Birth Control?

olookasquirrel

Hi everyone! Hoping someone has some advice or can at least talk me off the ledge here...

My son is 2.5 months old. At my 6w pp checkup, my OB (who is fantastic and who I adore) prescribed me my beloved birth control pills, Lo Loestrin. Seriously, before I started TTC I spent HOURS on the phone to make sure I got MY pills, not generic Loestrin ("It's the generic form, Miss." "it's a different pill! You guys messed up!" "No, it's the generic form..." repeat). On the way out the door, I happened to remember to ask her something important - how will this affect my milk? Oh, you'll probably see it drop by half.

Half. 

That can't be true, can it??

I haven't taken one yet, but, I'm freaking out about getting pregnant again. I'm spotting and crampy the last few days, and I'm absolutely terrified it's implantation bleeding and cramping. I love my son and he was planned but it would be a really bad time for him to get a sibling...

So, I'm exclusively pumping, more than my LO drinks every day by ~8-10oz, and I haven't gotten a period yet. So my choices as I see it are:

Relax and trust that I'm not the 1/100 that will get pregnant before her first pp period

Start the pill and re-evaluate milk supply <- I worry about this one because EP'ing is so much work. I'm afraid I'll start doing the same amount of work for half the results, and just give up and wean him before I want to... 

Any thoughts or advice? 

(And before the condom chorus strikes - this is apparently my husband's hill of choice to die on, so no go there. And apparently I am like a teenage when it comes to sex, I have no self control when the clothes come off...)

Elaina22

My supply dipped the first few days so I tried to nurse extra. Supply is back to normal now! Good luck!

jenn43

What about other birth control options?  Nuva Ring doesn't seem to have an associated drop in milk supply, since it's not systemic.  Or IUD?  (Granted, I don't know how long postpartum you have to be for this).

olookasquirrel

I had some really insane reactions to other types of bc - I've thought about the non hormonal IUD but my bff got it and had terrible bleeding/cramps for months. But I'm afraid to do anything that's not immediately reversible hormonally just because of my experiences finding my beloved Lo Loestrin... 

CLLDLL

Research the mini pill. That seems to be the hormonal BC of choice for LCs in my area anyway. I guess it is a lower dose of hormones. The downfall is you have to take it at almost the exact time of day everyday or risk ovulation.

Otherwise I'd personally tell hubby to man up and deal with condoms for a while. It's what's best for you, baby and the family.

ns1

Like PPs said can you consider the mini pill? Maybe paraguard (non hormonal iud - I liked this, my body didn't and I was one of a rare few whose body expelled it), or even a diaphragm (I use this now. It's old school but as effective as condoms)