Is Plan B safe to take while breastfeeding?

Understanding Plan B and Breastfeeding
The question of whether it is safe to take Plan B, an emergency contraceptive pill, while breastfeeding is one that many new mothers may ponder. The good news is that experts widely agree that Plan B is safe for breastfeeding mothers. This reassurance comes from various medical professionals and organizations who emphasize that the use of this medication does not pose significant risks to nursing infants.
Safety and Recommendations
According to Dr. Amy Roskin, a board-certified OB-GYN, taking Plan B while breastfeeding is not only safe but also effective. She notes that contraception can be safely used during breastfeeding without any adverse effects on the baby. The Breastfeeding Network also supports this view, stating that emergency hormonal contraception, like Plan B, can be used without altering breastfeeding routines.
Moreover, research indicates that progestin-only contraceptives, such as Plan B, do not harm breastfeeding performance or the health of the infant. While there have been isolated reports of decreased milk production in some mothers, these instances are not common and do not outweigh the benefits of using emergency contraception when needed.
Timing and Usage
For mothers concerned about timing, it is recommended that they can continue breastfeeding 3 to 4 hours after taking Plan B. This allows for the medication to be metabolized sufficiently, minimizing any potential exposure to the infant. Additionally, if a mother is exclusively breastfeeding and has not yet resumed her menstrual cycle, she may not need emergency contraception at all.
Conclusion
In summary, taking Plan B while breastfeeding is considered safe by healthcare professionals. Mothers can feel confident in using this form of emergency contraception without fearing for their baby’s health. As always, it is advisable for mothers to consult with their healthcare providers for personalized advice and to address any specific concerns they may have regarding their health and breastfeeding.

What are the chances of getting pregnant while breastfeeding?

About 2 out of 100 people who use breastfeeding as birth control get pregnant in the 6 months it can be used after a baby is born. Breastfeeding won’t prevent pregnancy if you feed your baby anything other than breast milk. So if you breastfeed but also use formula, LAM isn’t a great birth control method for you.

Can you take a Plan B while breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding while taking (Plan B One-Step®):
When used as emergency contraception, levonorgestrel is not expected to be harmful to a child that is breastfeeding. A person who takes levonorgestrel as emergency contraception can breastfeed 3 to 4 hours after the dose (or after each dose if the two-dose method is used).

What is the safest contraceptive pill while breastfeeding?

If you are breastfeeding, you may safely use:

• the mini pill.
• condoms.
• diaphragms.
• a contraceptive injection (Depo-Provera® or Depo-Ralovera®)
• an Implanon NXT™ implant.
• intrauterine devices (IUDs)
• permanent sterilisation (tubal ligation).

How does Plan B affect your breast?

Breast tenderness: Within a few hours after taking Plan B (should resolve within a day or two) Late period: During your next period, but shouldn’t affect any periods after that.

Will Plan B affect my baby?

Plan B is NOT the same as RU-486 (the abortion pill). Plan B is not effective after pregnancy has occurred and cannot interrupt it. Plan B won’t harm a developing fetus. If Plan B is taken mistakenly during pregnancy, it will not harm the developing fetus.

Does the pill affect breast milk supply?

This is especially true when hormonal contraception is combined with stressors such as a return to work or less-frequent breastfeeding. Birth control pills with high doses of estrogen are more likely to decrease milk supply.

What happens to the baby if Plan B fails?

Impact on a Developing Fetus
A study assessing the effect of LNG-EC exposure on pregnant women and their fetuses found that LNG-EC does not appear to have any substantial effects on the physical and mental development of a developing fetus, nor the occurrence of congenital malformations.

Will Plan B work if he came in me four times?

Because the EC pill affects the egg release, the number of times you’ve had sex in a short period of time likely won’t affect how well it works.

What are the odds of getting pregnant while breastfeeding?

If you follow the rules laid out in the LAM method — exclusive breastfeeding of an infant younger than 6 months old before your period comes back — you have less than a 5 percent chance of getting pregnant.

Can Plan B stop fertilization?

Most research suggests that Plan B does not cause changes in the endometrium , or lining of the uterus. 2 Because of this, researchers have concluded it cannot prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.