What are the progestin-only oral contraceptives?

Some women may become pregnant again during the breastfeeding period after just giving birth to a child. This is because they did not take protective measures during sexual intercourse, which will not only harm the female body, but may also be detrimental to the development of the baby during breastfeeding. So during breastfeeding, they will think of taking contraceptives. Now I will introduce some pure progestin contraceptives to you.

The contraceptive method used by breastfeeding women should be highly effective and have no effect on breastfeeding. Starting contraception at the right time after delivery can reduce the occurrence of unwanted pregnancies and lower the morbidity and mortality of mothers and infants. Considering that combined oral contraceptives may reduce milk production, leading to premature cessation of breastfeeding and poor neonatal growth, progestin-only contraceptives are often chosen. However, combined oral contraceptives have certain advantages over simple progestins, such as fewer side effects, higher efficiency and higher continuous use rate. If combined hormonal contraceptives have no obvious effect on breastfeeding, they can be a better choice for contraception for breastfeeding women.

During breastfeeding, you should try to avoid taking contraceptive medications. If you want to use them, it is recommended that you go to the hospital and communicate with your doctor in detail to ensure safe use of the medication.

Pure progestin oral contraceptives are safe and reliable, and mainly play the role of blocking the reproductive process. Such as changing the properties of cervical mucus, preventing sperm penetration, changing the characteristics of the endometrium, and affecting blastocyst implantation. Commonly used ones include levoctamethylnorphine, megestrol acetate, etc.

Oral contraceptives containing estrogen are not suitable for breastfeeding women. Because the intake of estrogen can cause gastrointestinal reactions in lactating women, affect appetite, and lead to a decrease in the content of protein, fat and trace elements in breast milk, it has a great impact on the growth and development of the baby. At the same time, when the baby ingests breast milk containing estrogen, it can cause breast development in male babies and abnormal secondary sexual characteristics such as vaginal epithelial hyperplasia and labia hypertrophy in female babies. In addition, if breastfeeding women take estrogen for 3 to 6 weeks, their milk supply will be reduced by about half, which is extremely harmful to the breastfed baby.

Some women may think that taking pure progestin oral contraceptives can effectively prevent pregnancy. If they try their best to take contraceptive measures during intercourse, they can minimize the damage. Therefore, for some women, taking contraceptives during breastfeeding is not good for the baby, so try not to take them.