Plan B (ECP)& Breastfeeding - Breastfeeding Message Board

corbinsmama · 09-14-2004, 02:22 PM

BG INFO: I'm 17, and I just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy one month ago. We are exclusively breastfeeding.

So. I'm really stupid. Last night my fiance and I had unprotected sex. Smart, eh? We were going to use the "pull out" method, and we did... but at one point hubby-to-be thinks he let a little go inside of me. Not a goood thing, considering that a woman can ovulate at ANY point after giving birth. I believe the earliest documented case is 27 days after.

So... breastfeeding is a semi-reliable form of birth control.
You have to 1. be exclusively breastfeeding (feeding more than 8 times daily), 2. Not have your period back yet and 3. Be less than 6 months post-pardum
All of those apply to me.
But... it's only semi-reliable.

I want to take Plan B, but I'm told that Plan B will kill my milk supply. {removed} says that it is a progestin-only pill, which would be OK with breastfeeding. It also warns that there may be a drop in my milk supply for a few days, I don't know how I could handle that.

Yes, quite the pickle it is.
What do I do??? We can't have another baby... There is no way we could afford that mentally, physically OR financially! I am such an idiot... I should not have suggested that... we should have just went without for a night.
Do I risk the pregnancy, or do I risk the loss of my breastmilk? I don't know what to do at all.

Thanks in advance!

BorderGirl · 09-14-2004, 04:16 PM

I looked it up in Taking Charge of Your Fertility and according to this author it is also important that your baby has limited pacifiers and supplements (like water) because the baby has to suckle at least every 4 hours during the day and every 6 hours at night. She goes on to say that full breastfeeding means no supplements/pacifiers. But then says extensive studies have shown that the contraceptive effectiveness of LAM is maintained even if your breastfeeding is nearly full (you supplement no more than 15% of all feedings.) But she says to aim for full. With all these factors it has a failure rate of less than 2% a year.
I hope this helps you make your decision! Maybe in the future you can chart your cycles while you breastfeed as an extra check. (The book says its up to you since the failure rate is so low anyways.)

YoungMama · 11-02-2004, 01:02 PM

Well let me just tell you I know how you feel!! I am exclusively breastfeeding as well. We actually choose to have un protected sex. The only BAD thing about exclusively breastfeeding is that there is no way to chart your cycles or know if you've ovulated, IF your periods have not returned. I am one that while breastfeeding DOES NOT have a period BUT YET ovulates. I was pregnant again by the time my 3rd child was 7 weeks old. Unfortunately I lost that baby when my baby was 3 mos old. This time around I have yet to get pregnant but am sure that I've ovulated. I know my body's aches n pains n cramps well enough now. My only suggestion to you if the pill is an option use the mini pill (safe while nursing) and some type of barrier method if its not too much of a problem. Better safe than sorry. Using breastfeeding as a method of birth control is playing with fire. (believe me my butt is burnin

)
Just know that the risk is very slim although there!!

BorderGirl · 11-02-2004, 02:43 PM

Maybe you had a luteal cyst? That is the only way I know of where it is possible to ovulate and not get a period about 14 days later if you aren't pregnant.

alliemay · 11-02-2004, 04:37 PM

maybe you can pump a supply