Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo

I worked in OB/GYN for many years and we did not prescribe 'regular' birth control pills to breastfeeding moms. You should be on estrogen only pills. I would ask you OB for birth control options and also consider finging a new family doctor.

i have not taken this while breastfeeding. When it was time for me to start BC my OBGYN said the only two that were safe was the DEPO and Micro-nor. I chose the micro-nor and have been taking it just under a year and have had no problems. good luck
judi

This is a very important topic and something you definelty need to discuss with a Doctor. I recommend seeing an OB/GYN. OB/GYNs are specialists and should be able to spend more time with you and answer questions.

:)
S. V
www.trueharmonywellness.com
www.trueharmony.typepad.com

Ask your DR about an IUD. I have the Mirena IUD and it's safe while breastfeeding. Here is a link that I found that other mom's that have an IUD and are breastfeeding.

What about an I.U.D.? A friend of mine swears by them! If you think your do is wrong get a second opinion, always trust your instincts!

I know "they" say that BC is safe while breastfeeding, but I don't trust that they know the long-term effects of the hormones the babies are receiving. Against my better judgment, I did go on the pill (can't remember which one) at one point when I was breastfeeding my son, and my milk started to dry up. I practiced the Fertility Awareness Method, which is not for everyone. I think if you can do the IUD, go for it.

I tried Depo before I had my third. I had EVERY possible side effect you could have from it. Every one. I finally just went back to the pill. Later, while I was breastfeeding my third child, I also went on OTC lo and amazingly I began to have all of the same side effects I had while taking Depo. Apparently it's pretty much the same thing as Depo, so I had to stop taking it and find another form of birth control until after I stopped breastfeeding and could go back to the regular pill.

I'm obviously not a doctor, but my guess is that if you reacted negatively to Depo, you will react the same way to OTC lo. You may want to find some other form of birth control until after you stop breastfeeding and you can go back to whatever you were using before. Best wishes!

Hello! Taking ortho-try-cyclen lo while breast feeding does not sound right at all. I am not a Dr. but I have breastfed both of my boys and was prescribed the minipill both times. The minipill is specifically for women who are breastfeeding. I would call your Dr. and see if he can give you a prescription for it. If he doesn't want to, then try calling your PCP and see what they say.

Hi C.,
I have used Ortho Try Lo while breastfeeding both of my children and it worked great for me. I had no side affects and I have continued to use it ever since (my youngest just turned 6). Hope this helps and good luck with your little one!

I would go on the FDA website and follow those suggestions. I have had doctors in the past tell me that this or that drug was ok to take while breastfeeding and the drug was not approved for it so I didn't take it. I wouldn't do it. Why put your baby at risk. You can sustain from Sex while breastfeeding. I think that your husband would understand. I only breast fed my kids till they were a year old. There are other ways to be close without the risk of pregnacy.

The problem with this BC is that it contains estrogen which lowers your milk supply. It won't hurt the baby, but it may make it difficult for you to produce enough milk. Have you considered taking a progestin only pill??

I don't know about bc while bf'ing, but my advice would be to trust the research you're doing online. Bf'ing is too precious and valuable for your little one to risk jeophardizing the relationship.

For natural B/C, have you read "Taking Charge of your Fertility" by Toni Weschler? It's fantastic at helping you understand your body, and choosing when to be pregnant! There's even a chapter on using the method during bf'ing.

Good Luck!

I did not use any kind of BC when I had to worry about having children. This is my form of BC, and I only had 1 child, I would douch with the warmest water I could stand right after making love. It worked for 13 years.

I too am a breastfeeding mom. I wanted birthcontrol but did not want any hormones. I have IUD that lasts for 10 years and has no hormones. It can also be taken out at anytime when you are ready to have another child. They say it is great for breastfeeding moms. I love it! The only complication I had with it was a little cramping after it was put in but not anything worse then a like a menstral cramp. Maybe it might be a good option for you.

Hi!

