Can't get pregnant when breastfeeding? Or the pill - Micronor?

[nikkibaby]

I just wondered if anyone had any experience of taking the pill whilst breastfeeding? I went to see my dr today and she said that if I am exclusively breastfeeding I shouldn't need any contraception as you can't get pregnant. I was a bit dubious about this as I definitely don't want another baby yet. So she has put me on the mini pill, Micronor. How ever I have read that it can lower your milk supply? Is this true? Also I don't want to continuously bleed as when I was on a different type of mini pill this happened

 

[Maud]

I don't know about the effects of the mini pill, but I'm shocked your doctor said you couldn't get pregnant while breastfeeding! How does she think people end up tandom feeding! It's all over the NHS literature that you must use contraception even if breastfeeding so it's worrying that she clearly hasn't read any of it!

 

[wenchytoots]

I think BFding can delay ovulation starting again, but you can def get pregnant. I got pregnant with my 4th while BFding and on the minipill. I never had any problems with milk supply on the minipill. My cycles were really irregular though on the minipill, shortest being 14 days and longest being 38 days. The short ones were a nightmare cause I missed a lot of my baby swimming lessons. x

 

[Tigger87]

There are certain criteria that make breastfeeding as reliable as condoms. You have to be ONLY breastfeeding (no solids, or bottles - even expressed milk), no more than 4 hours in the day and 6 hours at night I think. And only up to 6 months. Research it if your going to rely on it though!!

As far as I'm aware, the only non hormonal contraception aside from condoms is the copper coil. I've had one for 6 months that was recently removed, no problems at all. Not painful to insert or remove, but I've had no periods because of bf!! X

 

[TaffyRose1]

My mum conceived my brother whilst exclusively bf me, I was only 5 months old so it can definitely happen. I went on the mini pill while breastfeeding and it didn't lower my milk supply at all (not sure which one i was put on though) but after a few months I started to bleed continuously so came off it. I then just tracked ovulation until going back on microgynon when I'd stopped bf xxx

 

[dingdongbaby]

My gp said exactly the same, but specified it's only as reliable as the pill whilst feeding every 3.5 hours (or more frequently).

He said if you go longer than 3.5 hours between feeds, or if you satisfy your babies urge to suck with anything else (bottle, dummy etc.) it can't be relied on at all as you will ovulate but won't know when as you won't have a normal period.

We're done with our 2 little ones and I can't go back on my regular pill while I'm bf so we're using condoms.

 

[HL28]

I was ebf, no more than 3 hrs between feeds day and night, no periods and fell pregnant when lo was 4 months. I used femulen mini pill while still feeding and after actually xxx

 

[Lisajo5]

I'm on the pill and breastfeeding now, also my brother and wife feel pregnant when breastfeeding as they thought they couldn't get pregnant!

 

[BunnyN]

BFing can be quite effective if you follow some basic rules. Most, though not all, of the women who get pregnant while BFing don't realise their are strict criteria to making it work. Of course you CAN still get pregnant even if you floolw the rules but no form of contraception is 100%, I have several friends who got pregnant on the pill. We did not use any other form of contraception as I was confident enough in BFing for the first 6 months and then we wanted another baby anyway. It took me almost a year to get pregnant again. The adverage to return to fertility is 14 months I think but it can't be relied on past 6 months.

 

[tiyashrivastha]

Yes, You can. While breastfeeding you are less fertile, but not infertile. Although you may not menstruate for months after giving birth, your body usually releases its first postpartum egg before you get your first period.

 

[BunnyN]

Yes, You can. While breastfeeding you are less fertile, but not infertile. Although you may not menstruate for months after giving birth, your body usually releases its first postpartum egg before you get your first period.

This partly depends on how soon your periods start. Women who start their periods before 6 months often won't ovulate first.

To use BFing as a contraceptive google LAM (Lactational amenorrhea method).

 

[cornishfairy]

I've been pumping and bottle feeding on demand (so basically breastfeeding on demand - no formula) and after bleeding for weeks after the birth, I had a week off and then my first period! I was worried in case it was something bad but two docs checked me over and took samples and said it was a period. It's just finished. I started the mini pill a week ago as although we haven't braved dtd yet, I didn't want to risk getting caught out and the docs both said you can get pregnant even when exclusively bf. I know they say if you feed/pump regularly including through the night it should keep your periods away but it hasn't worked for me so I'd say definitely better to be safe than sorry! X

 

[KGmommaofOK]

BEWARE OF MICRONOR!
I know everyone is different, but just beware this pill!!

With this pill there can be negative effects. I started this pill in Sept 2012 after I gave birth to my second child. I took it for almost 1 year, the entire time I breastfed him and didn't have a period at all. I then stopped taking the pill in June 2013 because my hubby and I wanted another child. It is now November 2014 and I still haven't been able to concieve. I was told be a nurse that the pill can build up a lining on your uterus and it can take 1-1/2 years to shed it. Because your body doesn't have a period your old stuff doesn't have a place to go and just builds up. And to top it off, the pills made me stop producing eggs. I had to be put on Provera (Not DEPO) so that it would help me produce progesterone and I would start making eggs again. So be wary of this pill. I will never as long as I live take another birth control pill again. This pill messed me up so bad!! It has been about 1-1/2 years since I stopped taking them. I am currently 4 days late with negative tests.

I'm hoping to be pregnant, but not banking on it because Feb 2014 was when I didn't have a period at all and my body had stopped making eggs so I couldn't concieve then. I'm praying that this isn't the case this time. I don't wanna have to go back on pills to make me ovulate and make eggs again.