Family Planning: Contraception After Birth
Family Planning: Contraception After Birth
If you do not use Birth control (contraception), you could get pregnant quickly, even after giving birth. In the weeks following childbirth, or the postpartum phase, birth control helps prevent unwanted pregnancy and enables you to plan your family. Planned pregnancies result in healthier babies and fewer health issues for the mother. Family planning helps you avoid the social, financial, and health problems you would face if an unplanned pregnancy happens.Postpartum Ovulation
After delivery, ovulation usually does not return until at least six weeks postpartum if you are not breastfeeding. But if you are, ovulation may be delayed. It usually returns in around six months. This is because breastfeeding and the hormones associated with milk production suppress ovulation from returning. A woman ovulates before her period returns. Because of this, if she is trying to avoid pregnancy, she can miss the signs that she is ovulating. This is how some women get pregnant without their periods returning.The Right Time To Choose Birth Control Method
While you are still pregnant is a good time to decide which birth control technique you will opt for after giving birth. It is advised that you begin using contraception around three weeks after delivery. There are many available choices for women. If you believe your family might be complete, sterilisation and other long-acting methods should be discussed. Choose an option that is easy to discontinue if you wish to have more children soon.Considerations in Choosing Contraception
Consider the following factors when choosing postpartum contraception:- Timing – Several birth control methods can be started immediately after giving birth. The other methods require weeks or months to be implemented. It is crucial to bear in mind the methods that suit your body and lifestyle.
- Breastfeeding – Most methods are safe to use while breastfeeding. Only a few are not recommended during the first weeks (normally six weeks) of breastfeeding because they could reduce breast milk production. An example of this is the combined oestrogen and progesterone pill.
- Effectiveness – The contraception you opt for before pregnancy might not be the ideal option after childbirth. For instance, the cervical cap and sponge are substantially less effective after delivery.
- Frequency – There are contraceptive methods, such as the intrauterine device, which are given once every few years. The others require a daily, weekly, or monthly commitment, like birth control pills. Thus, aside from the previously mentioned factors, you must also consider how frequently you would like to use contraception.
- Health Issues – You may also want to consider your existing health conditions and discuss the suitable birth control method with your doctor. It is also important to ask about the possible side effects of the recommended contraception.
Postpartum Birth Control Options
Here are the common postpartum contraceptives used in Singapore:- Lactational Amenorrhoea
In the first six months after giving birth, mothers who are exclusively and frequently breastfeeding and have not yet had their period are protected from getting pregnant. This is also called breastfeeding as birth control. It is only a temporary method based on the natural way your body prevents ovulation during breastfeeding. The time between feedings must not be longer than four hours during the day or six hours at night. LAM might be impractical for many women. - Barrier Methods
As its name implies, the barrier methods’ function is to prevent the man’s sperm from reaching the woman’s egg cell. Examples include spermicide, male and female condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap, and sponge. After giving birth, condoms and spermicide can be used whenever you like. When the uterus and cervix have returned to their usual size, the cervical cap, diaphragm, and sponge can be employed six weeks after delivery. In postpartum women, the sponge and cervical cap are significantly less effective. - Hormonal Methods
Breastfeeding women can also consider hormonal methods like pills and injectables. Firstly, birth control pills, vaginal rings, and patches are contraceptive methods that contain the hormones oestrogen and progestin. Their primary function is to prevent ovulation. Pills are taken daily; a vaginal ring must be inserted every three weeks; and a skin patch must be applied every week for three weeks. Secondly, there are birth control pills that contain progestin only. They prevent the sperm from fertilising the egg and are taken twice a day. Progestin-only pills can be employed immediately after delivery. Lastly, birth control injection contains a type of progestin and works by preventing ovulation. You may get your first dose after childbirth. - Intrauterine Device
It is a tiny, T-shaped device inserted into your uterus to prevent pregnancy. It works by changing how sperm cells move so they cannot reach the egg cell. IUDs can be inserted right after childbirth or during your first postpartum visit. There are two classifications of IUD: copper IUD and hormonal IUD. Copper IUDs (sperm cells do not like copper) protect you from pregnancy for up to 12 years, while hormonal IUDs (release progestin) are approved for three to eight years of use. - Sterilisation
It is a safe, highly effective, and permanent form of contraception if you wish to prevent pregnancy permanently. For women, tubal ligation is a simple surgery performed to close off the fallopian tubes. The most common method is by clipping them close. On the other hand, a vasectomy is a surgical procedure for men that involves cutting off and sealing small tubes in the scrotum that carry sperm. Sterilisation is almost 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.
Optimal Child Spacing
Child spacing refers to the period allotted by the parents between pregnancies. Optimal child spacing means having children two to three years apart. It is crucial because a woman’s body needs enough time to recover from pregnancy and childbirth fully. It also promotes child survival by having more time to breastfeed and tend to your child and more resources for child care because of the sufficient interval between having children. Family planning counselling and contraception play a key role in birth spacing and reducing the risk of poor birth outcomes.Conclusion
Planned pregnancies through birth control methods promote mother and child survival and reduce the risk of adverse birth outcomes, such as preterm birth (when a baby is born too early) and low birth weight. Consult a gynaecologist in Singapore and inquire about what contraceptive method would work best for you.References
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https://www.healthxchange.sg/women/post-pregnancy/contraception-after-pregnancy-faqs#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20contraceptive%20options,are%20barrier%20methods%20like%20condoms.
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https://www.singhealth.com.sg/patient-care/conditions-treatments/laparoscopic-bilateral-tubal-ligation
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https://www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com/services/specialist-centres/urology/services/vasectomy/
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https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1062/pregnancy-resuming-sexual-relations-and-contraception
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https://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/features/vasectomy-tubal-litigation-options
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https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/combined-hormonal-birth-control-pill-patch-ring
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https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Contraception-after-childbirth#contraception-that-is-safe-if-you-are-breastfeeding
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