Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo

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.

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 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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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 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".

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)...

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.

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.

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 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'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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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!

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 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

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 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 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 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 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

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 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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.