Birth Control While Nursing

I had a Mirena IUD inserted after the birth of my 1st child as my husband and I weren't ready for another "oops!" baby right away. I did breastfeed for 9 months, but did supplement one bottle as I did lose some breast milk. Lucky I had plenty already frozen before I had the IUD inserted. It was a compromise I am happy with. My son is 6 and healthy and happy. And I didn't have to worry so much about any accidents.

I have an IUD and I love it. It was easy, painless, and I don't ever have to think about it. They are considered very safe now. You can have it removed anytime anf there are ones that last 5 and 10 years. Good luck!

Hi L.,

I can appreciate not wanting to get pregnant anytime soon. I got pregnant on the pill with my first, so I understand. I have an 8 1/2 month old that I am nursing as well and after talking to my doctor about all the options, I chose the Paraguard Intra-Uterine Device. (also known as the Copper T) It's similar to the Mirena, except doesn't have any hormones. I chose the Paraguard specifically because I am a nursing mom. I just didn't trust the hormones in the Mirena to not be passed through breast milk. Anyway, I had the procedure done about a month ago and so far so good. It didn't hurt at all, it was very similar to having a Pap test done.

Hope this helps you in your decision making process.

Take care & God bless,
D.

hi - We have 2 little ones and think we're finished having children, but aren't 100% sure. So we needed something very effective but not a vasectemy. I also needed something hormone-free b/c after trying three pills postpartum that all wrecked hormonal chaos on my body, it was clear i needed to try something else! My midwife suggested an IUD. There are two kinds - the Mirena which has hormones (not an option for me b/c i'm so sensitive to any addl hormones in my system) and the nonhormonal copper IUD. While i loved the idea of no hormones, i was concerned about having an IUD inserted. Now i've had it 3 months and LOVE it. The downsides are longer & heavier periods but i was having crazy periods anyway with the pills so i was fine with that. The IUD is painless, 99% effective, can stay in 5 years but be removed whenever you want, and it will not effect your lactation. While the Mirena gets lots of attention b/c its new and has a big advertising campaign, it does have hormones and, while i'm not a doctor or midwife, i know adding estrogen to your system will likely mess up lactation. Also, I've heard from friends that some women on the Mirena stop getting their period altogether which i didn't want. I also have lots of friends on the same IUD as me and everyone raves about it. Good luck!

i just started on the minipill after getting a depo shot in the hospital after delivery- making my girls 3mos old. it seems that the minipill is less effective, but the only way to keep nursing. the only other options - condoms or the rhythm method. i'd stay on the minipill and make sure you take the pill at the same time every day also keep track of when you should be ovulating if you have any sort of cycle and dont have sex on those days.

L.,
I got the Mirena, and it is the best thing I ever did. I never have to worry about taking a pill and I don't have any PMS symptoms. Plus I haven't had a period since about the 3rd month I got it. I hope this helps. Good luck

S.

I've found the Copper IUD to be very convenient. It's currently the most effective (99%) birth control out there with little or no side effects.

I've been nursing my now 15month old without issues.

Hope this helps.

~Liz

Talk to your doctor about alternatives - don't know if some of the other methods are less intrusive to your milk? What about combining the mini pill with a barrier method, gel, or something like that???

Besides - 3 kids - how do you find time?? ;)

I have an Mirena IUD & I love it. My midwife suggested this after the birth of my third child (which was 13 months after my 2nd child - living proof that you can get pregnant while nursing) My husband and I think we may be done having children (Well, my husband is sure, me...not so much) This gives us 5 years of protection. If we truly are done in 5 years then my husband has agreed to have a vasectomy.

It's nice not having to worry about pills or condoms or a diaphram. Plus it's safe while I'm nursing I get a little crampy from time to time and when I do have a period it tends to be a little long. But all in all I'm happy with it.

Good luck & God Bless

Try an IUD. I've used one with my previous nursing and now while I'm nursing this baby. I'm very happy with my IUD, but i do use the one with out hormones, so just the regular copper T IUD not the Mirena. you might like the Mirena, as it gives you fewer periods but I'm a bit uncomfortable with that, seems to be a little too much messing with mother nature.

And since you're military it's free! (we're also military)

A. (mom to Olivia 4 and Andrew 8 mos)

what about asking your doctor about "marena"? i just saw a commercial for it and it says it can be removed at anytime. i'm not sure if this type of contraceptive interferes at all with breast feeding but it's worth asking about.
good luck!

