birthcontrol while breastfeeding and weight loss/gain

mdaniella
mdaniella Posts: 42 Member
edited September 23 in Motivation and Support
Is it safe taking a normal birthcontrol such as nortrel with hormones instead of taking the mini pill with no hormones. I was taking the mini pill and going to my OBGYN but just switched to a new office and the nurse insisted on me taking the normal birthcontrol and said the doctor said it's fine( couldn't talk to doctor). I ended up getting a 3 month supply..but I really don't want to take it if I'm breast feeding..since my original doctor said it was best to take the mini pill. I'm all sorts of confused about it and on top of that she said i can gain up to 20 lbs by switching!! Any one have any suggestions? I would switch back to my reg. doctor but it's 150$ every visit and right now i have no insurance which totally sucks.

Replies

  • lgeren
    lgeren Posts: 45
    I breastfed both of my kids & I was always told to take the mini pill and that any other form of birth control pill would decrease & possibly eliminate altogether my milk supply. I would be insistent on continuing the mini pill no matter what the nurse says.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Meh... it depends on how old your baby is. The pill may cause issues with supply, but if your baby is at least 6 months old and getting established with solid foods, most birth control pills are considered to be safe for nursing moms. Here's some info from Kellymom:

    http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/birthcontrol.html

    Basically, if it's a progesterone pill, you're probably ok. Find out what hormone is in your specific pill, and that should help you determine whether it's safe. There's a chart at the bottom of that article that lists safety levels of some of the specific pills. Hope that helps!
  • ✿KẙMb529✿
    ✿KẙMb529✿ Posts: 152
    I was hesitant to take anything while breastfeeding, so we used good old fashioned condoms for around the first year of our son's life. To answer your question, the mini pill is what my doctors were recommending while breastfeeding.
  • mdaniella
    mdaniella Posts: 42 Member
    my daughter turned 4 months on the 12th.. I think I might just go back to my original doctor and save this 3 month supply till after I'm done since i'd rather be safe than sorry.. We use condoms/birth control just to be safe :) don't need another baby until we buy our house/get more established. hopefully we find out monday if its a yes or no.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    my daughter turned 4 months on the 12th.. I think I might just go back to my original doctor and save this 3 month supply till after I'm done since i'd rather be safe than sorry.

    That's what I would do. If it was working for you before, why mess with a good thing? :)
  • aurorathunder
    aurorathunder Posts: 11
    It's a supply issue. After I had my first my doctor gave me Ortho Tricyclen because it's what I had been on previously and done well with. It made a huge difference in my supply. It was okay at first, but the longer I took it the harder it was to keep it up. By about 3 months I could hardly product any milk and I am naturally a heavy supplier.
  • mdaniella
    mdaniella Posts: 42 Member
    oh wow. that worries me..i mean i have a bunch now and i'm not sure when i will stop but i don't just want to end up with none. Did anyone GAIN weight while taking birth control? I personally have never taken any type besides the mini pill..so while trying to loose weight I would be upset if i ended up gaining the up to 20lbs the nurse was saying.
  • lgeren
    lgeren Posts: 45
    I never gained weight while on the mini pill with either. As a matter of fact, I lost weight. But then again I was overweight before I got pregnant with both kids & pregnancy and breastfeeding were the best weight loss program I had. Hehe. But to answer your question honestly, no i never gained weight while breastfeeding.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    oh wow. that worries me..i mean i have a bunch now and i'm not sure when i will stop but i don't just want to end up with none. Did anyone GAIN weight while taking birth control? I personally have never taken any type besides the mini pill..so while trying to loose weight I would be upset if i ended up gaining the up to 20lbs the nurse was saying.

    I gained weight on the pill, BUT I don't know if it was because of the pill or because I started taking it at the same time that I stopped nursing my son. Could have been either, or both. Weight gain is a common side effect though, due to the hormones you're putting into your body. I would discuss it with your doctor.
  • aurorathunder
    aurorathunder Posts: 11
    I always lost weight on the pill, but that may have been from something else that I was unaware of at the time.
  • deidrec
    deidrec Posts: 6 Member
    I would not continue to see a doctor who allows a nurse to make decisions. I also will not see a doctor who does not give me 5 minutes to answer a question. period.
  • cc_campbell81
    cc_campbell81 Posts: 622
    I have to echo what others said. I was on the mini pill and switched to a regular pill and within a month or two couldn't breastfeed anymore because I couldn't keep my supply up. There is an herb/supplement you can take to help keep your supply up. I forget what it is though. When it happened to me I was really upset because I felt the doctor showed little concern for my desire to breastfeed. You may want a second opinion if your doctor isn't taking the time to ensure you are aware of the risks. I noticed your husband is mil not sure if you are being seen on base. I am mil too and sometimes I feel mil doctors don't take enough time to address our issues. If it's important to you make sure you're getting good care. Good luck.
  • givprayz
    givprayz Posts: 328
    I was a nurse-midwife, and I never gave nursing mom's pills with estrogen in them until the baby was taking foods and drinking from a sippy cup. Hold off on the combo-pills. As for the weight thing, progesterone is actually the hormone more likely to cause weight-gain, but it is by no means impossible to lose weight while on any hormone or combination. If a particular pill makes you hold water, or feel hungry all of the time, then try another pill. There are dozens of formulations because different pills work better for different people.
    And BTW, YAY you for breastfeeding and not backing down!
  • Kalee34
    Kalee34 Posts: 674 Member
    My pharmacist said that he would not recommend regular birth control if you are nursing a girl. He said that if you are nursing a boy it should be ok.
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