 Nursing mothers have several birth control options. You can use hormone birth control pills, injectable and implantable birth control methods, and nondrug methods such as condoms and diaphragms. Progesterone
Doctors often recommend progesterone-based birth control methods for nursing mothers. These include progestin-only birth control pills, Depo-Provera shots, and Norplant implants. Progesterone-based forms of birth control do not decrease the quantity or quality of breast milk. It is generally recommended that you wait at least six weeks after giving birth before using any of these birth control methods. Progestin-only birth control pills, also called “minipills,” are a good choice for nursing mothers. Examples of minipills include Micronor, >Nor-Q.D., and >Ovrette. Minipills are almost 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy for nursing women, since the act of breastfeeding also provides added protection against pregnancy. You must take minipills at the same time each day. If you take a pill more than three hours late, you can increase your risk of getting pregnant. Avoid birth control pills that contain estrogen, since they may reduce milk production. Injectable or implantable forms of birth control for women include >Depo-Provera and Norplant. They contain the hormone progesterone. Depo-Provera is given every three months. Norplant is a system that releases progesterone from small implants that your doctor inserts under the skin on the inside of the upper arm. It is effective for five years. Both Depo-Provera and Norplant are more than 99 percent effective. Barrier methods and spermicide
Nondrug birth control methods include barrier devices such as >condoms, diaphragms, and cervical caps, as well as >spermicide. You can buy condoms and spermicide without a prescription. Diaphragms and cervical caps require a prescription from your doctor. Condoms are available for both men and women. When used properly, male condoms are 98 percent effective and female condoms are 95 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.
You can use spermicides alone or with a barrier method. Vaginal spermicides are available in the form of gel, foam, suppositories, and film. Spermicides are inserted into the vagina before intercourse and - when used as directed - are 94 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. When used with spermicidal jelly, diaphragms are more than 90 percent effective. Cervical caps, when used with spermicidal jelly, are 90 percent effective for women who have not had children, but are only 75 percent effective for women who have given birth.
Talk to your doctor to find out which form of birth control is right for you. Sources:
Contraceptive Technology. Ardent Media, 1998.
Dickey, R.P. Managing Contraceptive Pill Patients. EMIS Inc., 1998.
Tankeyoon, M. “Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives on Milk Volume and Infant Growth. WHO Special Programme of Research, Development: Research Training in Human Reproduction Task Force on Oral Contraceptives.” Contraception 30 (1984).
Klebanoff, Mark. “The Interval between Pregnancies and the Outcome of Subsequent Births,” New England Journal of Medicine. 340 (1999).
This answer prepared 6/19/01.
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