Will continue to take the birth control pill have a negative effect on your developing baby? Fortunately, no evidence shows that birth control pills will hurt the baby during pregnancy. However, it is quite a good thought to stop taking the birth control pill immediately you discover you are pregnant.
Most research suggests taking contraceptive pills during initial weeks of pregnancy may not adversely affect the developing baby, therefore you need not to worry. According to the U.S FDA reports, there is no evidence that taking contraceptive pills during early pregnancy could harm the baby in any way, either by causing congenital disabilities or other complications. There has not been a lot of research on this topic because medical ethics don’t allow to place a mother or her unborn child at risk. Most of the data come from research comparing pregnant women who took combination contraceptive pills or progestin-only pills during initial days of pregnancy against those who haven’t.
According to the CDC report, taking the progestin-only pills during early pregnancy have been shown to increase the risk of a birth defect like hypospadias in boys where the opening of the urethra is not present at the tip of the reproductive organ (penis).
Play safe!
Researchers and doctors still not advised you to continue taking birth control pills once the pregnancy is confirmed. In the end, every medicine that you take consumed by your child too. If you think you may be pregnant, the first step that should be taken by you is a home-based pregnancy test. Do as soon as you can do to get the accurate results. Make sure you don’t take a pregnancy test too early as this way you are more likely to get false results. If you get positive results after the test, immediately stop taking the birth control pills. However, if your results are negative, you can continue using contraceptive pills since the pregnancy status is ruled out.
So, if you suspect you have conceived, take a pregnancy test as soon as possible and be assured. A pregnancy test will let you know if you are carrying a baby.
Miscarriage Myths
Many women believe that continuous use of birth control pills during pregnancy may lead to miscarriage, which is not true. There has been no evidence to suggest this. The hormones in the contraceptive pill thicken the cervical mucus to prevent the entry of sperm to the uterus, stops ovulation and prevent the thickening of the uterus lining to support implantation. Neither of them contributes to a miscarriage. Some even believe that using birth control pill once the pregnancy is confirmed leads to the spontaneous termination of your pregnancy. This is again a false myth. Birth control pills have not been shown to effect once the implantation has occurred. Several medications are available to end the pregnancy. Such medications are considered a form of medical abortion. These medications are got the FDA approval in the year 2000.
Also Read: Best Birth Control Tips for Travelers
Risk of miscarriage with IUD
You might have complications if you get pregnant with an intrauterine device (IUD). According to research studies, those women who heft their IUD in during pregnancy are more likely to have a miscarriage. Furthermore, the condition may also lead to preterm birth in some cases. Therefore, it is wise to remove UID if you find yourself pregnant and decide to carry the baby. Timely removal of IUD can reverse these risks.
Conclusion
It is rare to get pregnant while following the course of contraceptive pills, but it is still possible in some cases. If you wish to prevent unwanted pregnancy, be sure to take the pill every day at the same time. Exercise caution when taking any other medications, supplements, and other herbal products that may decrease the effectiveness of your pills and prefer using another birth control method if necessary. If you have been kept on using contraceptive pills while you were unknowingly pregnant, don’t worry. There is no hard evidence till now that can suggest that using birth control pills will have an adverse effect on the developing baby. However, women are advised not to take any oral pills or use contraceptive methods after pregnancy is confirmed and visit a gynecologist to begin proper prenatal care.
