What are the best contraception options before and after pregnancy?
If you are planning a pregnancy soon, but not just yet, the most suitable method would be one that is easily reversible and does not impact your fertility. These methods include the combined pill, the progesterone only pill and condoms. The depo injection is best avoided as it can affect your fertility for up to 1 year afterwards. Implants and coils do not leave any affects on your fertility after they are removed, but there is often a waiting list at the GP surgery to have a removal procedure.
After a pregnancy, you will need contraception from 21 days later onwards. However, after a baby if you are fully/ exclusively breastfeeding – no formula milk, breastfeeding at night and having no periods, this alone is effective contraception for the first 6 months. This is called the “lactational amenorrhea method”.
If you are not fully breastfeeding and have unprotected sex 21 days after birth, you need to have emergency contraception. This may mean that you need to express and discard breastmilk, if it is the morning after pill, as it is excreted into breastmilk.
The mini pill (progesterone only pill), implant, and depo injection can all be started safely at any time after a pregnancy.
Use of the combined pill in women who are breastfeeding is outside the product license. If not breastfeeding, it can be started from 6 weeks after birth. Before 6 weeks it would only be started if you do not have risk factors for DVT.
The coil can be fitted from 4 weeks after birth, or within 48 hours of birth.
To read more about contraceptive choices after pregnancy, click here.