Family Welfare Planning

Planning the time, size and welfare of the family is an important issue for all married couples. Family planning is an important part of any couple's life and is a decision that every couple must take in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies and deliveries. Use of contraceptive methods for family planning also ensures a timely gap between pregnancies, ensuring that too much physical stress is not put on the bodies of mothers.

Birth Control or Contraception

The time of pregnancy can be planned as desired by the couple with the help of different contraceptive methods of birth control designed to prevent pregnancy which could either be hormonal use (on advice from a doctor) or the use of barriers to prevent sperms from getting to the eggs. These barriers include the use of condoms or intra-uterine devices such as diaphragms, cervical caps, and contraceptive sponges.

Some Important Questions

• When should I have my first child after marriage?

Bearing a child is an important objective of marriage. It is an individual choice when to have the first child. In general, it is better to relate pregnancy to the age of both parents, especially the mother.

The ideal reproductive age for the mother: Late teenage to 30 years. The ability to get pregnant starts to decline after age 30. It is better to have an early pregnancy in case of a delayed marriage, possibly within the first year. In the case of an early marriage, one can wait for a year or so.

There are likely medical and other health complications of bearing a child after the ideal age. Moreover, an early completion of family helps in better child-rearing.

• What should be the ideal duration between the first and second child?

It is always better to give an interval of about 3 years between the first and the 2nd child. This allows an adequate recovery of the health and nutritional parameters of the mother. By 3 years of age, the first child also develops enough physical and functional maturity.

• What should be the total size of the family?

In present times, having two children is the ideal norm for any family. It is an individual’s choice to have only one child. The gender of the children should not matter at all in deciding the total family size. It is God's choice and any interference is unnatural and illegal.

• When to seek medical counseling/treatment in case of a delay in pregnancy?

One should seek consultation with an infertility specialist in case of a failure of pregnancy to occur after 6 months of normal physical co-habitation of the couple. It is important to give a chance for pregnancy to occur in a natural way. A relaxed, stress-free family life is essential for this purpose.

There are many methods of family planning, ranging from the use of condoms to oral contraceptive pills or surgery. Contact us today for more advice about the best option for you.