Will taking emergency contraception once during breastfeeding affect the baby?

During breastfeeding, taking emergency contraceptive pills once will not affect the baby if you wait at least 24 hours before resuming breastfeeding. However, if you breastfeed immediately after taking the medication, it may have adverse effects on the baby. The specific analysis is as follows:

1. No effect

If a breastfeeding mother takes emergency contraception only occasionally and stops breastfeeding for 24 hours afterward, drinks plenty of water to promote rapid drug metabolism and elimination from the body, subsequent breastfeeding generally will not cause any adverse effects on the infant.

2. With potential effects

If breastfeeding occurs shortly after taking the medication, the progestin component in the emergency contraceptive pill may pass into the breast milk and be absorbed by the baby. This could irritate the baby's gastrointestinal tract, leading to symptoms such as nausea and loss of appetite. Frequent use of emergency contraceptives may disrupt the baby’s hormonal balance, potentially causing abnormal symptoms such as bloody vaginal discharge or breast development.

It is advised that women avoid taking emergency contraceptive pills arbitrarily during breastfeeding. Once the medication is taken, breastfeeding should be suspended for at least 24 hours before resuming, to prevent potential harm to the infant's health.