Contraception after birth- how soon after giving birth can you go on the pill?

Have you recently had a baby? If so, congratulations!

We’re sure the last thing you want to be stressing about is contraception, so we just wanted to remind you about progestogen-only pills like Hana®.

Hana® is a progestogen-only contraceptive pill (also referred to as the mini pill or PoP). Hana® can be purchased over the counter in your local pharmacy or online, and in both instances you will have a pharmacist consultation to ensure Hana® is suitable for you but there is no appointment or prescription needed. You should take Hana® at the same time every single day, without a break in between packs. When taken correctly, Hana® is over 99% effective at helping to prevent pregnancy.

We know that as a new parent you must be exhausted and we doubt you want to be giving too much thought to contraception. Progestogen-only pills like Hana® are easily accessible – other than answering the questions to ensure Hana® might be a good fit for you, you can place an order online for quick and discreet delivery or pop into your local pharmacy at a time convenient for you. We also offer an online subscription service which gives you free repeat delivery, no minimum sign up period and helpful reminder emails when you’re coming to the end of your supply.

Did you know that it’s possible to get pregnant as little as three weeks after giving birth, even if you are breastfeeding and your period hasn’t yet returned? This might seem a little startling, but fear not – you can start using Hana® in the first 21 days after childbirth.

If you start after day 21, then you should use another barrier method for the first seven days of tablet taking. Similarly, after miscarriage or termination, you can start taking Hana® again immediately or within five days, without any additional method of contraception.

Progestogen-only pills like Hana are suitable for use while breastfeeding. As long as you have no medical reason not to, you should be able to start taking this contraceptive within the first three weeks after childbirth. Your GP, pharmacist or midwife/health visitor should be able to give you some further information about your contraceptive options and what might be right for you.

Quite simply, you should just stop taking your contraceptive pill. That is one of the great things about contraceptive pills like Hana® – they are designed to fit into your routine and you can stop or start taking them whenever you like. Theoretically, your fertility should return instantly (depending on your individual circumstance and cycle), so we recommend using a barrier method of contraception (like condoms) if you’re coming off the pill and don’t want to get pregnant.

In short, no, there is no evidence to suggest this. 

A progestogen-only pill like Hana® can be used for as long or as brief a time as you want, as no contraceptive pill should have any long term effect on your fertility – but your body’s ‘timeline of events’ (how long it will take for your menstrual cycle to go back to its normal rhythm) is completely unique.

We want to remind you that every body is completely different, and all will react to the pill differently. You may have heard that the contraceptive pill can have lasting effects on your fertility, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Most people will recognise their body and menstrual cycle going back to normal within the first few months. If you have any concerns – or if it is taking any longer for your period to return – you should chat to a GP or pharmacist.

Hana® 75µg film-coated tablets contains desogestrel and is an oral contraception for women of child bearing age to prevent pregnancy. Always read the instructions on the package leaflet carefully.