Q: My 24 years old wife takes Femilon for irregular periods prescribed by the doctor. I recently came to know that it is better to use condoms instead of Femilon pills. We have a 5 months old baby and my wife breastfeeds him. Should she discontinue using it?

A:Femilon (desogestrel + ethinyloestradiol) oral contraceptive pill should generally not be used during lactation because it can change the quantity and composition of mother's milk. Small amounts of steroids are excreted in milk and hence reach the baby. There is no evidence that such amounts can result in ill health for the baby but nevertheless as abundant precaution it is better to wean away the baby, who in any case is already five months old.