Story of the Month
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| Preventing Unwanted Pregnancy |
Pregnancy is always a surprise-for the first-time parents just starting out in life, to the couple with three children who are veteran parents, to the grandparents who are thrilled at the prospect of seeing little feet patter around their halls again. You have so much fun playing with the infant before they learn to walk, and then you end up following them for the rest of their formative years. Because they depend on us for so much, children need stability, safety, and emotional support. Most people would agree with the above sentiments, and yet many pregnancies don't start out this way.
Half of pregnancies are unplanned in the United States, and over a quarter of women have had at least one unplanned birth. Unplanned pregnancy can occur to the married couple who, well, just sort of forgot the primary principle of pregnancy-if you have sex and don't actively prevent it, you will get pregnant. Unfortunately, most of the unplanned pregnancies don't occur in such a stable environment for the developing infant. The ideal situation, of course, is one in which there are two parents who love each other; one in which one or both parents have an adequate, stable job; where no one drinks too much or takes drugs, etcetera.
Too many times, however, single women (and many times, teenagers) are the ones who discover they're pregnant. This is such a tragedy! Sometimes, the pregnant teen is certain of paternity-but not always. No matter how she decides to deal with such a monumental event, her life's path will forever be deflected in a different direction. Many times in this situation, the mom drops out of school or ends up not going to college. She forgoes many opportunities to become a cultured, educated, and independent individual. Because she wasn't planning on getting pregnant, she may not realize right away that she's pregnant and then doesn't get prenatal care as soon as she should. All right already! What can be done to make this happen less often?
Rule of Life: If you have sex and don't actively prevent it, you will get pregnant!
If you're a teenager or a single woman
Just remember the Rule of Life above. You ought to have your male partner use a condom to prevent one or both of you from getting a sexually transmitted infection. Gonorrhea is out there! and so is chlamydia, trichomonas, HIV, hepatitis, syphilis…you get the picture. Sometimes, a guy doesn't recognize that he is carrying one of those awful infections, and he can unknowingly pass it to you.
How about birth control pills? Now granted, they won't keep you from getting one of those infections, but they're really, really good at keeping you from getting pregnant. They have a lot of other benefits as well-like making your periods more regular, lighter, and less painful; like lowering your lifetime risk of getting cancer of the ovary and uterus, and much much more. That way, even if you forget to have him use a condom (but that won't happen, right?), at least you won't risk the chance of becoming a mom before you're ready.
One last thought for you single women. Even if you're not sexually active-you have to ask yourself this question. Under the right circumstances, could I end up having a sexual encounter if the right guy were available under the right circumstances? If the answer is even possibly yes, then keep a few condoms in your purse and consider talking to your doctor about birth control pills.
What if I just had a baby?
You're fantastic! That's what you are. You're devoting so much time and energy to another person. You are to be cherished and admired. Also, you're going to need all the energy you can muster (and probably more), to keep yourself going so you can keep rearing this beautiful baby. What can you do to keep yourself from becoming pregnant before your body has even recovered from this pregnancy? Well, if you're bottle feeding, the answer is easy-you can use birth control pills, a vaginal ring, maybe an IUD (see below), or have your partner use a condom. Just talk to your doctor, and she or he can give you good information so you can make the decision that's right for you.
If you're breastfeeding, good for you! You probably shouldn't take the usual birth control pill, at least when you first start breastfeeding, since the estrogen in it could decrease your breast milk. On the other hand, there are "mini-pills" that have the other hormone only-progesterone-and these work pretty well. Using the mini-pill is a sort of backup to help keep you from ovulating. After your breast milk has "come in", you can always switch to a regular birth control pill. Usually, but not always, breastfeeding (exclusively) keeps you from ovulating. You and I both know people who just had a baby and then discovered they were pregnant. Remember, there are plenty of ways to keep that from happening to you!
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What if I'm married, but I'm not sure I'm finished having kids?
Don't make any hasty decisions! Unless you're 100 percent certain you're through with having kids, then don't sign up for a tubal ligation procedure. Apart from the stuff mentioned above-condoms, birth control pills, the vaginal ring-you're probably a great candidate for an IUD.
The IUD, or intrauterine device, is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy for up to 5 or 10 years, depending on the type. It's immediately reversible (removable), so you can always have another baby; and once it's put in at the doctor's office, you don't have to think about contraception. One kind, in fact, can help your periods be better too! It's got progesterone in it, and a quarter of women who use this IUD stop having periods all together after three months of having it in. The other women who have periods will have lighter and more regular flow-who doesn't want that?! You won't know you've got it inside you, and your partner won't notice it's there-and it's almost certainly covered by your insurance carrier. That's another reason why so many people like them.
There are some myths out there about IUDs, and this keeps them from being used as often as they probably should be. First, IUDs do not make it more likely that you'll get a sexually transmitted infection. If there's a chance the guy you're with could pass something like that to you, just wear a condom. Second, IUDs do not permit conception (when the sperm and the egg meet). Some people used to think that the sperm and the egg meet, but the new embryo can't implant in the uterus-so in effect it causes a really early abortion. Not so!
What if I know I'm finished having kids?
Congratulations! If you have decided you're not having any more kids-remember the Rule of Life-if you have sex, and you don't actively prevent it, you will get pregnant! Many married couples forget that rule, only to discover that one more's on the way. A lot of times, they're over 40 years old and don't feel up to the challenge of "starting over" with diapers, the terrible twos, potty training, school plays, science projects, etc. Don't let that happen to you!
You can use birth control pills-these are great at keeping your periods lighter, less painful, and more regular. You can use an IUD-when the 5 or 10 years is up, you can always get another one put in. Although most people aren't interested in this choice, you could always keep on using condoms every time you have sex. But what if you don't want to do the above options and want a procedure done-like vasectomy or getting your tubes tied?
Vasectomy is (obviously) a guy thing. You, as a woman, are technically still fertile; but as long as you're only with the partner who's had a vasectomy, chances are extremely small you'd ever become pregnant. Just have your husband or male partner talk to a urologist.
Many women say to me-"yeah, yeah-I know vasectomies are great. But my partner doesn't want to have it done. Can I get my tubes tied?" Other times, the husband or male partner is willing to have a vasectomy, but the woman wants to know that no matter what happens, she will never get pregnant again. She is a great candidate for having a tubal ligation-type procedure.
Tubal ligation
If you have a C-section, you can have your tubes tied right after the baby's out. If you have a vaginal delivery, you can have your tubes tied later that day or the next day. Your doctor will make an incision in your belly button, find the tubes through this small incision, and perform the procedure. If you're six weeks out from having your baby (or even six years), there's another good way to get your tubes tied. The doctor makes a tiny incision in your belly button (with you completely "out of it" in the operating room) and a tiny incision in the middle of your tummy way down by the pubic hairline. It takes about 30 minutes, and you can go home an hour or two after the procedure. There is also a way to perform this with no incisions. By going through your cervix with a small camera, plugs can be placed in both tubes. This can be done in the hospital or in-office.
Just Be Prepared!
Having children is such a wonderful event in life, and with it comes a whole bunch of responsibilities. Most people agree that the best way for a child to be brought in to the world is when there's a husband and wife who love each other, where one or both of them has a stable income and health insurance, and when the pregnancy is planned.
When the pregnancy is planned, prenatal care can start really early and be the most beneficial to the mom-to-be and the baby. Make sure, when you embark on your parenting career, that you're ready and excited to enter a new and wonderful phase of your life. If you're finished having kids, make sure you continue to prevent pregnancy-just because you've made the decision to stop having children in your mind doesn't mean it won't happen anyway. Happy parenting!
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