Contraception for Breastfeeding when you have PCOS

[allfurcoatnoknickers]

Has anyone with PCOS found a good contraception for breastfeeding? I took the mini-pill with baby #1 and it was a disaster - developed ovarian cysts so bad that I landed in hospital when one ruptured and suffered terrible flooding whenever I had periods. It also gave me horrible and painful cystic acne.

I'm planning on breastfeeding baby #2 too, but would really appreciate any suggestions for contraception that won't exacerbate PCOS symptoms, or recommendations on how to keep symptoms under control while nursing.

Following as interested. We just switched to condoms after DD#1 until we started ttc #2 but interested for after (hopefully) dc#2 comes along!

@YorkshireTeaCup I would just do condoms, but they don't help with the PCOS symptoms and mine are truly terrible. I look and feel like a totally different person when they're not under control.

Yes, agreed. The endocrinologist just told me to go onto the combined pill after we finish our family for the PCOS symptoms but its been a horrible couple of years since DD was born and keen not to repeat it again until i can start on the combined pill.

Breastfeeding itself seems to really help my PCOS symptoms. I get much reduced hair growth while BFing and less tendency to gain weight. No periods or bleeding at all unless I don't breastfeed for 24 hours. So we just use condoms not exactly swinging from the chandeliers anyway with a 3 year old and a 1 year old

Have you tried not using any hormonal contraception and seeing what your symptoms are like while breastfeeding? Sorry if I've misunderstood, but it sounds like you went on the mini pill soon after having your first baby so you don't know what things would be like without any contraception?

@89redballoons I went on the mini-pill at 6 weeks pp, so only did a few weeks without any contraception, when I was flooded with post-birth hormones anyway.

I think I was (am?) just really nervous to be off the pill because my period and PCOS symptoms are so horrendous, but then, they were life-wrecking on the mini-pill, so being off the pill and using condoms could definitely be worth trying.