Categories: HEALTH & WELLNESS

6 Ways Not to Get Pregnant

You just gave birth – congratulations! Now, have you thought of how to prevent another pregnancy while you are bonding your new little one? I know this isn’t the first topic on your agenda these days, but you will love and need to have some time alone with this baby before thinking of another child on the way. I had cesarean sections with my children, so spacing the pregnancies and surgery was a must for me. Having your children so close together is also hard on a mother both physically and emotionally. Here are 6 ways not to get pregnant. A must read for all new moms!

Breastfeeding

Can you get pregnant while breastfeeding? Yes and no, as one of our family members did get pregnant during her lactation days. Breastfeeding does reduce the risk of pregnancy for about six months after delivery, but only if you follow two conditions religiously. You must nurse at least once every four hours during the day and every six hours during the night.

Barrier methods

Using non-hormonal contraceptives that prevent sperm from entering the uterus is recommended by many obstetricians and poses no risks for the breastfed babies. They come in foam, gel, cream, and suppositories. It’s an added protection, just in case your nursing schedule doesn’t fit the protocol above. Other methods are using condoms and diaphragms with spermicidal.

Intrauterine devices

There are many IUDs used today that prevent pregnancy safely and are very effective. Some may stay in the uterus for up to 10 years if necessary.

Depo-Provera

Your doctor can give you this hormonal injection every 12 weeks, starting at six weeks postpartum if you are breastfeeding and even after five days if you’re not nursing. Depo-Provera claims to be 100-percent effective, but the drawback is that you cannot get pregnant for up to 18 months after your last injection.

Progestin-only low dose birth control pills

There are concerns that regular birth control pills with estrogen can curtail a nursing mother’s milk supply. This led to using the progestin-only pill that is considered safe and effective. This pill must be taken at the same time every day. If you are not nursing, the combined oral contraceptive pills and patches work well.

Sterilization

After three children, I felt that our family was complete. I then chose for a tubal ligation (where my fallopian tubes were surgically blocked) while giving birth to our last child during the cesarean operation. For mothers birthing naturally, this simple operation can be done at a later time with a simple laparoscopic surgery. Fathers can also choose to have a vasectomy (where the vas deferens is blocked), which is 99-percent effective.

So motherhood does have its ways to prevent or delay a pregnancy by these methods. Discuss with your partner and doctor which method is best for you.