Another Pill Question

[natalie_1982]

After reading the question posted below, an answer shocked me and now I am intrigued......

Why would falling pregnant on the pill be harmful to the baby?  I know on the back of the packet it says (to this effect) if you think you may be pregnant stop taking pill and see GP immediately.

[fairy!]

Well, from reading the response to the below question, I think it's because the hormones in the pill are so strong that they would be passed on to the baby & it wouldn't form properly :-(

[OBonio]

Risk of ectopic (sp?) pregnancy?

[ratbag66]

Falling pregnant whilst on the pill WILL NOT harm a developing baby, many women get pregnant while on the pill (usually because they don't take it properly) and go on to have perfectly healthy babies.

[natalie_1982]

fairy! I understand that the hormones are strong, but how does it make a baby/ feotus deformed?  Why wouldn't it cause a miscarriage instead?  And would it cause a physical deformity or mental disabilities or both, and why?

Obonio, I think the pill actually reduces the chance of ectopic pregnancy quite dramatically by not letting the egg settle in the falopian tubes (thus travelling down to the womb/ uterus where it should be).

[natalie_1982]

ratbag66 if it WILL NOT harm the baby why does it tell you to stop taking it immediately and consult your GP?

[natalie_1982]

I'm sure many people do fall pregnant on the pill and give birth to healthy babies, so do many smokers although it has been proved that it can cause the baby to be smaller, underweight and is linked with eczema and asthma.  Junkies and alcoholics also can have healthy babies - it doesn't mean that it would be good to do so though.

[<3bis]

It says in my pill booklet that it is possible for a baby to be harmed by taking my pill (dianette) although i have recently learned that this pill is quite a bit stronger than some others. It also, rather worringly, states that male children may be born with more effeminate features (breasts etc) due to the immense hormone levels. I kid y'all not. Eek!

[Miss Zippy]

In the case of Dianette, the risk is only to male babies. Because Dianette suppresses male hormones, androgens, which are needed for the develompent of  male sexual organs.  For other contraceptive pills, I'd have thought it highly unlikely they would cause any serious damage to a developing foetus as the pill is just mimicking the hormone the body produces when pregnant anyway and the hormones in the pill are such a low dose as to not present a problem. I'm sure a large number of women fall pregnant by accident on the pill (probably largely due to taking it incorrectly rather than the pill actually failing) so I'm sure we'd know if the pill causes serious complications.

[ann_h]

I would have thought that generally it is to prevent the pill hormones interfering in tests done to check your dates, your baby's health etc

[cassimer]

I had an ectopic whilst on the pill taking it very carefully indeed. The surgeon told me that there was no reason why this should have happened - just bad luck, and that the ectopic was not related to the pill, only even more bad luck.

[purification]

I was 26 weeks pregnant before I even discovered I was! (yes I know how dumb that makes me sound but it happens!) I had been drinking heavily, smoking and regularly taking my pill the whole time and my little boy was a healthy 8lb 4oz. He is now an intelligent and well behaved 3 year old, well, as well behaved as 3 year old boys are!!!!!

As far as I have been told, (and I am no medical expert!!!) they have yet to prove medically that continuing to take your pill whilst pregnant will cause harm. It states to stop taking your pill, because well and it is stating the obvious a little, what's the point in continuing to take it???? It states to see "your" GP immediately, not as a matter of emergency but purely because "you" are pregnant and do need to get checked out and options discussed a.s.a.p

[morg_monster]

As far as i know it is only dianette which can possibly harm a baby if you do get pregnant, this is because it is primarily for treating acne, excess hair and other conditions caused by excess male hormones.  You SHOULD NOT be prescribed it if you are JUST after a contraceptive pill.  Other pills can (and have) been taken through pregnancy safely - although this would only happen if you didn't realise you were pregnant.  The drugs companies know that people aren't 100% reliable and nor are the pills so they have to be safe for fetuses.