L., I got the Mirena IUD and while it's been great... (no problems and no unplanned pregnancies) I am not a 1005 sure that it didn't interfere with my milk flow. I nursed my first for 9 months and my milk went away for this little guy at about 4 months... made no sense to me and I tried everything to keep it coming. Sharing this with you because Mirena advertizes that it DOES NOT affect milk production and I question that. so this is a red flag more than anything. Good luck!!

Paragard IUD. It is non hormonal. I love it. I had no nursing issues with it.

not that it will be a problem while nursing, but..
Some doctors like the Mirena (Hormonal IUD) better because it eliminates periods, while some complain of heavier bleeding and cramps during periods on Paragard. I have not had this problem & would prefer a non hormonal method over anything else. I hated the shot, forgot pills, and was cranky taking anything with progesterone in it. The IUD is great because you don't do anything after it is inserted. It is just 2 quick trips to the dr. One for an exam and to request the iud to be ordered and the 2nd for insertion, which is nothing different from a pap smear experience really. you can have it removed anytime. the paragard lasts 10yrs. the mirena 5yrs (i think). iuds prevent fertilization. ignore the ignorant who say it is like an abortion. it is not. ask your dr for the brochure.

my military insurance paid the hefty bill for the IUD which normally run about $300-500.

way to go for nursing! i did it for a total of 3 yrs and have very healthy girls. good luck in your decision making!

hey L.,
Theres a pill called nor b (i think) and it doesnt contain any estrogen just progestoren so it wont dry up your milk... it's made especially for breastfeeding mothers
Good luck!!
~C.

Just a few thoughts about the hormones we put into our own bodies and those we are putting into our children. Today's young women are getting their cycles earlier and earlier is there a connection? What about the birth control/breast cancer link? Are these hormones really necessary? Because you can learn NFP and understand all about how your body works and use this information to either conceive or avoid conception. The sympto-thermal method of NFP is highly effective and once you learn it is cheap and easy to use. A good resource is CCLI.org, yes it has a religious component that some will like and others will not, but you can just use the method and not read those parts of the book. They have a home study kit and they also have classes taught by certified instructors. It is SO much healthier in the long run, and there is a beauty to both you and your spouse understanding and respecting the amazing creation of the adult female body. I know many men who have a greater understanding about how the female body works then most women.

Have you considered an IUD? The copper one has no hormones and would be safe while nursing. IT's good for 5 years. I'm a midwife and have placed IUDs, and I can attest to their effectiveness. They are safe as well. Good luck.

Hi L.,

Can you go on the regular b/c pill while nursing? I don't know the question to this because it was never a problem for me. I have to take Clomid to conceive, so I never worried about birth control. How about staying on the mini pill and using condoms until you stop nursing? Is this an option? Hope you find a resolution.

I am also a military wife and mother of three....5 yrs. in March, 2.5 yrs., and 6 months. I live in Millersville and would love to meet another SAHM with children of the same age! Let me know if you'd like to do the same!

T.

Hi L.
Ask your doctor about Paraguard , it has no hormones which will not affect the baby.

I am not sure if you can have one while nursing but check into an IUD i have one and i love it!

I got the Mirena IUD and love it. You can get it removed when you are ready to have another baby. I've had no issues (and no period - yeah!) Good luck.

I got a paraguard in almost two months ago. My baby is just three months old now. Granted, DH and I haven't seen each other since New Years because of his job, but it hasn't interfered with breastfeeding and it hasn't thrown my hormones for a spin like even NuvaRing would. Though, if you don't have mood problems with hormonal bc, try NuvaRing. It's a small soft plastic ring you insert vaginally once a month. At the end of three weeks you remove it for a week, have your period and insert another. You don't feel it during sex, and my husband said he couldn't feel it either. I used it after my first starting at 4 weeks postpartum and had no issues with milk supply. That way when you're ready to have another you just stop inserting the rings each month. With my husband not being here and other support people not really there for me I knew I couldn't deal with the depression that the hormones cause me and deal with two under 3 alone.

You can also contact the La Leche League to see if there are any additional methods out there other than what's been mentioned below. (I had to go to them for my decreased milk supply, as my OB wasn't helpful.) Be sure to talk with your OB to find out which of the birth control options works best for you. I think there can be some difficulty getting pregnant again for a period of time after removing an IUD.

