Should New Mothers Leave The Hospital With Birth Control?
image from www.blisstree.com
It depends on the method and whether the mother plans to breast feed. Ideally, it is recommended that women abstain from sexual relations for at least 4 to 6 weeks after having a baby to reduce the risk of developing vaginal infections and of course, becoming pregnant.
Pregnant women have an increased risk of developing blood clots because of hormonal changes. This is commonly referred to as a hypercoagulable state. Birth control pills that contain both estrogen and progestin (aka combination pills) are not recommended for the first 42 days after the delivery because they increase the risk of blood clots in the legs (Deep Venous Thrombosis, aka DVT) and also decrease breast milk production. The vaginal ring and patch are also not recommended. However, birth control pills that only contain progestin are safe to take immediately after delivery because they don’t increase the risk of developing blood clots nor do they reduce the amount of breast milk production. The Depo- Provera injection may also be given as well because it is a progestin-only product. What women are at increased risk for developing a DVT? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway*
