Is Triphasil Safe During Breastfeeding?
Triphasil® (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol) is a prescription
birth control pill. A few
types of birth control pills are okay to take while breastfeeding, but many are not recommended. In particular, "combined"
oral contraceptives (such as Triphasil) should usually be avoided. Combined oral contraceptives contain two different kinds of hormones (both an estrogen and a progestin hormone) and are the most commonly used type of birth control pills.
(Triphasil is equivalent to Enpresse® and Trivora® birth control pills. The information in this article also applies to both of these medications.)
Breastfeeding and "The Pill"
Research has shown that the hormones in birth control pills pass through breast milk in low amounts. These small amounts are probably too low to cause significant or long-lasting problems in breastfeeding infants, although more research is necessary to confirm this. There have been cases of problems (such as jaundice and breast enlargement) in babies whose mothers took other combined oral contraceptives while breastfeeding.
Although combined oral contraceptives (such as Triphasil) are very effective at preventing pregnancy, they are usually not recommended for use during breastfeeding. Combined contraceptives may decrease the quantity and quality of breast milk. For this reason, progestin-only oral contraceptives (also known as "mini-pills") are almost always recommended instead of combined contraceptives in breastfeeding women who desire to take a birth control pill. However, progestin-only contraceptive pills are usually much less effective than combined oral contraceptives. As soon as you stop breastfeeding, it may be a good idea to ask your healthcare provider about switching to a combined contraceptive product (such as Triphasil).
