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The hormones in your body will take some
time after childbirth to return to normal. The resumption of your
periods, which means that you are fertile again, will depend on your
personal cycle and whether or not you are breastfeeding. If you are
bottle-feeding, you may start ovulating again after 21 days to 45 days,
whereas fully breastfeeding mums may have their periods back only after
six months or later.
It is true that breastfeeding mums are naturally protected to a certain
extent from falling pregnant again. However, this may work only if you
are breastfeeding exclusively, your periods have not returned and your
baby is under six months of age.
However, when you are still recovering from the birth of a baby, the
last thing on your mind is probably to make love again. After some
time, though, you would want to resume your sex life. Unless you and
your spouse are planning to have another baby soon, it therefore makes
sense to consider contraception and choose the right family planning
option for yourselves.
Combined Birth Control
Pill
Containing two synthetic hormones,
oestrogen and progesterone, this pill works by stopping ovulation. It
actually causes the cervical mucus to become much thicker so that the
sperm will not be able to get through the cervix and into the uterus.
At the same time, this pill also prevents the uterine lining from
building up each month so that the egg cannot implant itself.
Condom
The condom is the best family planning
option in the first few months after the birth as your cycle is still
erratic and thus, you may not get the dates right.
Contraceptive Implants
Six thin, flexible rods filled with
progesterone are fitted into the upper arm so that ovulation is
controlled for the next five years. Implants can be done 21 days after
your baby is born.
Injectable Contraceptives
Like the pill, they stop ovulation. The
injections can be done within five days after childbirth and repeated
every 12 weeks. There is, however, a small risk of bleeding so this is
not recommended until five or six weeks after delivery.
Intra-Uterine Device (IUD)
An IUD is a small coil which is inserted
into the uterus to prevent the sperm from reaching the egg. The lUD
needs to be changed only every three to five years. Some newer models
contain small amounts of progesterone, which are released slowly over
year period.
Mini Pill (Progesterone only)
This birth control pill contains only
progesterone, which causes a mucus 'plug' to form in the cervix, thus
preventing the sperm from entering the uterus. In some cases, it also
stops ovulation.
Natural Family Planning
This includes methods such as coitus
interruptus (withdrawal by the male just before ejaculation) and
counting and therefore noting the days in a month when you are not
fertile. These methods are not entirely reliable, but they have been
used by many couples who have become very skilled in them.
Sterilization
This procedure is only for those who are
100 per cent sure about not wanting to have any more children as it is
an irreversible operation. Vasectomy is carried out on the male whereby
the tubes carrying the sperms are cut and tied. For the female, a tubal
ligation is carried out whereby the tubes carrying the eggs are cut and
tied.
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