containing estrogen are not suitable for breastfeeding women. Because the intake of estrogen can cause gastrointestinal reactions in lactating women, affect appetite, and lead to a decrease in the content of protein, fat and trace elements in breast milk, it has a great impact on the growth and development of the baby.

At the same time, when the baby ingests breast milk containing estrogen, it can cause breast development in male babies and abnormal secondary sexual characteristics such as vaginal epithelial hyperplasia and labia hypertrophy in female babies. In addition, if breastfeeding women take estrogen for 3-6 weeks, their milk supply will be reduced by about half, which is extremely harmful to the breastfed baby.

3. Best contraceptive measures during breastfeeding

1. Sterilization surgery: It is a permanent sterilization method. It involves a minor surgical procedure to tie the vas deferens or fallopian tubes to block sperm from entering the semen or to prevent the egg from passing through the fallopian tube to meet the sperm. This method has no effect on male sexual function, female menstruation and sexual life; but it is not suitable for lactating women with severe neurosis, sexual diseases or reproductive system inflammation. The failure rate of this method of sterilization is less than 10%.

2. Devices containing progestin: The contraceptive effect is reliable and does not affect milk secretion or the baby's growth and development. However, because it contains progestin, some women may experience menstrual cycle disorders, spotting, prolonged menstruation or amenorrhea. At this time, other contraceptive methods should be used under the guidance of a doctor. Commonly used drugs containing progestin include long-acting contraceptive injections that are injected once every three months and subcutaneous implants that can maintain contraceptive effects for 3 to 5 years once implanted.

3. Intrauterine device (IUD): It is a safe, easy-to-use, economical and flexible contraceptive method. In China, about 40% of women of childbearing age use intrauterine devices. Women who are still breastfeeding six months after delivery may consider having an intrauterine device inserted. At present, in addition to metal single ring and copper V-ring, there are also intrauterine devices that can release progesterone and hemostatic drugs. The latter can significantly reduce bleeding and pain while increasing the contraceptive effect. The contraceptive effect of an intrauterine device can last for 5 to 10 years.

4. Pure progestin oral contraceptives: safe and reliable, mainly play the role of blocking the reproductive process. Such as changing the properties of cervical mucus, preventing sperm penetration, changing the characteristics of the endometrium, and affecting blastocyst implantation.