If you do notice a decrease in your supply, you can always take calcium and magnesium, and/or Fenugreek (herbal supplement). When my period started (my son was 9-10 months old), my supply diminished. I took 2000mg calcium citrate, 1000mg magnesium, and I also took Fenugreek (2 pills), per day. That really helped my supply, enough so that I was able to nurse my son until he weaned himself at 20 months, shortly after he outgrew his severe allergy to dairy.

Good luck!

Well, I'd say your stuck unless you're willing to use barrier contraceptives. The only oral contraceptive you can take and nurse at the same time is the mini pill. The others DO make your milk dry up because of the mixture of hormones. If you and your husband don't want to conceive any more children, consider him getting a vasectomy. If you do want more in the future but not now, go with a barrier like condoms.

Hi L.,
My doctor recommended the NuvaRing when I was in the same situation and it did not dry up my milk supply.
I still use it now that I'm no longer nursing because it is easy to use and I don't have to worry about remembering a pill everyday.

Hope this helps!

J.

My husband and I actually had to use condoms for a while.

Hi L.!! I am a military wife, too, sort of...my husband is full time National Guard. We did the 15 months in Iraq thing!! I have 3 kids also (all c-sections) - 9 year old boy, 7 year old girl and 16 month old boy. Can you guess when my husband was deployed??? Anyway, if I were you I would do a lot of research first. I don't like to take or use anything that affects hormones or disrupts my periods. I am just funny about that. I nursed all of mine for a year or more without getting pregnant by using Natural Family Planning. It takes some work to get used to at first but it is effective when used correctly and it allows your body to work naturally. If you combine that with condoms you will have no worries. NFP is not about being regular like many people believe. It is about knowing when you ovulate. Once you understand your body's signs there is little work involved. Once you are finished nursing, you can use anything. This is just another option to consider. Good luck with any choice you make.

Take care,
Z.

Wow - your children are very similar in age to mine! Why not just use condoms? Then you're not messing with your hormones and you can continue to nurse knowing your child is not getting anything "extra" :o)

Hi! I too am nursing a 5 month old. I have the Mirena iud and I absolutely love it. The Mirena is a progestin-only contraceptive which is generally considered safe for breastfeeding. Also the hormones are only in the uterus as opposed to circulating in your ystem making it even safer. I had mine put in at 8 weeks post partum so I didn't feel the procedure at all and I've had no ide effects at all. The best thing is no periods! You'll have some irregular bleeding/spotting for a few months but then AF totally goes away. And it can also be taken out at any time if you decide to TTC again.

Try an IUD. I had one prior to having my first child and loved it b/c it allowed me to have as close to 100% protection as possible and not be on hormones.

You coud try the Mirena IUD or the mini pill again. Just if you do the mini pill set an alarm to take it. It's important to take it at the almost exact same time daily...as if you didn't know that. ;)

I am currently using an IUD. It doesn't affect breastfeeding. I breastfeed my son until he was 6 months before I weaned him. You get little to no periods and you can keep it in for up to 5 years.

Breastfeeding normally acts as a birth control. If woman nurses her baby exclusively she generally will not get pregnent for 1 year or more. If you don't trust this could you use the diaphram, condom, or IUD? Ask your doctor for alternatives to the pill. Af

I'm nursing my second child, Eli 11 months. And Aiden I nursed until he was 14 months. And with both I used the mini pill. I know that there are many different mini pills you can take while nursing. Even if you start her on cereal she should still continue to nurse just as much. So really you shouldn't need to change your birth control but you could try a different brand then last time. There is no other birth control that is tested on breast feeding mothers even if your doctor recommends it, like the shot. But it if your that fertile you should suck it up and use condoms :( Sorry! I'm sure your doctor will have a pill that can be the solution. The most important thing is you should continue to nurse and try to not use formula. Its only a year in the scope of things.
Good luck!

Wow! I read some of your responses and I have the Mirena IUD too. I had it inserted after my 1st and breastfed him for a year. I had it removed when I wanted my second and was pregnant 2 weeks later. I am beyond fertile and my OB even called me Fertile Mertile! I have had no period in 3 1/2 because of being pregnant and the IUD. I love it! I have had no issues with milk supply with either of mine.
Two sons, Tristan (28 months) and Aidan (5 months)

I would suggest asking your doctor about Mirena
http://www.mirena-us.com/index.html?WT.srch=1

Mirena site doesn't say if it's safe to use while nursing. I have 2 friends who swear by the Mirena (one a nursing mom.) Ask lots of questions.
Good luck!!
M.
Mom of 3...(ages 19, 17 and 2.5 years)

We used an IUD and it worked great! I had it in for three years and just had it removed last month and I'm pregnant. It works very well. I am also fertile and have to be very careful, but it worked well for me. I used the hormonal one and had no trouble, but I've heard the copper one also worked well. I hope this helps.

