Family planning is a way of controlling the interval between pregnancies as well as the number of children that you wish to have. Most families use contraceptives or undergo an agreed process of sterilization.
Planning your family in terms of childbearing is a vital practice and should start well before your first child is born. Planning should involve evaluating your current choices and discussing what might fit you better. Also, it calls for visiting a gynecologist to find out the appropriate planning method for both you and your partner in terms of health factors.
Upon the birth of your first child, it is advisable to choose a contraceptive that is acceptable for use during breastfeeding. It is worth noting that it is possible to get pregnant again just a few weeks after your child is born.
There are various benefits to family planning;
1. Preventing pregnancy-related health risks in women
Unintended pregnancies can pose a health risk to childbearing women, as the body requires some time to heal up entirely after a birth. When one is pregnant, the body undergoes various processes in order to accommodate the growing fetus. For instance, the back is stretched inwards as well as stretching of the stomach muscles, among others. Taking contraceptives after birth to allow some time before becoming pregnant again will help your body to recover from all these changes. If time is not allowed, one is likely to suffer back pains for their entire life.
Another health-related risk factor that occurs due to lack of proper planning is unsafe abortion. Women who have unwanted pregnancies may consider having an abortion. However, many hospitals are not willing to perform an abortion if the pregnancy has no complications. Hence, if a woman does not want to keep the pregnancy, they might opt to use unsafe methods to abort. This increases pregnancy-related health risks, which sometimes lead to death.
2. Contribute to healthy babies
Pregnancies that have only a short interval between them are associated with a slightly increased risk of complications. These include premature birth, smaller babies, or even the death of the mother or child.
Use of contraceptives gives a woman room to do the necessary planning for subsequent pregnancies. It also ensures that the already born child is getting enough care and attention before another is born.
From New Zealand state records, in the 1950s before dependable family planning contraceptives were discovered, it is reported that the infant death rate was about 26.3 in every 1000 births. A report of a significant improvement was published in 2012, which showed a rate of just 4.2 in every 1000 births. A lot of this improvement can be traced back to the use of modern planning methods. Therefore, proper contraception also helps to lower infant mortality rates.
3. Controlling population growth
Contraception also has economic benefits. It helps slow the population growth of a country, hence making sure that economic resources are not strained. This contributes to the growth of the economy and healthy and comfortable living for its citizens.
4. Empowering people and enhancing education
Contraception is a bridge to success for families who practice it. With contraception, people can take full control and make informed decisions as far as their sexual and productive health is concerned. Women can now further their studies and contribute even more to public life. For instance, they can pursue higher education and get jobs which were not available before the invention of reliable contraception. As adolescents, many girls risked having to drop out of school at an early stage of their academic life if they became pregnant.
When there are few children in a family, it becomes possible to invest more in each one. Those children who have fewer siblings will tend to go through their academic life more successfully. They can pursue any level of education they choose as compared to families with many children.
Bottom Line
Contraception is a vital practice that should be taken by anyone who cares about their health, their children’s future as well as the economy. All this is dependent on how well families handle birth control.
