What birth control is safe to use while breastfeeding?

Taking care of a baby is hard work. As much as we love our little ones, we sometimes desire to hold off on making new little ones a while without impacting our ability to nurse.
Technically speaking, all forms of contraception are safe to use while breastfeeding. Combined hormonal (estrogen-progesterone) contraception has been implicated in affecting milk supply so these modes of contraception are generally discouraged for the first few months after birth of a new child.
Breastfeeding itself can be a form of birth control. This phenomenon is called the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM). With perfect use, pregnancy prevention rate for this method approaches approximately 95-98%. “Perfect use”, however, is tricky with LAM and has a very distinct window. LAM requires the breastfed baby be less than 6 months old and exclusively breastfed a minimum of 6 times a day. This form of birth control generally lasts for only 6 months.
If you are concerned about the impact of contraception on your milk supply, other options are progesterone only pills, Depo-Provera, sub-dermal implants like Nexplanon, or intrauterine devices like Mirena, Skyla, Kyleena, or Paragard.
Please call and schedule your next appointment to discuss what family planning options are best for you.