I just switched to the ortho low after I FINISHED breastfeeding! The hormones that are in this pill are not what you need while breastfeeding. I took the generic Erinn pill while nursing and had absolutely no side effects, no weight gain, moodiness, etc...

Good luck!

I was on Orthotricyclen Lo - had problems with spotting, heavy cramps, mood spikes, depression. We got off of it and decided to have another baby - I was pregnant on our first try!
After our baby girl came, I discussed options with my gyno. We may want to have one more eventually (not sure if four is enough!) so we did not want to go the surgical route but I did not want to go on another pill because a) I was nursing and b) I hate the way they make me feel and c) my schedule is way too hectic to remember a pill at the same time every day. We ended up going with an IUD which I love. There are different kinds - some emit low doses of estrogen and some do not. Just figure out which kind is best for you and good luck!

I took the ortho tri cyclen lo after giving birth to my daughter. I dind't have any problems with it and there were no side effects that I can account for. Well not bad ones at least. Skin complex cleared up and no cramps. I personally think that DEPO is a terrible one and never touched it. Everyone I know who has, had problems. My favorite birth control was seasonale(can't remember spelling). I felt wonderful on this one but can't afford it on my insurance now. Now I take tri-nessa which is not bad either. Ortho tri cyclen should be just fine. I never met anyone who had trouble with it after birth and nursing.

I took this while breastfeeding my first and it affected her, she was not a happy baby. So i stopped and everything cleared up back to how it was before i started taking it. I also found a decrease in being involved with my husband when i stopped taking it everything for me went back to normal.
I would talk to your OB/GYN if you have one and see what they recommend
A.
www.romance2nite.com

My OB prescribed a progesterone only pill for me because of breastfeeding! If you are going to take the pill, I am pretty positive you do not need one with estrogen while breastfeeding! Get another opinion from another doctor.

I didn't take that particular BC, but my Dr. said it would be ok too and I dried up. I wouldn't take any oral BC while you are nursing. Good luck!

I am not sure what the name of it is, but my OB would only prescribe a certain type of BC while breastfeeding. It doesn't have something that the others do. I apologize for being so vague. Give them a call and ask about it!!! I do know for certain that you are NOT supposed to take just anything because it does go into your milk. My OB's name is Dr. Brock Jackson ###-###-####. Good luck...S. Golden ____@____.com

Call the Breastfeeding center at your local hospital. They will be able to tell you.

I am like you, I wanted to find a more "natural" alternative for birth control. My research led me to an IUD. There are two different ones on the market...a 5 year one with low dose of estrogen and a 10 year NO HORMONE IUD. I ended up with the 10 year one, loved it, had it in for 2 years and then we decided we wanted another child, had it removed and were pregnant the NEXT MONTH. Do your research, but I would definately not take any medication while nursing...you never know what goes through the breast milk. By the way, when you talk to your ob about an IUD they almost always recommend the 5 year one with estrogen for some reason (probably has something to do with the pharmacuetical sales reps that push it)....I liked the non-hormone one because everything is natural and my body responded like I was on nothing.

ANYTHING with hormones will affect your milk supply. Even the depo shot. Remember that the average doctor is really not concerned with your desire to breastfeed. YOU are his patient. This pill is probably the latest push from the drug company.
I have the copper IUD. It is hormone free and very effective. Condoms work well, too. Don't add hormones if you don't need to. Especially while breastfeeding.
Consider your previous babies. How long did your cycles stay away while you were breastfeeding them? Many mothers don't get their cycles back for many months while breastfeeding. If you already have, then you may want to consider the above suggestions. Hope that helps.

After having my baby, I realized that I didn't want to go back on birth control. #1 - Having a homebirth, I was plunged into the natural living community, and I learned about all the possible health effects of the pill. #2 - Being a strong pro-life advocate, I had not known before that the pill can cause early-term abortions by preventing embryo implantation. (Depending on your beliefs, this may or may not be an issue for you.) My doctor denied both of the above reasons. From there I moved on to barrier methods, and from there to NFP. Have you tried barrier methods, such as the cervical cap? And are you sure NFP won't work for you? Have you taken an NFP class or a fertility awareness class? They are well-versed in dealing with "difficult" cases and might be able to help you.

