If you are taking birth control pills and discover you have conceived, you may wonder whether your birth control pill cause harm to your baby or if there is a chance of miscarriage. According to research studies, some types of birth may cause complications, but most of them are relatively safe.
Birth control pills commonly have hormones that mimic the hormones produced by a woman’s body. Oral contraceptives help prevent pregnancy by thickening the cervical excretion which prevents the sperm from reaching the female egg. However, oral contraceptives cannot offer a 100% guarantee against pregnancy, and there are probabilities that a woman gets unexpectedly become pregnant while taking birth control pills.
Some research studies suggest that taking birth control pills while you are accidentally pregnant may not harm the baby in the womb during early pregnancy. But it is wise to discontinue oral contraceptives immediately after you get aware of your pregnancy.
What if accidentally taken birth control pills while pregnant
Most women wonder whether taking birth control pills affect the growing baby in the womb. Research studies show that using an oral contraceptive during the initial days of pregnancy may not affect the developing fetus. However, some side effects of taking oral contraceptives while pregnant can occur.
Birth Defects
Many women who got accidentally pregnant while using birth control pills may be worried about their growing baby being born with certain birth defects. But according to food and drug administration, no evidence taking birth control pills or progestin-only pills while pregnant may increase chances of birth defects in babies or cause pregnancy complications. Here it is important to note that there is very less research on this subject. This is because medical ethics won’t allow researching the mother and her unborn baby.
Most of the data is has emerged from research comparing pregnant women who used birth control pills during their early phase of pregnancy against those who haven’t used the contraceptive pills. Still, experts don’t recommend continuing birth control pills while getting pregnant. It is important to understand that her child will ultimately take every drug a pregnant woman take. Therefore, in case of doubt, taking a pregnancy test is a wise decision. If the pregnancy test is not possible for some reason, try other contraceptive methods. Some studies suggest that pills containing progestin may slightly increase the risk of birth defects in boys where the opening of the urethra is absent at the tip of the penis.
Miscarriage Myths
Some women believe that if they continue taking birth control pills while pregnant, are more likely to have a miscarriage, which is not true and no evidence suggest that. A hormonal contraceptive pill acts by thickening of cervical mucus to prevent the entry of the sperm in the uterus. They help to stop ovulation and preventing the thickening of the uterine lining from supporting implantation. Birth control pills do not contribute to miscarriage.
Others believe that taking birth control pills may cause termination of pregnancy which is again not true. Birth control pills do not affect once the fertilized egg is planted. To end the pregnancy, certain medicines can be used if desired. Such medications are considered as contraceptives, and they are often called a medical abortion. These abortion pills should be taken under the supervision of a health care specialist.
Also Read: Top 10 Common Birth Control Pill Side Effects
Miscarriage risks and IUD
There may be complications if you have an intrauterine device (IUD) and conceived a baby. According to research studies, if a pregnant woman chooses to leave her IUD during early pregnancy, she is more likely to have a miscarriage, her risk of having a miscarriage will increase to around 40%. Furthermore, such women are more likely to have a preterm birth. Therefore, it is important to always speak to a health care specialist to remove IUD once if you get aware of your pregnancy and continue to carry the baby. Removing IUD earlier can reverse these risks.
Conclusion Unintended use of oral contraceptives in initial days of pregnancy seems to lower the risk of associated complications. If you are pregnant, ask your healthcare specialist about medications, supplements, and other over the counter products. And it is smart to discontinue birth control pills when you discover your pregnancy.
