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Which Birth Control Method?
Changing Your Birth Control After Pregnancy
By Teri Brown
The last thing (or perhaps the first thing!) brand-new moms want to think about are their birth control options. Either way, postpartum is the perfect time for it.
Breastfeeding your newborn is no guarantee against an unexpected pregnancy, and the birth control method you used before becoming pregnant may no longer be feasible, for various reasons. The transition period between birth and when you resume your sexual activity is a good time to sit down with your partner and discuss your options.
Heather McCutcheon from Calgary, Canada, was on birth control pills when she became pregnant. This was enough to get her thinking about using another method after she gave birth. "After having my son, I learned that birth control pills can cut your milk production in half because of the effect it has on prolactin," says McCutcheon. "We decided to switch to condoms." Like many other couples, pregnancy changed the McCutcheons' contraceptive needs, and childbirth gave them the perfect opportunity to make a switch.
Dr. Laura MacIsaac, director of family planning at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, says there are several reasons women might want to change their contraceptive after pregnancy. Dr. MacIsaac suggests that one reason may be that some women feel overwhelmed by their new role and want something that is convenient and easy.
"Many women feel the need to simplify life in any way possible while they are caring for a new baby, so they may move from a high-maintenance method to a low-maintenance method," says Dr. MacIsaac. "For example, changing from oral contraceptive pills (the need to remember daily is high maintenance) to an IUD, ideally placed at the postpartum visit with an obstretician or midwife."
Other reasons may include wanting an increase of effectiveness, to avoid hormones of any kind or an awareness of new options. "Many women learn about new methods during their antepartum care that they had not previously considered, and with encouragement of their obstetricians, make a change for something easier or more effective," says Dr. MacIsaac.
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