Terri Ramsey Beavers Sexual abstinence is the only guaranteed way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and most women will only welcome a pregnancy when they have planned for childbirth. However, if you are sexually active or in your child-bearing years, consistent contraceptives will be your only solution. Planning your family is not only beneficial to you as a mother; it spans its benefits over to your children and husband. Dr. Kirk and his team of professionals in family planning and infertility in Napa help their patients with family planning services to be in control of their family sizes.
Why do you need to plan for your family?
Spacing your babies with a minimum of two years gap will minimize your medical worries and result in healthier babies. Additionally, planning for pregnancy will help you avoid financial, social, and health problems you will likely face with an unplanned baby.
What are your available birth control options?
Birth control is an option you choose to prevent getting pregnant. There are several birth control techniques available for women. Your doctor will discuss your options and personal needs before making any recommendations. The various comprehensive methods include:
- Birth control pill. The pill is filled with hormones to stop ovulation. It also prevents fertilization and thickens your cervix’s mucus, making it less possible for the sperm to swim to the egg. For the pills to be effective, you need a plan to help you remember to take them daily.
- Birth control ring. Unlike the shots and pills, the ring only requires you to wear it inside your vagina. The ring contains the estrogen and progestin hormones that your body absorbs through your vaginal lining. For the ring to be effective, you must make sure to change it on time, every time.
- Birth control shot. The birth control injection is a shot your doctor will prescribe every three months. It contains progestin, the hormone responsible for preventing ovulation. The shot’s advantage is, you can start using it at any point. However, your doctor will advise you to use another birth control form like a condom at specific dates of your menstrual cycle.
- IUD. The IUD is one of the most effective and long-term birth control options your doctor will advise you to use. Intrauterine devices are in two forms; the copper and the hormonal. While the hormonal IUD uses progestin to prevent you from getting pregnant, the copper IUDs are wrapped in tiny bits of copper.
Why should you contact your doctor about infertility?
Infertility is an issue affecting many couples. You need to contact a fertility expert if you are above 35 years old or if you have been having unprotected sex without any form of protection for more than 12 months and there are no signs of conception.
Your doctor will help you evaluate your infertility worries and prescribe a personalized treatment option to increase your ovulation or help you get pregnant through intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Do not let infertility and birth control worries plague your mind when there is a solution. Your doctor will advise you to contact him for all your birth control concerns. For more information on how to plan your pregnancies, book an appointment today.
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