Choosing contraception when breastfeeding

When just giving birth and are breastfeeding, few people think about wanting to become pregnant. However, if you do have sex, you should find a suitable method of contraception while breastfeeding so you do not get pregnant again.

After birth, doctors recommend regular check-ups within 6 months to ensure your body recovers well. Your doctor will also ask you questions about family planning and give you some information to prevent pregnancy. Many couples often have sex again 6 weeks after birth and women can still get pregnant even while breastfeeding . Therefore, many people look for the right contraceptive method . However, the use of birth control pills can affect breast milk, so you want to choose another way of contraception depending on your preferences, medical history and cost.

There are many factors to consider when deciding which birth control method to choose. There are non-hormonal and hormonal contraception. You should discuss this with your doctor and husband before deciding which method to choose.

Method of amenorrhea during lactation (LAM)

Exclusive breastfeeding is not only the best thing you can do for your baby, it's also an effective contraceptive. To do this, you need to meet the following conditions:

Exclusive breastfeeding

The mother has not had her period since birth

Baby under 6 months old.

If the mother and baby meet the above conditions, the chance of getting pregnant is very low, less than 2%. When your baby stops breastfeeding and starts to eat other foods such as formula, and food, the mother's body prepares for the next pregnancy and the egg will begin to release. If you do not meet the above conditions, you should consider using other methods of birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Contraception during lactation does not involve hormones

There are many different types of birth control methods available, from simple using a condom to more complex like medication or surgery.

1. Diaphragm method

The barrier methods such as condoms , diaphragms, cervical caps ... are considered to be effective contraception. These methods do not contain any hormones, and therefore do not interfere with breast-feeding.

Doctors often recommend that you wait until the postpartum check is completed before inserting the contraceptive in the uterus. This helps to reduce the risk of infection. In addition, many women find that they need to change the size of the diaphragm or cervical cap due to pregnancy and childbirth, and vaginal and uterine changes.

2. IUD IUD

There are two types of IUDs : copper and hormone rings. The copper IUD helps prevent pregnancy effectively and does not affect breast milk. A ring is a small T-shaped copper coil that is inserted into your womb by your doctor.

The IUD works by preventing the sperm from swimming to reach the egg and fertilize it. A IUD is good for 10 years. When you want to get pregnant again, you can go to the obstetrician to have the IUD removed.

3. Sterilization

This is a method of permanent contraception by cutting the fallopian tube, which connects the ovary to the uterus. This will prevent the sperm from meeting the egg. This method does not affect breast-feeding. Many women use this method of contraception when they do not want to have more children.

Contraception during lactation involves hormones

Most hormonal birth control methods are safe and do not affect a newborn. However, many women worry that this method will affect the quality of breast milk.

Hormonal contraception often contains the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
When using this remedy, some women are breastfeeding without problems, while others run out of milk. Therefore, doctors will recommend progesterone-only methods.

1. Progestin-only pills (POPs)

POPs are like other birth control pills, but they only contain progesterone. There were no placebo pills or sugar pills on the pack. So all the pills you take will work. This method of contraception has little adverse effect on breastfeeding.

2. The contraceptive injection depo-provera

Depo-provera is an injectable contraceptive with each dose effectively preventing pregnancy for 3 months. Some women may be sensitive to progesterone, so before the injection, the doctor will give a pill containing progesterone 1-2 months to see if it affects breast milk.

3. The hormonal contraceptive ring

In addition to the copper ring there is also an hormonal contraceptive ring. These rings are usually coated with a progesterone layer that acts like POPs and the injectable depo-provera.

However, in some women, this hormone reduces milk supply. The hormonal contraceptive ring is usually effective for 3 - 5 years and can be easily removed if you want to become pregnant. Hormone-related birth control methods often do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases.

Give decision

Talk to your doctor about birth control. Your doctor can provide you with some helpful advice. Also, discuss it with your husband. Sterilization or IUD insertion is often not guaranteed and is quite expensive. In addition, this method has a long-term effect, so it is not suitable for couples who want to have more children in the future.

Other options such as condoms are often available at a low cost. However, these options also have certain risks. Finally, it is important to consider breastfeeding while using hormone-related birth control. If you experience a decrease in your milk production on progestin-only pills, find a way out. This may be a temporary situation only.