You love your family, and want to plan out its growth to fit with all of your unique needs. Birth control offers you ways to manage fertility, so that you can have children when you’re ready to do so. You can also prevent conception if it’s not a good time to welcome a baby.
Experienced OBGYN Dr. Mary Grace Bridges and the team at Women’s Health Partners of the Permian Basin support your family planning goals. Consult with Dr. Bridges at her locations in Odessa and Midland, Texas, about the best type of birth control for you to use during this phase of your family planning.
Here are four of the reversible and effective birth control options available to you that you should know more about if you want to get pregnant some day, but maybe not today.
The birth control pill was one of the first types of contraception available, and many people still prefer the flexibility and convenience of the pill over other birth control methods. The birth control pill uses synthetic hormones to prevent conception and implantation.
The pill is available in multiple strengths and formulations, so you can find an option that doesn’t leave you suffering from side effects. You need to take your pill at about the same time each day to prevent pregnancy most effectively.
If you want to become pregnant, it’s time to stop taking your birth control pill. You should know that it can take 1-3 months for your cycle to normalize after going off of hormonal birth control, which may affect your family planning.
You can effectively prevent pregnancy with barrier methods like regular or female condoms, cervical caps, or diaphragms. Barrier methods prevent the sperm from making contact with the egg. Latex condoms also protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
If you’re thinking about trying to conceive sometime soon, condoms may be a good choice for you. In order to be effective, condoms need to be properly used every time you have sexual intercourse. However, it’s also easy to discontinue using condoms when you’re ready to get pregnant, with no need for any waiting before trying to conceive.
Nonhormonal spermicide creams and pH-regulating vaginal gels stop sperm from moving in your body, so that fertilization and pregnancy can’t occur. These products go into the vagina immediately before sexual intercourse, so you control their use completely. You can also pair spermicide with barrier methods like condoms or cervical caps.
IUDs provide long-lasting and highly effective pregnancy prevention that’s also easily reversible. Here’s how this type of birth control works.
Dr. Bridges inserts your t-shaped IUD into your uterus through your cervix, the opening at the top of your vaginal canal. You can opt for an IUD that releases hormones (MirenaⓇ) or an IUD made of copper, which is a natural spermicide (ParagardⓇ).
Inside your uterus, your IUD continues providing effective contraception for multiple years without you needing to do anything more. But, if you’re ready to get pregnant, Dr. Bridges can quickly and easily remove your IUD, reversing your birth control. IUDs are a type of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC).
There’s a lot to consider when picking family planning methods and types of birth control. To find the best path for you and your family, consult with Dr. Bridges and the team at Women’s Health Partners of the Permian Basin. Schedule your appointment online, or give us a call now.
