Contraception
Approximately 6 weeks after the delivery you will be able to have sexual contact again, because your womb will have recovered and the blood loss will have stopped. It is usually unclear when the first ovulation after the delivery will take place, which means that you could get pregnant without noticing. You could get pregnant as soon as 4 weeks after the delivery. It will take about 9 months for your hormonal balance to return. If you do not want to get pregnant again (yet), consider what type of contraception suits you.
The type of contraception best suited for you is dependent on a number of factors. For example, are you are breast-feeding, would you like to get pregnant again soon or do you wish not to have any more children; your situation will influence your choice of contraception. During the pregnancy or the puerperium we will provide you with information about a number of different contraception methods. At the follow-up check six weeks after the delivery this topic will be discussed again.
Types of contraception
Hormonal contraception
These types of contraception contain hormones (progestogens and oestrogens) that prevent you from getting pregnant:
• combined pill
• contraceptive plasters
• vaginal ring
These types of contraception only contain progestogens
• hormonal coil (Intrauterine system)
• mini-pill
• hormonal implant
• hormonal injections (If you stop with hormonal injections it can take a while before you get pregnant again. We do not recommend this if you would like to become pregnant again soon)
Hormone-free contraception
• copper coil (Intrauterine device)
• condom
• diaphragm
Definitive methods
• Sterilisation of the woman
• Sterilisation of the man
Below is an overview of hormonal contraception methods
| Suitable when breast-feeding? | Insert frequency | Who, what, where? | Can I delay or skip my period? | Can I get my fertility back quickly? | |
| Combined pill synthetic | No | 21-28x per 4 weeks | You, take a pill | Yes | Yes |
| Combined pill body’s own | No | 21-28x per 4 weeks | You, take a pill | Yes | Yes |
| Contraceptive plasters | No | 3x per 4 weeks | You, plaster on the skin | Yes | Yes |
| Vaginal ring | No | 1x per 4 weeks | You, ring in your vagina | Yes | Yes |
| Progestogen-only pill | Yes | 28x per 4 weeks | You, take a pill | No | Yes |
| Contraceptive injections | Yes | 1x per 12 weeks | General practitioner, injection under the skin or in muscle | No | May take a year |
| Hormonal implant | Yes | 1x per 3 years | General practitioner, implant in your arm | No | Yes |
| Hormonal coil (Intrauterine system) | Yes | 1x per 5 years | General practitioner or midwife, coil in your uterus | No | Yes |
Hormone-free contraception methods
| Copper coil (Intrauterine device) | |
| Suitable when breast-feeding? | Yes |
| Insert frequency | 1x per 10 years |
| Who, what, where? | General practitioner or midwife, coil in your uterus |
| Can I delay or skip my period? | No |
| Can I get my fertility back quickly? | Yes |
More information?
www.anticonceptie.nl is a website that helps you choose from the many types of contraception available. By answering a number of questions your personal preferences will become clear quickly.