Restoring sexual activity after childbirth is a delicate and complex issue, and the issue of protection often goes to the background. However, very often there are situations when the possibility of conception is restored in a young mother even earlier than her desire to lead a sexual life. And this means that there is a chance of a second pregnancy. If you want to plan your family , then protection after childbirth must be carefully thought through.
What is better to protect after delivery?
This question is asked by many mothers. The answer to it directly depends on whether the woman is breastfeeding, or whether her baby is growing on artificial feeding. For a woman who does not breast-feed, preventing pregnancy after childbirth is no different from the usual situation. She can be protected in any way convenient for her, consulting her gynecologist regarding the presence or absence of contraindications. As a rule, women choose the habitual way of protecting them, for example, condoms or hormone tablets. However, it should be remembered that it is not necessary to resume sexual activity within 4-6 weeks after childbirth, in order to prevent the development of complications, completely recovered both physically and psychologically.
If the mother is determined to feed the baby in the coming months, then the choice is much more complicated. When breastfeeding hormones are not allowed, therefore, barrier means of protection must be used. Methods of protection after childbirth in this case are reduced to condoms, local remedies, for example, candles, some mothers, in the absence of contraindications, choose uterine spirals, but the issue of protection in this way should be solved only with the doctor. For example, uterine spirals can not be established earlier than six weeks after delivery, while some women resume sexual activity within four weeks. Therefore, sometimes thinking about what can be protected after childbirth, women are forced to combine different means to achieve maximum comfort.
When to start to be protected after childbirth?
Another important issue is when to start using the means of protection. Experts believe that breastfeeding without any complementary feeding, the mother is protected from a new pregnancy after birth at least up to six months, but sometimes with intensive feeding menstruation can not be restored until the year after childbirth. An obligatory condition is the presence of one or two night feedings. However, it should be borne in mind that every woman has her own hormonal system, and besides, not all women breast-feed without the introduction of a mixture, and therefore rely on this method can not always be. Sometimes, even with intensive feeding, menstruation can recover after 4 months and even earlier, and without breastfeeding after childbirth a woman is protected from pregnancy for no more than four weeks. This means that already two weeks before
Doctors answer the question whether to be protected after birth is positive, because when menstruation is restored in each specific case it is impossible to predict, and the woman's body needs at least 1.5-2 years in order to recover after pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding. However, the methods of protection after childbirth should be determined with the doctor based on the characteristics of the woman's health status and the desire of the couple. In any case, contraception should be safe, effective and convenient for both the woman and her partner.