Let’s talk bedroom matters. Sex is good. Who doesn’t love sex…I call it natural sweetness…not the sweetness of mercury sugar……not the one of honey…..I won’t describe it. I know you know how it feels.  However, sex is a bitter sweet thing for any sexually active people. I am not talking about STD’s….(I want to believe all my readers are faithful to their partners and vice versa)…am talking about pregnancy. First of all, there is nothing wrong with being pregnant. Many of us love babies…..they are so sweet and adorable... the problem is how and when they come. We all want to have babies when we are ready…mentally, financially, emotionally etc. The only sure way to achieve this through family planning. The elephant in the room is, how do you get to know the type of family planning that is suitable for you? The first thing you need to know is how family planning works. So how do they work? There two types of family planning: Hormonal and Non-hormonal. Let’s just focus on hormonal family planning for now.  The two types of hormones contained in family planning are estrogen and progesterone. The overall goal of hormonal family planning is to suppress ovulation (the release of eggs from the ovaries). The other way in which hormonal contraception works is by preventing conception by preventing the sperms from reaching the cervix. The estrogen stimulates production of thin watery mucus by cervical glands while progesterone promotes secretion of thick cervical mucus. The mucus basically acts as a thick boundary wall that prevent sperms from entering. Is it clear now? This is what you need to know.  Hormonal methods do not protect against HIV/AIDS or other STIs. There are family planning that contain either of the hormone and some contains both (combination). This is the catchy part. Which family planning is suitable for you.

1. Estrogen-only contraceptive- Now, if you are breastfeeding, avoid Estrogen pills and injections. Estrogen is associated with low milk supply hence a shorter duration of breastfeeding. You don’t want to do that for your baby. Please do not shy away from telling the doctor or the pharmacist that you are breastfeeding. However, it doesn’t affect all mothers. The only way to prove that it won’t affect your breast milk supply is through experience. I would advise that you not to try it.
2. Progestin-only contraceptives-This is the most appropriate for breastfeeding mothers. It is best given after 6 weeks post-partum (when attending the first baby’s clinic). So for breastfeeding moms, you can ask your doctor for any of these: progestin-only pill (POP) also called the “mini-pill”, birth control injection (Depo-Provera), progesterone releasing IUD (Mirena, Skyla), birth control implant (Implanon, Nexplanon).
3. Combination contraceptive- They contain both estrogen and progestin. They are mostly in form of pills with different amount if each hormone. The most common type is low dose which contains 20, 30 or 35 grams of estrogen. The pills do not prevent pregnancy immediately so it’s advisable to use condoms for the first 7 days to avoid pregnancy. Stick to one brand of pills and if you must change, buy the one with the same amount of hormone distribution. The pills affect the menstrual cycle and most women miss their periods for that month which is a clear sign that she didn’t conceive.  Again, I would advise breastfeeding moms to avoid combination contraceptives.  If you have heart disease, yellow disease , stroke, paralysis, varicose veins, high blood pressure, smoke and over 35 years of age, diabetic or epileptic.

Apart from breastfeeding moms who else should be careful with the type of hormonal family planning methods they should use:

• Women with breast cancer- Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have a hard lump on their breast should avoid hormonal contraceptives. While the methods do not cause cancer, they are said to make it worse when using it. So, in case you get detected with cancer, the first thing you should do is to remove the hormonal contraceptives.
• Pregnant women-Pregnancy come in with a lot of hormonal changes. Introducing more hormones in your body will just cause a lot of imbalance and could affect the pregnancy.
• Women with abnormal bleeding- Some of these hormonal contraceptives lead to heavy bleeding for some women. Hence not advised to administer for someone who already has a bleeding problem.

Before I conclude, I would like to mention some of the side effects of hormonal contraceptives:

1. Nausea
2. Headache
3. Irregular bleeding and spotting

If any of these side effects persist, please consult with you physician. Because am sooo pro breastfeeding, this is what I want you to remember. Family planning suitable for you is the one that is progestin-only. Don’t forget Progestin!!!!! Oky…. Next week I will give a full description of each type of family planning. Both hormonal and non-hormonal. You don’t want to miss out. So, like and follow me on facebook not to miss. Thanks for passing by. If you like it, share it with your girlfriends, friends and sisters… See also: https://old.wowmom.co.ke/introducing-proteins-to-your-babys-diet/ Hit the button below to like us facebook.