A pregnancy is a truly magical thing and something that will make you instantly into a family as opposed to a couple, and that will allow you to bring a life into the world. It’s truly special indeed, but when it’s unplanned this can certainly take some of the magic away from the situation.. While all of that is still true, you will unfortunately also be forced in this situation to bring up a child when you perhaps don’t have the finances, or when you had more life plans and things you wanted to do before being tied down by a child. Having children will completely change your life, and if you aren’t prepared for them this can make your life incredibly stressful and also mean that your child doesn’t get the upbringing they deserve.
In other words, a pregnancy is a beautiful thing when it’s planned – and to avoid any surprises you will need to make sure that you use suitable birth control methods.
Here we will look at birth control options that can help you to avoid bringing a new life into the world before you’re ready. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses and it’s important to find the best one that works for you.
Condoms: Condoms are the starting point as contraception in most relationships. If you are single but sexually active then it’s smart to carry condoms with you in case you should need them as they are fast acting and practical. Of course the downside of condoms is that they require you to stop and put them on, which can take away from an otherwise romantic moment. At the same time they can take away from some of the sensitivity (though ribbed and flavoured ones can add something to the experience). It’s for these reasons that once a couple has become long term and been dating for a while they will often move on to other methods of contraception. Note that it is also possible to get female condoms though these are less common.
The Birth Control Pill: The oral contraceptive as it is sometimes known is a great form of contraception that works in the long term and that is mostly very effective. However the downside of the pill is that it can somewhat mess with your hormones causing potential mood swings, weight gain and skin problems depending on your particular hormone balance. It may take a few attempts to get this right, and for those who are overweight doctors may not recommend it at all. There is also the fact that it needs to be taken constantly (leaving room for error) and the fact that it is somewhat unfair on the woman to be solely responsible for contraception.
Implant: An implant involves inserting a device, usually into the woman’s arm, that will release contraceptive hormones similar to the pill. The benefit of the implant is of course that it doesn’t need to be ‘remembered’ once it’s in. Once again though the hormone changes can sometimes have unexpected results, and it’s also a very uncomfortable process that can result in a lot of bruising around the arm straight after.
The Coil: The coil or ‘IUD’ is a plastic device that is placed inside the womb. This method can be difficult to insert for women who have not had children, and is not recommended for those with heavy periods (as it can make them worse). These work in two ways – by preventing the womb lining from accepting eggs, and by creating a barrier against the sperm. This tends to last around 5-10 years.
Vasectomy: Both men and women can have a vasectomy making this a bit more of an ‘equal’ method. This involves a small operation to basically prevent sperm from reaching the womb, though this is minimally invasive. It’s intended to be permanent, though in some cases the process can be successfully reversed.
Robert Kirk is a professional blogger and writes on contraceptive methods to help folks for birth control. He owns a blog named Johnnys In A Jiffy Condoms which offers various birth control options.