I definitely wouldn't accept your doctor's motto "lots of moms do it." I have received more bad medical advice from doctors than anyone else. Have you considered talking to a local homebirth midwife? They know tons, and they will actually spend TIME with you answering your questions (visits are usually an hour) rather than the rushed 2 minutes that normal docs will give you.

I have four kids very close in age. I get pregnant very easily, and I am usually nursing so the pill is usually out of the question. The hormones in the pill cause your milk to dry up. So after our fourth surprise pregnancy I didn't want to be on the pill or shot or anything like that, my doctor suggested Mirena. Mirena is an IUD that your doctor inserts into your uterus. It works for up to five years. I love it! And you can nurse while you have it inside you. You can have it taken out if you want to get pregnant before the five years.

You're right. My Dr. told me Ortho isn't good for breastfeeding. I was put on Errin. The IUD Mirena is a good choice, too.

call 602-230-CARE and get a second opinion. Its a hospital care line for questions and advice.

Hey there...

You can always consider switching to an IUD (they have them with and without hormones). I'm an all-natural girl myself and use the ovulation method. It works very well for me, but there is a bit of a learning curve. I have a bit of a bizarre cycle at times, so knowing the ovulation method has really come in handy. I know you said NFP doesn't work for you, but if you were using a different method, then you may want to look into this one.

T.

I was prescribed the generic version of this, while I was breastfeeding, because my doctor also said it was fine. I remember looking at the insert and seeing that it was not for breastfeeding women, but when I told the doctor they reassured me it was ok. I eventually switched to the IUD, but I never had any issues with drying up or depression. My baby is now a very happy two year old, so I'm inclined to believe the docs. You can always get a second opinion though.

Sounds like regardless of this particular issue you need a new GP. If he doesn't address your concerns and you feel he is got you on a short time limit, he is not a good match for you. Ask him to refer you to an OB/GYN since the subject is their specialty. You should get some clearer answers from them.

I am not able to take BC pills (or Depo) because of depression issues so I can't tell you anything about the pill. But I wanted to tell you I think it is critical you find a new doctor ASAP! Ask around (maybe even here) for referrals to doctors who will work with you and let you ask a lot of questions. They are out there somewhere...

Good luck and take care!
C.

I would not take it. I'm currently taking it and I can feel the differences in my own body, I can't imagine what it could do to a breastfeeding baby. I would ask about the non-hormonal IUD, that's what I'm going to switch to. I've heard many positive things about that. You may even want to switch doctors, too. Good luck.

I am in a similar situation with birth control. Breastfeeding. My doc told me that the only reason that you cannot take some B/C is that the Estrogen in it will dry up your milk. the Ortho Lo has such a low amount of estrogen that it generally does not affect your milk. There isn't anything about it that will harm the baby.
The biggest pain for me when it comes to pills is remembering to take them, and the Lo dose is a more strict pill anyway. You have to be diligent about taking it exactly every 24 hours to be sure it will work.
I was all set to use the Mirena IUC but found out my insurance wont cover it. RATS! Since we are done having kids I guess I will just have to let them pay for a tubal instead! Go figure.
Good luck with your choice.

Look into the paragaurd iud. It is copper, and has no hormones. Lasts up to 10 years. I have not found any acceptable BC myself, and I am not a candidate for an iud. Good luck with this difficult choice..
T.

I've never taken it while breastfeeding but I thought I'd write a respond since I also had a bad reaction to the DEPO but did just fine with the ortho. It's the same as the pill and I heard it was ok to take it while breastfeeding so if your dr gave you a go ahead I woudn't worry about it.

I took the progesterone mini pill while breastfeeding (called POP). Unfortunately, I missed two days once and got pregnant again!
After giving birth to him, I got the Mirena IUD. When I wanted it removed two years later to have another baby, it was stuck and I had to go in for surgery to remove it. 3 years later and I still haven't gotten pregant again. My dr says I can't.
If you need a new Dr., Julie Adams on Baseline and Gilbert is great. She spends as much time as you need, is never rushing, is warm and caring. It is called Valley Women for Women.

