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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

which is the best and safest contraception to use while breastfeeding ?

16 replies

theboob · 12/10/2009 18:54

my DD is 4 weeks old now and i'm starting to think about contraception but have no idea what is safe , any advice please ?

OP posts:

TheMummyonElkStreet · 12/10/2009 18:59

well the obvious answer is....
abstinence!!! ha ha ha ha but i clearly joke, it's only cos your question asked for a slightly cheesy answer!! sorry !!

Right so the mini-pill is an option i think but someone else with more knowledge will no doubt come on and tell you more about those.
I had a coil (not Mirena, just a normal copper coil) for over a year and found it no trouble at all - didn't hurt to go in, definitely didn't feel it when i went to have it out a year later (am 17wks pg now) and would do it again. Think the thing with Mirena coil is it has hormones in it too which can help your periods regulate and less painful etc, but tbh i didn't have any probs with my periods and didn't want any more hormones raging!!
GP very helpful when i went to discuss this - worth asking them too.

anothercoldcupoftea · 12/10/2009 19:17

I was on the mini pill after DD1, is meant to be fine, but GP can confirm for you. They didn't recommend a coil if I was planning to have another child quite soon (mainly due to the hassle factor for them to fit it I guess). As it happened, I got pregnant after stopping the pill immediately, without a period, and still breastfeeding, so be careful!

PS extremely impressed that you're thinking about this after only 4 weeks!

Northernlurker · 12/10/2009 19:24

The mini pill is fine. I actually used it happily for ten years and only got pregnant when I wanted to You do have to be careful with taking it and if you miss one it's a fortnight of abstinence or condoms before you're safe again. I found it suited me ok (after a little bit of irregular bleeding when I started it) and so I just stuck with it.

Original poster

theboob · 12/10/2009 19:45

thank you all for the advice but with 4DC there is no way on god's green earth i will remember to take it
the deed has already been done (with a condom) I thought 4 weeks was a long time
will make an apt with GP

OP posts:

Northernlurker · 12/10/2009 19:55

I always took it at 11pm(ish) you do have a three hour window. Keeping it on my bedside table was fairly effective. Or you could try writing 'pill' on the ceiling above your bed.

If you have four would you be thinking of a more [ahem] permanent solution shortly do you think?

Original poster

theboob · 12/10/2009 20:05

oh god nothing sniped I dont feel finished yet

OP posts:

ramblingmum · 12/10/2009 20:08

If you are worried about missing the pill you could ask your Dr about longer acting methods. Depo-provera is an injection given every 3 months and there is also an implant (can't remember the name)which lasts for 3 years. They both contain progesterone only like the mini pill so are ok when breastfeeding.
I have depo-provera as I'm hopeless at remembering pills

traceybath · 12/10/2009 20:09

I'm on the new mini-pill cerazette which has 12 hours lee way.

Am also bf.

vvvodka · 12/10/2009 20:10

abstinence

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 13/10/2009 08:02

The mini pill didn't agree with my post baby hormones and sent me a bit loopy. We now use condoms which is absolutely fine for us. If you don't mind hormonal BC then the injection is probably the one for you, only 3 months in case you don't like it and safe with BF.

slushy06 · 13/10/2009 09:42

I can not take the pill and did not like the idea of coils I dont like condoms long term as they tend to snap on me hence ds1 so I have a diaphram it worked for me for 3 years and when I stopped using it I got pg straight away I find it great 2 secs to put in and you cant feel it as much as condoms.

1stMrsF · 13/10/2009 21:30

I take cerazette (did before TTC too) and have just got a referral from the GP to get the implant as it has the same hormone as cerazette. Lasts for 3 years.

Cosmogirl · 13/10/2009 22:05

I tried mini pill at about 7 weeks post-birth - started bleeding immediately and it went on for ages. I got really fed up with it so stopped taking it. Stopped bleeding straight away and haven't had a period or bleeding since (DD now 6.5 months and exclusively BF)..It is great not having periods or bleeding but having to use condoms as contraception which is not ideal but ok I guess (DD is a pretty effective contraceptive at the mo!). Going to stick with them until finished feeding then go back on the combined pill.

Sidge · 13/10/2009 22:54

Condoms
Progesterone only pill
Depo-provera
Copper coil
Mirena coil
Implant

Original poster

theboob · 14/10/2009 16:22

thankyou for all your advice, i'm going to have the implant, my hv said i could not have it , but other advice says i can

OP posts:

stillstanding · 14/10/2009 16:26

We used condoms - grim indeed but what I felt I could live with.

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