All medications are placed into a category that determines whether or not they are safe to take during pregnancy. When a medication has a known risk of harming an unborn child, this means you must exercise caution to prevent a pregnancy while taking high-risk medications. There are several factors you should consider when choosing the right birth control method.
Drug Interactions
Medications that commonly fall into the category of being harmful to an unborn child are ones used as chemotherapeutic agents or other medications that kill rapidly dividing cells, such as those used to manage some autoimmune conditions. Since it is invaluable for you to receive the full dose of these medications, you need to speak with your doctor to make sure there are no known drug interactions. In some cases, hormonal birth control methods may lessen the effectiveness of your chronic disease medication or vice versa. A non-hormonal barrier method or copper intrauterine device might be a better option.
Side Effects
If the medications you take for a chronic illness cause considerable side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, or vomiting, it might be wise to avoid the birth control pill. Since birth control pills need to be taken daily and around the same time each day, any side effects that make it difficult to maintain your dosing schedule could put you at risk for an unplanned pregnancy. Birth control methods, such as implants, injections, or an intrauterine device can give you comfort in knowing that if you feel bad one day, it will not affect your birth control schedule.
Medication And Appointment Schedule
Some women who take medications for a chronic disease take many pills several times per day. Depending on your preference, you may not want to add another pill to your medication regimen. For some women, especially those who are accustomed to a strict medication regimen, it might actually be easier to add one small pill to their schedule. Another factor you may want to consider is how gynecological visits may factor into your schedule, especially if you frequently have appointments with other specialists or for medication infusions. You might prefer taking a birth control pills, which may be monitored by your primary care doctor between yearly gynecological screenings, and less inclined to use birth control shots where you need to make an appointment every few months for your next shot.
Some medications can cause damage to your eggs or an unborn child before you notice you are pregnant. When high-risk medications are necessary to manage a disease, make sure you are consistently using birth control to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.
Share21 February 2017
As soon as I found out that I was pregnant with my first child, I knew that I needed to make a few changes to ensure that me and my baby stayed safe. For starters, I called around to find a great OBGYN, and I was able to book an appointment with an incredible clinic. They were really nice to work with, and before I knew it, I was having my first appointment. It was really fun to see the little heartbeat and to know that my baby was healthy and safe, which is why I was so happy that I found a great prenatal clinic. This blog is all about getting great prenatal care.
