- It is a way of life; an informed decision by an individual or a couple as to when to start having children and how much time in between births
- It promotes quality of life for the entire family
- It is an affordable, safe and effective way to have children when a couple wants to have them
- It includes helping couples who may be having infertility problems have children.
Frequently Asked Questions
on family planning/Child Spacing & methods
What is Family Planning/Childbirth Spacing?
What are the benefits of Family Planning/Childbirth Spacing?
To Mothers:
- Allows her to rest between pregnancies in order to regain her health and strength so that she will reduce the risk of complications during or after pregnancy
- She will have time to be able to develop herself and contribute financially to her upkeep and her family
- It allows her to give more attention to her husband and love him more
- Mothers will have less anxiety and stress
- By delaying the next pregnancy, she is able to spend quality time with each child
- She will be able to breast feed for a longer period, thus providing her baby with nutritious food and protection from diseases.
To Fathers:
- Able to provide for the family including financial needs
- Fathers will have less anxiety and stress
- Able to spend quality time with family
- Better able to fulfill a father’s role of giving guidance and support to his children
- Have quality time for his wife. This promotes a closer relationship between them.
To Children:
- Feel loved as parents are able to give them good care and more attention
- Will not have to work to support the parents
- Better health and education opportunities.
What modern Family Planning/Childbirth spacing methods are available in Nigeria?
- Pills (including the mini pill for nursing mothers)
- Injectables (taken every 2 or 3 months, depending on the type selected)
- Implant
- Intra-Uterine Device (IUD)
- Male Condom
- Female Condom
- Exclusive Breastfeeding Method (LAM)
- Tubal Ligation (BTL – permanent method for women)
- Vasectomy (permanent method for men).
Do some Family Planning/Childbirth spacing methods have side effects?
Yes. Some of the modern methods have side effects. Side effects are not signs of illness. Some women do not have them at all. Most side effects become less or stop within the first year. A client should go back to her provider for help if the side effects bother her.
Does Family Planning/Childbirth spacing cause infertility?
No. For some methods, return to fertility is soon after method is removed or discontinued while for others there might be some delay. In time, the woman will be able to become pregnant.
What is the best method of contraception?
There isn’t a best method of contraception. There are different reasons for using FP. Some families use FP to space their children and some do not want any more children. The best method is the one that suits you. See your health provider to make the choice that best suits you.
Can Family Planning/Childbirth spacing methods fail?
Yes. However, if a FP method fails, it could be because it is not used correctly. This can be if a person does not use a condom every time or if a person misses pills for too many days.
Is it possible to combine more than one method ofFamily Planning/Childbirth spacing?
Yes. However, this decision should be based on discussions with your provider. For example, people may use the pill and wear condoms to protect against both pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including HIV.