How soon after a vaginal birth can i start birth control pills?

2 weeks: You can start a progesterone-only pill about 2 weeks postpartum. A combined pill with estrogen and Progesterone shouldn't be started until a few months after delivery as the estrogen can slightly increase your risk of blood clots immediately postpartum and can decrease your milk supply if started too soon.

You may not need any: If you are exclusively breastfeeding, the intervals between feeding or expressing breastmilk is less than 6 hours and you are less than 6 months postpartum then there is only a 2% chance of pregnancy. In this instance you can wait on starting the mini-pill(progesterone only) until at least 6 weeks postpartum if not later. If supplementing with formula, then 3 weeks postpartum.

4 weeks: If you are not breast feeding you may start the usual birth control pill 4 weeks postpartum. If you are breast feeding then you may consider the minipill as previously answered.