your new family family planning
choosing contraception
Birth control options, from a doctor’s point of view
BY LYNSEY CALDWELL OWEN, MD, FACOG
When you are still pregnant or the parent of a newborn, it might seem a bit strange to hear your healthcare provider asking you which method of birth control you would like to use — but it’s actually a very important part of postpar- tum planning. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that
the best interpregnancy interval (time from the end of one pregnancy to the beginning of another) is between two and fi ve years. Pregnancies conceived outside of this time frame may have a slightly increased risk of certain complications. This means that the majority of new moms should be
considering a reliable method of contraception early in the postpartum period. There are factors that may change the WHO recommendation. Your provider is the best resource for your specifi c questions. Most women are advised to abstain from intercourse
for at least six weeks after delivery. As there are increased risks with using certain birth control methods less than a month after your baby’s birth, it may be best to wait until one month postpartum to start many of the available op- tions, which still gives at least two weeks of use to establish effi cacy prior to resuming normal sexual activity. The fact that many breastfeeding moms may not have
regular periods does not mean that breastfeeding alone is a reliable method of birth control. Most doctors advise an additional option. The top doctor-recommended, reversible methods of postpartum contraception, ranked in order of effectiveness, follow.
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