I would discuss it with your OB/GYN. I was told by my OB/GYN that any type of birth control could interfere with breastfeeding-milk production. She recommended I hold off on taking it until I was finished breastfeeding and to use other methods of contraception (condoms). Anytime you have questions for your doctors, write them down and let them know ahead of time that you have questions that need to be addressed.

I'd contact the la leche league 1-800-525-3243 they will know, my obgyn asked if i was breast feeding and gave me a script for bc that will not interfer with milk production, my husband has put it some where, i can't find it or else i'd tell you the name, my dr. did refer to it as the mini pill hope this helps good luck
P. s.

Me personally, I would wait until you are done breastfeeding to start it. I know that some Dr.'s would not reccommend it, I am not sure if it is good or bad. You say your son is 10 months, do you plan on breastfeeding much longer. Maybe you can hold out until you are done and do the old school way in the meantime, condoms. I know, no one likes them, but it sounds like it may be your safest bet. We have a ped. the same as your Dr., two minutes and he's out of there. We are currently seeking a new one. Good Luck with your decision.

have you thought of the mirena iud? I am on it (as well as many of my friends), and it can be removed at any time. I don't know when you are planning on having another child, but this might be a good alternative (but I don't know about the breastfeeding part)...

The problem is that the bcp still has hormones in it and that may have been what caused your depression. I won't take them anymore for that reason. It is hard to find anything nowadays that doesn't have a hormone of some kind. I tried Mirena IUD and bled for 4 months (because of the progestrin) so I quit that (and now have a 6 month old...lol). The only other thing I have ever used successfully is the slides and microscope deal. But it requires you to be diligent in checking your saliva everyday and then you have to refrain from sex during the week or so that you ovulate. It is similar to NFP so that may not work for you. There's the other IUD, the copper one, that might work as well. Good luck!!

I would not take the pill while breastfeeding and I would find another Doctor. In the meantime I am sure you don't want to wait to do fun things until you are done breastfeeding so go buy other methods. A box of things and some foam to make sure. I am actually phsically unable to take any kind of birth control (I pass out or throw up on the first day taking it every month) so we use other methods and they work just fine. I have a 4 year old and we haven't had any "accidents".

Maybe it's time to find a doctor that actually CARES about you and will take time to answer your questions. Check out Dr. Brass-Jones at True Harmony www.trueharmonywellness.com.

I took this while breastfeeding my daughter and had 0 problems with it for her or me. My GYN prescribed it at my 1 month visit after having my daughter and I too was concerned but trusted my Dr. and had no issues whatsoever. Hope this helps :)

L. Smith
Owner/CEO - Regionz Kidz
http://www.regionzkidz.com

Get an I.U.D. instead. If you don't like your GP, go to an OB/Gyn, or even better, look for a Certified Nurse Midwife in your area, and ask about the I.U.D. I can't say enough good things about mine.

C.,

My advice is get another GP. Anytime you feel you aren't getting what you need from your doctor you need to speak up. Check with your OB/GYN, I took a mini-pill while I was breastfeeding my son. Stick with your gut, it is usually right.

B.

From what I understand, only the mini-pill progesterone only bc is okay while bf. My OB gave me something with my first and it nearly dried up my milk. And it was a low dose, I'm very sensitive to the hormones which is why I got preggo that first time. With this baby I'm not taking anything and using the old fashion method, and no periods while bf so couldn't tell you where I am in my cycle. You could call your ped to see if it safe for the baby.I'd find a new doctor and maybe wait until you are done bf for bc.

Find another GP!! It will dry up your milk and that is the last thing you want. I am sure there are other ways of BC with out having to go on a pill. but just so you know, Breastfeeding is not a form of BC, I am proof of that!! LOL

Hi,

First I would go with your gut instinct that says "this guy is a nut job" Perhaps you could find a GP that you felt more comfortable with and that was a match for your philosophies about health.

