Can Taking Birth Control Pills While Pregnant Cause a Miscarriage?

Birth control while pregnant, is it dangerous? 

Unintended pregnancies are most common to happen without taking any birth control pills. Well, that is what we believe we knew. There is still a slim chance of getting pregnant even while using contraceptives.

You read it right. However, the problem here lies not about being surprised by the foolproof of using birth control pills to prevent pregnancy, but the point of taking birth control pills while unknowingly you are already pregnant.

Will it cause miscarriage? Will it cause birth defects? What will happen to your baby?

From the research we reviewed, we will answer the question of “if taking birth control pills will cause miscarriage” with the following topics:

• Can birth control pills stop pregnancy?
• Effects of taking birth control pills while pregnant
• Symptoms of miscarriage while on birth control

What is Birth Control?

Before answering the adverse effects of birth control pills on your pregnancy, let’s first talk about the concept of birth control for us to understand its effect on pregnancy.

Birth control is a method presented by science to prevent pregnancy. There are options for this method, as you may want first to ask for a prescription and information from a doctor if what suits you.

• barrier birth control (like using condoms)
• surgical methods (tying tubes or vasectomy)
• hormonal birth control

The most common of these methods is using birth control pills. According to NHS’s claim, birth control pills are more than 99 per cent effective, followed by correct use. Well, to err is human, and the possibility of skipping doses might lead the probability to only 91 per cent (in typical usage).

Alternatives are available if you want to avoid daily pills (and the human error of skipping doses) like intrauterine devices (IUD) or other implants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims it’s more than 99 per cent effective.

Condoms’ correct usage may come with 98 per cent effectivity, while typical use comes with 82%.

Abstinence makes it a hundred per cent effective to prevent pregnancy, although, correct and proper use of contraceptives also make it almost a hundred per cent effectivity. Correct use means perfect to use without any human error like skipping a pill.

Birth Control While Pregnant

While we had already cleared of clouds on birth control concepts and some of its methods, let’s talk about if it can affect pregnancy.

Thinking if you are pregnant?

It is not recommended that you still take pills while you are pregnant. After all, whatever you take in may affect your baby.

Birth control and miscarriage myths

Most birth control practices are not that harmful to your baby when used during your early pregnancy (as you did not know about your pregnancy).  There are misconceptions between birth control pills and the use of medical abortion pills.

• Birth control pills while pregnant

Some women think that if they, for some reason, got pregnant while taking birth control pills, they might have a miscarriage. This is entirely wrong.

While ethical considerations don’t allow researching about the effects of taking birth control pills while pregnant, there is no evidence to suggest that taking birth control pills prior to pregnancy can cause a miscarriage.

The effects of hormones in the pill stop ovulation and thicken cervical mucus to prevent any passages of sperm cells in the uterus.

Also, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, taking birth control pills prior to pregnancy does not result in pregnancy loss.

Experience of miscarriage while taking birth control pills at the same time before getting pregnant does not necessarily mean that pills did it. There is a common worry but these two situations are not relevant to each other.

Additionally, a vast study in 2008 examined a list of over 90,000 women and found no notes of increased risks of miscarriage and fetal deaths in babies exposed to birth control pills.

A 2010 study in Epidemiology also found no increased risk for many forms of birth defects in mothers who used pills during early pregnancy.

If you find yourself pregnant while on pills, better discontinue taking them. The pills may not harm your baby entirely, but this does not mean the effects could not be present, to you and to your baby.

Effects of Taking Birth Control Pills and Other Methods of Contraceptives While Pregnant

Some methods of birth control may cause harm while you are in your pregnancy. The following are methods of common contraceptives and their risks if you continue to use them while pregnant.

• COCs or Progestin-only pills

Combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives (COCs) contain synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone, while progestin-only pills contain synthetic progesterone only. These two birth control pills have different forms and effects.

While there’s no research evidence claiming the effects of birth control pills while you are pregnant in relation to miscarriage, some studies suggest that your baby might be at increased risk of wheezing, asthma, and rhinitis if you continue taking these pills during pregnancy.

• Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

Having an IUD while pregnant can have some implications for you and your baby. According to research, a mother choosing to leave her IUD while pregnant increases the risk of miscarriage by 40 per cent. It also raises the probability of preterm birth to 500 per cent.

With those risks in mind, better ask your doctor if you want your IUD to be removed when you have decided to continue your pregnancy. Proper and timely removal of IUDs may help you reduce the risks said.

Keeping your IUD in may also cause an infection called chorioamnionitis, which may result in premature delivery. When this occurs, membranes surrounding your baby and the amniotic fluid that your baby is floating in both would have been infected.

Other situations might be that the placenta can separate from the uterus before or during giving birth to your baby. While researchers are not sure entirely, this particular condition may be related to having an IUD during pregnancy.

• Implants, shots, and vaginal rings

There is no evidence that using birth control methods such as implants, injection shots, and vaginal rings results in birth defects and/or miscarriages if you are using them during your pregnancy.

These forms of contraceptives are usually the same types of hormones contained in birth control pills.

• Barrier methods

There are no recorded risks in using barrier methods like using condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, spermicides, and sponges while pregnant.

These barrier methods are used to physically resist sperm from fertilising an egg and do not involve hormones. The use of condoms while pregnant can prevent sexually transmitted infections.

While progestin-only pills such as birth control do not have any evidence of increased risks of miscarriage and birth defects, these pills may increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy due to failure of preventing pregnancy.

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilised egg is implanted in a place but the uterus lining (endometrium).

Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include:

• lower back pain
• pain in the abdomen or in the pelvis
• abnormality in vaginal bleeding

Severe, sudden pain in the pelvis or abdomen, shoulder pain, or fainting, are serious symptoms of ectopic pregnancy. This needs quick medical attention. These symptoms might be an implication of a ruptured fallopian tube.

Immediately seek a doctor’s help if you have any of these symptoms or a combination of these.

ALSO READ:

16 Common Birth Control Mistakes to Avoid

Implantation Bleeding or Period: How to Know the Difference

Suitable Birth Control Options for the Breastfeeding Mum

Miscarriage: Causes and Symptoms

Symptoms of miscarriage include:

• bleeding that goes from light to heavy
• severe cramping
• abdominal pain
• weight loss
• fever with a combination of these symptoms
• white-pink mucus
• tissue like blood clots passing from the vagina
• contractions
• fewer signs of pregnancy

• infection
• medical conditions in the mother, such as diabetes or thyroid disease
• hormone problems
• immune system responses
• physical problems in the mother
• smoking
• uterine abnormalities

Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.