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After pregnancy, many women
want to delay or
avoid getting pregnant again
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- Providing family planning to women for
use after pregnancy can save lives and
improve health and quality of life
- Many contraceptive methods can be used
soon after pregnancy
- Integrating contraceptive services into
maternal and child health services can
be highly effective
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After pregnancy, many women want to delay or avoid getting
pregnant again. Providing family planning information and services
to women after pregnancy can improve the health and quality
of life of women and children. It can even save their lives.
Effective contraceptive services provided after pregnancy help
women who want to delay or prevent subsequent pregnancies choose
contraceptive methods that are safe, effective, convenient,
and best meet their short- and long-term family planning needs.
Many contraceptives can be used successfully soon after pregnancy.
Providers must learn which methods are appropriate for each
woman during this period, the timing for initiating these methods,
and how to counsel clients accordingly. This is especially important
for clients who are breastfeeding. Because some contraceptive
methods can be initiated immediately after delivery or abortion,
providers ideally should discuss family planning before labor
and birth, or abortion.
Meeting the contraceptive needs of women following pregnancy
is an important component of maternal and child health services
and services that provide abortion or treatment for abortion
complications. Integrating family planning services with other
health services can be a highly effective way to reach these
women. Providers, program managers and policy-makers who look
for ways to integrate services can benefit both clients and
their health-care systems.
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