Have you looked into Nuva Ring? It is a ring inserted once a month vaginally, so it supplies the hormones locally. I wonder if that would be an option that would not interfere with your milk. And if you mean your milk diminished (not completely dried up right away) then you can consider some dietary changes to increase your milk production. I know oatmeal was very helpful for me, and I cannot remember what other suggestions there are out there for diet...

Good luck!

I had an IUD between pregnancies. I loved it. Never had to think about it at all and my milk was fine. I'm planning on getting another one soon.

Get an IUD, the progesterone one, called the Minera. They implant it and after about a month, they check the placement and then you're good to go. Then once you decide you want to get pregnant again, they'll take it out. And, since it's a local hormone, there really isn't a lag like there can be with the pill. Also, on a plus, you rarely get periods on it. It lasts for up to 4-5 yrs, but can be taken out any time. I used mine for a year and now just had it taken out because we're going to use NFP to try to get pregnant. I bleed for 3-4 days when it came out and then my cycle was normal. It was great! Good luck!!

I have three kids. I was on the pill for 4 years in between my first and second, but knew I could never do that again. I also nursed my kids and when I had my last one.........June 2006......we wnated to make sure we didn't have an "accident". So my Doc suggested the "Merina"(IUD). I know you are probably thinking "IUD.....NO WAY". But it is super easy, and fool proof. It lasts 5 years, but you can take it out early if you wanted to, and still concieve. I have no more periods, they stopped about 6 months to a year after having it inserted. (I had it placed when my baby was 6 weeks old).I reccommend this to anyone and everyone, especially friends and family.......it is a Godsend!!!! Read up about it online. You can get a lot of info there. Don't read the bad stuff, not worth it..... it is so sfae now a days, and also perfectly fine when you are nursing, I breastfed for a year each!!! No bottles EVER! WaaHoo!! Anyhow, God Bless!!

You might read the book Natural Child Spacing. Natural family planning can be a very effective option and there are no side effects. If you decide to have another you will know your fertility signs so well that it will be easy.

Hello. I was on a birth control called Jolivette (Norethindrone) all the while I nursed and didn't find it to lessen the amount of milk I produced. My Dr. claimed this to be the only birth control I could take while nursing, and for me it worked.

Take Care, R.

After the birth of our second child, I asked my doctor what he would recommend. He suggested a hormone-free IUD. I continued nursing with no change whatsoever, and appreciated that the IUD didn't involve any of the stress of remembering to take a pill every day (not something I'm good at). I had the IUD taken out recently and am now four months pregnant with our third child. I suggest talking to your doctor about all of the pros and cons, and hope this gives you another option to consider.

Hi L...

Congratulations on being able to nurse!! I think it is such a special way to bond and fully support any Mom who is able to. I was not able to nurse either of my boys. My oldest couldn't figure out how to latch so I wound up pumping and bottle feeding him breastmilk. My youngest was 5 weeks early and spent some time in the NICU. By the time I was able to start nursing with him he was used to the bottle and wanted nothing to do with that big squishy thing I kept shoving in his face. So with him too I pumped and bottle fed him breastmilk. That has nothing to do with your question though! I'm not sure how you would feel about this but what about condoms?? I know it sounds weird - condoms with my husband???! But it is an alternative to oral bc. I have one very dear friend who cannot take oral bc because of certain side effects. She and her husband use condoms religiously. And now that she wants to get pregnant again, this would be her third, she doesn't have to worry about regulating her cycle or any of the side effects from coming off bc. If you don't feel comfortable using condoms then I'd say to talk to your OB or a lactation consultant or someplace like La Leche. I'm sure they'd be able to offer advice on what options are out there.

Best of luck to you!

K.

I also had a good experience with the Mirena IUD. I had it inserted at a military facility by a midwife after baby girl number 3. I was done with the pill after taking it for years and years! Talk to your OB about your options!

I just had baby #2 in November and my oldest was only 17 months!!! I was on the mini pill while nursing (I am horrible at taking the pill consitantly)when I got pregnant, I'm very fertile too. I just had an IUD put in a month ago and so far so good. I have a sister-in-law that has had one for over a year and raves about it. For me it seemed like the most effective birth control without risking losing my milk. Good Luck!