If you’re sexually active but would like to avoid getting pregnant, birth control is a highly effective solution. Lonnie Morris, CNM, ND, FACNM, and Kate Keller, MSN, CNM, and their expert team at The Childbirth and Women’s Wellness Center in Clifton, New Jersey, offer a variety of birth control options to assist you with family planning. Call the office to learn more or schedule an appointment online today.
Birth control is a treatment that works to prevent pregnancy when you’re sexually active. Some birth control options contain hormones, while others don’t. They work by preventing ovulation, inhibiting sperm from reaching your eggs, or preventing embryo implantation in your uterus.
Common types of birth control include:
Barrier methods include male and female condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and contraceptive sponges, which work to prevent sperm from reaching your eggs.
Birth control pills are a type of birth control you take by mouth. They contain hormones that can prevent you from getting pregnant.
You can apply contraception patches directly to your skin. They release estrogen and progestin hormones for three weeks. During week four, you remove the patch before applying another one.
Contraceptive injections are long-acting, reversible, birth-control shots that use hormones to prevent pregnancy.
IUDs are tiny T-shaped devices your midwife can insert into your uterus to reduce your chance of getting pregnant. They contain copper or hormones that help prevent sperm from reaching your eggs.
Vaginal rings are plastic rings that release low doses of estrogen and progestin through your vagina. They can prevent ovulation and make it difficult for sperm to move.
Implants contain slow-releasing hormones. Your midwife can insert one under the skin in your upper arm. It’s long-acting, but you can get pregnant if you’d like to after your provider removes the implant.
Emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill, is a pill you take the morning after sexual intercourse to prevent ovulation, fertilization, or embryo implantation. It might be an option if other birth control methods fail.
To determine which type of birth control best matches your needs and preferences, your nurse-midwife reviews your medical history, completes a physical exam as needed, and discusses your lifestyle. They work with you to develop a customized birth control treatment you feel comfortable with.
Don’t take the chance of becoming pregnant when you’re not ready. Call The Childbirth and Women’s Wellness Center office or schedule an appointment online today to find a birth control option that’s right for you.
