Birth Control Patch and Breastfeeding?

Question

I was wondering if any one has gotten on the birth control patch after giving birth and if it had any side effects towards breastfeeding. My dr wants me to get the shot, but when I got on it before I bled the whole 3 months and gained alot of weight. Any input on the patch would be appreciated!

Answer 1

Depo-provera isn't safe for anyone ever, even the company itself says not to use it for more than 2 years because of all the side effects like loss of bone density

Estrogen containing birth control is unsafe because it reduces supply in most women.  Of all the estrogen containing medications the patch (particularly the US one) has the highest level of side effects.  Because it has that much estrogen it also is more likely to cause heart attack, stroke, etc.  

http://kellymom.com/health/meds/birthcon...

Combination contraceptives

It's recommended that any estrogen-containing contraceptive be avoided until baby is at least six months old AND after baby is well-established on solid foods.

Combination contraceptives contain both progesterone and estrogen and come in several different forms:

    * The combination birth control pill (Alesse, Yasmin, Seasonale, Mircette, Loestrin, Lo/ovral, Demulen, Desogen, Nordette, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Triphasil, Norinyl, Ortho-Novum, Ovral, etc.)

    * the monthly injection (Lunelle)

    * the birth control patch (Ortho Evra)

    * the vaginal ring (NuvaRing).

Milk supply: Estrogen-containing contraceptives have been linked to low milk supply and a shorter duration of breastfeeding even when started when baby is older, after milk supply is well established. Not all mothers who take contraceptives containing estrogen will experience a low milk supply, but these unaffected mothers appear to be a very small minority.

Safety: Both progestin (progesterone) and estrogen are approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for use in breastfeeding mothers. See below for additional information on side effects related to lactation.

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Side effects related to lactation

Milk supply: As noted above, hormonal birth control pills (particularly those containing estrogen) have the potential to decrease milk supply, sometimes dramatically.

Effects on baby: There have been no adverse reports of side effects to the baby. Both progestin and estrogen are approved by the AAP for use by nursing moms. Children whose mothers used hormonal birth control while nursing have been followed as late as 17 years of age. The exception to this is the very young baby - less than 6 weeks old. There may be some concern about the baby's immature liver being able to metabolize the hormones passed through the milk well enough.

Any hormonal birth control may cause fussiness in the baby (not reported in the literature but often anecdotally by mothers). This may be due to the hormones causing a minimal decrease in the protein/nitrogen/lactose content of the milk. Some mothers have reported marked improvement in their baby's degree of fussiness once they come off hormonal birth control.

Effects on mother: If you had gestational diabetes during pregnancy, talk to your doctor about the safety of using the mini-pill while breastfeeding. A 1998 study conducted at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles (Kjos SL, et al. Contraception and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Latina women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus. JAMA. 1998 Aug 12;280(6):533-8.) indicated that for certain women, taking the mini-pill while breastfeeding may increase the risk of chronic, non-insulin-dependent diabetes. This study of more than 900 Latinas found that those who had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and then took mini-pills while breastfeeding had an almost threefold risk of developing type II diabetes within a year, compared with those who used different contraception. This study concentrated on Hispanic women, and thus it is not clear whether the results can be applied to all ethnic groups. Other, smaller studies on the mini-pill did not show any increased rates of diabetes, so more research in needed on this subject.

  

Answer 2

ugh, skip the shot. Its awful. The patch is like any other hormonal birth control, it will cause a slight decrease in milk, so I would wait until your supply is well established to start it

Answer 3

The patch would end up putting hormones into your system to keep you from getting pregnant, therefor that would greatly hinder your milk production. Look into an IUC/IUD. They can last up to 10 years depending on the one you get, and don't affect anything but your uterus. I breastfed very successfully with this.

Answer 4

anything with estrogen can lower your supply so I would not suggest the patch.  You could try a mini pill, depo, or an IUD.  I have the Merina IUD and love it.