Having a baby is an exciting time, especially when bonding over breastfeeding. Every woman produces different amounts of milk, but how does preventing another baby affect your milk supply?
Choosing a birth control option that's effective in preventing pregnancy and is also safe for your baby and your milk seems challenging, but you have a few options. The Collaborative Women's Care team offers various types of birth control at their office in Miami, Florida.
Dr. Eduardo Valdes is our experienced OB/GYN, helping you through every stage of pregnancy and providing you with the information you need to decide on birth control.
Many women choose to go on birth control after having a baby to prevent another pregnancy – but is it safe for you, the baby, and your milk supply? Good news: you can take birth control after having a baby, but you should be selective in which option you choose.
We don't recommend starting birth control until six weeks after giving birth because you shouldn't have sex until that time. Those six weeks allow your body to regulate hormones, enable you to acclimate to the baby, and establish your milk supply.
When you're ready to start birth control again, all options are safe, even if you're breastfeeding. We discuss your needs, goals, and medical history to determine the best birth control option for you and your baby.
Some of the birth control options you have include the IUD, hormonal pills or ring, and the shot. Other non-hormonal options are condoms, a diaphragm, and a cervical cap with spermicide.
After establishing a breastfeeding schedule, you may worry about how hormonal birth control affects your milk supply – and you're right to do so. Some forms of hormonal birth control decrease your milk supply, which isn't great for you or the baby.
Before choosing a birth control option, talk to us about your goals for breastfeeding. Even after establishing your milk supply, added hormones may cause less milk production.
The biggest threat to your milk supply is hormonal birth control that's high in estrogen. We recommend choosing an option that's progestin-only or using a nonhormonal form of birth control.
It's also important to take the first six weeks to allow your body to establish a breastfeeding routine and milk supply to prevent issues when starting birth control. It would be best if you still considered using options other than estrogen to prevent pregnancy and a decreased milk supply.
One of the best nonhormonal options for pregnancy prevention is the copper IUD. It doesn't contain estrogen or progestin but effectively prevents pregnancy as soon as we insert it.
Copper is a natural spermicide that prevents sperm from getting to an egg. It thins the uterine lining to prevent implantation just in case a sperm gets by. Copper is toxic to sperm, and the IUD is 99% effective in pregnancy prevention.
The best aspect of the copper IUD is that it lasts up to 10 years. If you're done having children, it's a great long-term, highly effective option.
Other nonhormonal options include condoms, diaphragms, and cervical caps. However, wait until your first postpartum checkup to insert a cervical cap or diaphragm, as you may require a different size to prevent pregnancy successfully.
To schedule an appointment for birth control, call our office in Miami, Florida, and request an appointment using our convenient online booking feature.
