Birth Control?

[@llli*juleswc]

Hello, my LO is almost 4 months old. I breast feed on demand and give 1 bottle of formula each day. My period has not yet returned. I have a perscription for birth control (Micronor) but I'm not taking it, mostly because I've been off the pill for so long that I can't remember to take it. Currently we use other methods to prevent pregnancy, and I'm just wondering if it's necessary? Is it possible to get pregnant while I'm not having a period at all? Perhaps this is a stupid question....

[@llli*sch.mommy]

Not a stupid question

But yes, you can get pregnant. Ovulation typically occurs before your period, so two weeks before you get your first period you will have already ovulated - IF your cycle happens to follow a normal pattern. That's the part that's tricky, you don't know if your periods are normal, regular, spotting, etc., while you're breastfeeding. That first period is usually a surprise and ovulation may or may not have occurred.

If it were me, I would use a back up method and not depend solely on breastfeeding as your method of birth control. That doesn't mean you have to take birth control pills - you can use fertility charting, condoms, an IUD (hormonal or hormone free), a diaphragm, nuvaring, etc.

With hormonal birth control, some women notice a dip in supply whereas others notice nothing - it's very individual.

[@llli*esthervegan]

it is definitely possible to get pregnant before you resume menstruation. But if you are diligent about using a barrier method form of birth control, you will have a better chance at not concieving than just relying on breastfeeding to suppress fertility.

[@llli*mommal]

Use birth control of some sort, or you're likely to get a surprise baby!

Breastfeeding provides reliable birth control only under very specific conditions, which include no formula supplements, no solids, no sleeping through the night (i.e. 6 or more hours), and baby must be under 6 months old. Break any of those rules, and your estrogen levels are likely to rise high enough that you will ovulate, something which often precedes your first postpartum period.

Hormonal birth control methods can be unfriendly to milk supply. This includes supposedly "safe for breastfeeding" methods like micronor and the Mirena IUD. Some women and their milk supplies are just extra sensitive to the hormones. So if you're going to use a hormonal method, I feel that it makes sense to try Micronor and see if that does anything to your supply, because if it does you can just stop taking it. With Mirena, you're stuck with it!

[@llli*jenna562]

with pp but also I'm nosy so I gotta ask...why the formula?

[@llli*juleswc]

Thanks for the responses!

I give a bottle of formula per day because my baby won't drink breast milk after it's been frozen...we had a terrible experience when I left her & left thawed milk for her to drink. She refused the bottles and was hysterical until I could get to her to nurse. Since then, I've been scared that if I have to leave her again & don't have time to pump enough milk before I leave (ie., emergency, unexpected situation) then the same thing will happen. So the formula is my way of insuring that if I do have to leave her for any reason, she will at least eat something.

[@llli*mommal]

Did you taste that thawed milk? Some moms have issues with something called lipase; it's an enzyme present in all milk which breaks down the fats. Moms who produce excess lipase may discover that their milk tastes rancid after it has been stored, even if proper storage procedures have been followed. Moms with excess lipase can often combat the issue by scalding the milk before storing it. Scalding inactivates the enzyme and prevents spoilage.

[@llli*jenna562]

Did you taste that thawed milk? Some moms have issues with something called lipase; it's an enzyme present in all milk which breaks down the fats. Moms who produce excess lipase may discover that their milk tastes rancid after it has been stored, even if proper storage procedures have been followed. Moms with excess lipase can often combat the issue by scalding the milk before storing it. Scalding inactivates the enzyme and prevents spoilage.

My thought too.