When you bring your beautiful new baby home, your top priority is their comfort and care. The last thing you want to think about is birth control.
After you’ve given birth, your body is recovering and providing all sorts of nutrients for your newborn. You certainly can’t get pregnant again for a while, right?
The truth is, women can and do get pregnant soon after birth, and for most families, it’s not the best timing for ushering in a new sibling. There are plenty of birth control options available to new moms, but you want to be certain that whatever you use, it will be safe for you and your baby.
Dr. Peter Khamvongsa and the team at the Miami Institute of Urogynecology and Minimally Invasive Surgery know that welcoming your little one into your life is one of your happiest moments, but you still have to remember to take good care of you.
Dr. Khamvongsa’s expertise is matched only by his caring nature as he evaluates every aspect of your postpartum experience to give you the best recommendations.
The idea that somehow you can’t become pregnant soon after giving birth is one of many misunderstandings people have about postpartum fertility.
Women can become pregnant:
It’s true that women who breastfeed exclusively, at least every 4-6 hours, for the first six months of their babies’ lives, are less likely to ovulate and become pregnant. But women’s postpartum hormonal changes are extremely varied. There are no guarantees that pregnancy can’t occur.
Some women also ovulate before getting their first postpartum period. Many women ovulate between 45 and 94 days after childbirth, but some ovulate sooner, and you might be one of those women.
Because of these realities, Dr. Khamvongsa will want to discuss birth control options with you prior to you giving birth.
The good news is that virtually all of them are. It just depends on how much time has elapsed since you gave birth, your health, and your personal preferences.
Dr. Khamvongsa realizes that you’re likely concerned about taking anything orally, and worried about harmful substances seeping into your breast milk.
He goes over all the pros and cons of every contraception method available to you:
IUDs and birth control implants can be inserted directly following your birth, whether vaginally or by C-section, or at your first postpartum checkup, and the same is true for receiving the birth control injection.
A small amount of hormones from hormonal birth control methods can enter your milk supply, and there are some concerns surrounding those that contain estrogen and when it’s alright for nursing moms to use them. Dr. Khamvongsa counsels you on any risks, depending on which oral contraceptive you take.
While the LAM method seems natural, it’s not reliable, due to the differences in when women ovulate after childbirth.
No matter which birth control method you choose, you get guidance on these sexual health questions from Dr. Khamvongsa all along the way.
Your life will be turned upside down once your baby arrives, in the most wonderful of ways. However, you’ll likely be tired and on a steep learning curve as you get to know your baby.
The best time to have a conversation about how you’ll handle birth control in the weeks and months that follow your baby’s birth is well before that happens.
Dr. Khamvongsa helps you decide which method is right for you based on your individual health history, your family medical history, and your current lifestyle and preferences.
There’s no way to explain how your life will change after your baby’s birth. If you’re set with a contraception plan that’s solid and sound, you can enjoy every moment of those first few months of motherhood. Call our office to talk about birth control options and other postpartum concerns, or use our simple online booking tool.
