Contraception choices after the birth of your baby

So you have just finished giving birth and have now brought a beautiful baby into the world, now its probably the only thing you think and care about. The baby is your new life, however unless you want to go from 1 baby to 2 babies you really should think about contraception straight away, even if you have no plans on having sex for a while.

Women tend to be extra fertile for the first few months after pregnancy and this means that you’ll have more chance of becoming pregnant. You may not be planning on another baby, but one is likely to come along if you do not take precautions before sex.

You can start having sex as soon as your ready to after the birth, a lot of couples tend to use most of their energy on getting used to having and caring for the new born baby, some experience emotional and physical changes, and some seem to lose their sex drive all together. Me and my partner never had sex for the first month or 2, however once you gain confidence with the baby, and get used to planning him into your life and stuff, your sex life will start to return to normal, the first couple of times you have sex afterwards it will likely be unplanned and you’ll be unprepared unlike you are already aware of contraception.

You periods will return at around 6 weeks after the birth, if you are fully breastfeeding they may not return until you stop or breastfeed less. You can start using contraception again from 3 weeks after the birth, do not think that because your not having a period you cannot get pregnant, this is untrue as many women end up pregnant again before their periods even return. If you are fully breastfeeding you can use this as your contraceptive.

Condoms and the progestogen-only pill can be used at any time, the implant can be used from 3 weeks and providing that you are not breastfeeding you can used the combined pill, contraceptive vaginal ring, and the patch from 3 weeks.

The contraceptive injection can be used earlier but is recommended that you wait until week 6 before using it.

A diaphragm or cap can be used from 6 weeks after giving birth.

What contraception should i choose?

The contraceptive that will suit you best will depend on your preferences, your medical history and any medication that you may be taking, whether or not you had problems during pregnancy and whether or not you are breastfeeding.

A lot may also depend on whether or not you want a contraceptive that you take/use one and it lasts for weeks (for e.g. the injection) or whether you want one that you have to use daily (for e.g. the pill).

If you want a contraceptive that you have more control over then i would recommend the contraceptive patch or diaphragm or cap because with these contraceptives your fertility returns to normal pretty much straight away plus its not a contraceptive that you need to remember to use everyday.

Other recommendations are condoms, and either of the pills. Some contraceptives are not recommended if you are breastfeeding but not using it as a contraceptive, check with your doctor beforehand.

If you want a more permanent contraceptive (not recommended at teenage years by some doctors) you can go for the implant, injection, IUD or IUS.