I didn't take that particular BC, but with my first child I did take BC on the advice of my GYN. I feel this was a huge mistake and would never do it again. I had trouble producing enough milk and eventually had to put her on formula. I also started getting yeast infection after yeast infection.

I find it very interesting that his advice differs so radically from everything on the web. He may be getting all of his drug education from his drug rep. I don't know if a diaphram or other non hormone BC methods would work for you. You might look on mercola.com for some alternative BC. It is a searchable website.

I feel that you only have a short time to BF and it is so wonderful - the bonding, and healthy for your child. I would never again do something to jeopardized this.

You have done your research and you have a gut feeling. Insist that 'nut job' to help you explore other means of birth control there are a lot out there that don't involve hormones or find a GP that is more in line with your philosophy. It is your body. Don't let anyone tell you to do something you are not comfortable with especially when there are other alternatives out there. Time to be creative.

After each child has been born my doctor has given me what they call the mini pill, it is supposed to be safe for breastfeeding mom's and will be what I use after my third child is born in August. Good luck with your decision.

Hi C.,

I've never used ortho tri cyclen so I'm sorry I cannot give you any advice in that arena.

What I can tell you is that I never considered taking a full birth control pill while breastfeeding, even though my doctor also said it wasn't a big deal. It just didn't feel right, and I wasn't willing to risk it. I did however take the mini pill, which is only one hormone, and as long as you are nursing while taking it, you will not have a period. I nursed each of my 3 boys for a minimum of a year, and with #2 and #3, I used the mini pill and LOVED it. When I was done nursing, I immediately went in and got a Copper T IUD which in my opinion is the most fabulous form of birth control a woman can take. As long as you are in a monogamous relationship, and not at risk for P.I.D.'s, you can't go wrong with the IUD. There are no side affects other than a heavier period for a couple of months, but it's virtually side affect free.

How long do you plan on nursing? If you will be doing it for a while, maybe try the mini pill. It does not affect your milk and I never had any problems while taking it.

Ok...one more thing. If you don't feel right doing something, I wouldn't do it. Never doubt your "mother's intuition". Even if someone wants to call you paranoid, you're the one who ultimately has to live with the consequences of your choices, so it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You do what you feel is best for you AND your baby.

Good luck!!

A.

Hi C.,

Almost always go with your instincts! You would be appalled at the # of stories there are about docs incorrectly prescribing meds. I just spoke w/ a lady last night whose husband was prescribed 2 meds that were not supposed to be taken together and told them that the pharma rep said "it's fine." What the heck does the pharma rep know anyway??? And, why in the world would the doc believe him/her??? Crazy world.

Anyway, you're not supposed to be fertile while you're breastfeeding; but use the "rhythm" method just in case.

Oh...you may want to find another GP...better yet, a Naturopath. ;-)

Good luck! :)

Warm Regards,
G. Van Luven

My lactation consultant said the mini-pill is okay to take while BFing. I took it after my second child, and even though everyone said it wouldn't make my milk dry up, it DID effect my supply. My daughter went from being a little chunk to being in the 3rd percentile for weight! Maybe it was just coincidental, but after my third child, I just couldn't risk going on anything again while nursing. My gyno wants me to try the Nuvaring, and when I questioned her about taking it while nursing, she said, "Since it's a lower dose, I would ASSUME it would be okay." I couldn't believe it. She would assume??? This is my body and my baby we're talking about. I think doctors just don't care sometimes when it comes to the importance of breastfeeding. Good luck with your decision. Maybe ask a lactation consultant for your best option. There's also a great book called, "Medication and Mother's Milk" by Dr. Thomas Hale (I'm pretty sure that's his first name).

Hi,
I too am breastfeeding and my ob/gyn said the only safe bc pill is the "mini pill"; the one I take is called Camila and all of the breastfeeing moms i know are also on Camila. I've been on it for 8 months and my milk suppy is fine, and there does not seem to be any negative side effects. Hope this helps!
A.