{"id":5501,"date":"2019-11-15T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=5501"},"modified":"2021-03-30T17:25:31","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T21:25:31","slug":"birth-control-after-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/birth-control-after-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about birth control after pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Becoming a new parent can be overwhelming, especially for new moms: You\u2019ve just undergone a major physical transformation (and major abdominal surgery, if you underwent a C-section). You\u2019re probably sleep-deprived and in pain. On top of that, you\u2019re now completely responsible for a brand-new human being who probably finds the whole thing just as nerve-wracking as you do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Suffice to say, you\u2019ve got a lot on your mind. However, there is one important thing you may want to consider: birth control. Whether you think of yourself as one-and-done or you plan to give your baby a sibling in the future, some form of birth control will probably play an important role in your near future. Below, a few things experts want you to know about it:<\/span><\/p>\n

You can get pregnant again\u2014even if you\u2019re breastfeeding.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cSo many new moms think, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m nursing, so I can\u2019t get pregnant,’ but it\u2019s definitely not true,\u201d says Alyssa Dweck, MD, a New York-based OB-GYN. OB-GYN Mary Jane Minkin, MD, agrees, saying that \u201cit happens all the time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, the myth of breastfeeding as birth control is just that\u2026 a myth. The confusion may stem from the fact that if you\u2019re nursing, you may not get your period until you stop; however, technically, you\u2019re still ovulating. If you\u2019re not looking to get pregnant again immediately, you\u2019ll definitely want to stock up on some form of birth control after pregnancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that experts recommend you space out your pregnancies; the <\/span>Mayo Clinic notes<\/span><\/a> that getting pregnant within six months of giving birth may increase your risk of premature birth, placental abruption, and low birth weight in babies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the best birth control options while breastfeeding?<\/span><\/h2>\n

You may want to avoid estrogen-containing pills. Why? Both Dr. Minkin and Dr. Dweck caution that estrogen can decrease your milk supply, so if you\u2019re exclusively nursing, a better option may be progesterone-only pills, which \u201cwon\u2019t dry up your milk supply, and are perfectly safe and healthy for lactating moms,\u201d Dr. Dweck says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nexplanon is a set-it-and-forget it form of progesterone-only contraception. It is implanted in your upper arm and is effective for three years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

None of these options sounding quite right? You might want to consider a barrier method, such as condoms or a diaphragm. You have a plethora of healthy, safe options.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>How hormonal birth control can affect breastfeeding<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

How soon can you get birth control after having a baby?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Does the idea of taking a pill every day make you break out into a cold sweat? Dr. Minkin says the IUD can be a great alternative. \u201cThey can be put in right after delivery, too,\u201d she adds. If you\u2019re a mom-to-be who\u2019s reading and know that the IUD is right for you, it may be worth talking to your doctor about whether it\u2019d be possible to schedule an insertion after labor. The IUD comes in two forms: progesterone-only (Mirena<\/a>, Liletta<\/a>) and non-hormonal (the Paragard) and are good for up to five and 10 years, respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

It (mostly) comes down to lifestyle preferences.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

However, there are a couple of important exceptions: one, moms who\u2019ve been diagnosed with postpartum depression (PPD) or another mood disorder \u201cmay do better avoiding methods that deliver a substantial amount of progesterone to the bloodstream, like the Depo-Provera<\/a> shot or the progesterone-only pill,\u201d Dr. Minkin says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>2016 study<\/span><\/a> that studied more than a million Danish women found that there may be an association between hormonal birth control and depression, with \u201chigher risks being associated with progesterone-only forms of birth control, including the IUD,\u201d Monique Tello, MD, <\/span>wrote at Harvard Health Publishing<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another one: If you suffered from preeclampsia (high blood pressure) during pregnancy, you\u2019ll want to avoid combination birth control (pills that contain both estrogen and progesterone), Dr. Dweck says, \u201cbecause it can worsen high blood pressure.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let this scare you off! Be honest with your doctor about any symptoms you might experience, and he or she can help you come up with a postpartum birth control option that\u2019s right for you\u2014and once that\u2019s out of the way, you\u2019ll have more time to spend cuddling your newborn bundle of joy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Becoming a new parent can be overwhelming, especially for new moms: You\u2019ve just undergone a major physical transformation (and major abdominal surgery, if you underwent a C-section). You\u2019re probably sleep-deprived and in pain. On top of that, you\u2019re now completely responsible for a brand-new human being who probably finds the whole thing just as nerve-wracking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[4783,8970,8615],"coauthors":[9174],"class_list":["post-5501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-education","tag-birth-control","tag-breastfeeding","tag-pregnancy","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBirth control after pregnancy: A guide for new moms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The myth that you can\u2019t get pregnant while breastfeeding is just that: a myth. 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