Inputs on Depo and Breastfeeding.

[Riot_Queen]

So tomorrow is Thursday and I'm spozed to get the depo shot.
I was on the mini pill cuz from what I knew depo and breastfeeding weren't a good match.
But my doc told me last week I was able to breastfeed and use depo and it won't affect my milk at all.

I just want some input on experience or knowledge about the topic. What y'all think would be best. Stay with the mini or go head and get the depo.

I also dunno much about the depo.
What happens when you start it, what happens if I don't like it and wanna get off of it.
I don't however want to hear about how it makes you gain weight because I know about all of that.
The depo shot ITSELF doesn't make you gain weight, however, it gives you munchies or makes you more hungry than usual, and if you don't watch your calorie intake, you'll gain weight.

But breastfeeding to me is an appitite suppressor so I think that'll counteract it.

Thanks in advance ladies.
=]

[Riot_Queen]

Hmm.
Maybe I should stick with the mini for now and get something better once I'm done BFing. =/

[blueeyedtabbycat]

not sure about the BF part but I will give you a run down of my experiance.
I was on it for awhile before I started having kids and from what I remember it wasnt that bad, some weight gain though. Maybe time has healed those wounds though, lol. So in between #2 and #3 I was on it for 1 cycle. Thats only 1 shot and I never went back to get the next one three months later. We started TTC a few months later and it took us almost 2 years!!! My older boys were concived in a month or two, so...........Then I had the depo again right after Taylor was born 8/8/09 and all seemed fine. I had PP bleeding for 5 weeks and then a week off before AF came. Well AF lasted over a month!!!!!! It was crazy! I seen my OB doc and she said the depo can wreck havoc with your cycle. But then again it might not. Good luck with whatever you do:-) I personally dont recommend it. I havent found anything I do recomened yet, lol. This IUD I have ***** too:-(

[tiredbuthappy]

hmmm... i'd look more in to this: "Dr. Hale also mentions studies that suggest that male infants exposed to early postnatal progestins have ""higher feminine scores,"" as well as studies that refute this finding. He adds that further research is necessary to fully study this possible side effect of these drugs." (http://www.breastfeed.com/expertqa/medications/what-is-the-real-truth-about-depo-provera-while-breastfeeding-392/)

however, most of what i found did say it's ok after 6 weeks post partum (most say not before 6 weeks)

as for weight gain, even pfizer's information says there is a tendancy for women to gain weight. "There is a tendency for women to gain weight while on therapy with DEPO-PROVERA CI. From an initial average body weight of 136 lb, women who completed 1 year of therapy with DEPO-PROVERA CI gained an average of 5.4 lb. Women who completed 2 years of therapy gained an average of 8.1 lb.
Women who completed 4 years gained an average of 13.8 lb. Women who
completed 6 years gained an average of 16.5 lb." Yikes.

with regards to conception: "Women with lower body weights conceive sooner than women with higher body weights after discontinuing DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection."

if you have a history of depression, you may want to consider avoiding it.

info from:
http://media.pfizer.com/files/products/uspi_depo_provera_contraceptive.pdf

[Riot_Queen]

I'm deff not going with an IUD.
Period.
No ifs ands or buts.
lol

I dunno. I've heard alot of negatives about the weight gain, but never about anything else.
I'm just so afraid of the mini pill failing and ending up with THREE back to back pregnancies.
I wouldn't be able to have 3 kids right now.
1 was bad enough and then my newest one tipped the scales off and we're struggling really bad.

I dunno, maybe I could try it this one shot, and then if I don't like it, in 3 months I can get back on the mini pill and use that till I'm done breastfeeding and find something else.

With pretty much any birth control you risk weight gain because of the hormones. So that's just not what I'm worried about.
I'm just scared to death about getting pregnant again, and The only options I know is the mini pill or depo. Or to just not do anything at all, but y'all know how that is when you're with someone you're head over heals for and are extremely attracted to them.

Do y'all think it'd be a problem to just try one shot and if I don't like it get on something else when I'm due for the next shot?
Or do you think I'll have probs if I do that too.

[mamaofonetrying42]

I would not go on the depo again.(( weight gain is why)) I was on it for 2years, then the patch for a month. and then nothing, we did how ever ended up pregnant after 6months. So I didnt have any probs getting pregnant. But I have heard of many women having probs getting pregnant.. What about the IUD, I think you can BF with that?

[gillianl]

not sure about the breast feeding part but a lot of women on this site might agree with me to stay clear of depo-provera.  I was on this bc for 2 and a half years and have been ttc for the same length of time with no joy.  I was diagnosed with depression at 16 years old when i was on this, i asked the doc if that was the problem and was told no, when the depo eventually cleared from my system so did the depression my family say i was a new person.

I have also been told one injection could take up to 1 year to clear from your body also some women stop having a period at all on this bc, i came off depo August 2007 had a regular period until June 2008 then it went crazy for 6 months i had to go back onto the bc pill for 3 months and have been regular since Jan 2009.

All in all i really don't recommend the depo and would advise any other contraception except this.  Best of luck in whatever you choose!