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Birth Control after Baby

© Trula Breckenridge

I often think that the best part of being a teen parent is that time is on your side. Because teen mothers are so young, they can space their children as many years apart as they like and still be young when the next one comes along. Take me for example. I was 17 when my first was born, my daughter. A good five years later I had my second child, my oldest son. Three years after that I had my third child, my youngest son. My daughter will be twelve in May, and should I want another child I still have plenty of time. I am 29.

While a teen mother also has the option to have children who are close in age, there are important reasons why you may want to wait some years before having the next one. For one, your education. Generally speaking, how much you earn correlates to your level of education. For two, getting on your feet and becoming and staying independent. Not becoming pregnant again right away is probably the single most important thing you can do as a teen parent to help attain this. With that in mind, let's talk about birth control.

Abstinence - Ok, I will mention it. Abstinence wasn't practical for me as a teen mother because I stayed involved with the father for three years following the birth of my daughter, from 17-20. I realize that once a sexual relationship has started and especially after a child has been born, it is very difficult to stop it. I do think that in situations where the relationship has dissolved, there is no reason to jump right back out there. Just because you had sex as a teen and had a baby as a teen doesn't mean that you have to continue having sex. If you are not involved with your baby's father anymore, it might be a good time to take stock of your situation and be by yourself for awhile. You can use abstinence for a period of time to get yourself together without the complications a new sexual relationship can bring, on top of having a baby.

Condoms and other barrier methods - When used properly and with consistency, condoms are very good for preventing pregnancy as well as veneral disease. Out of every 100 women whose partners use condoms correctly and each time they have sex, only 2 will become pregnant. It is also a very cheap method of birth control. A box of 10-12 condoms runs about six dollars. If your partner is hesitant or you yourself are some-timey about condom use 100% of the time, you should also use another form of birth control. Other forms of barrier birth control are the diaphragm, cervical caps, and the female condom. The diaphragm and cervical caps work by covering the cervix, which blocks the opening to the uterus. Not very effective because with perfect use, 40 out of 100 women who have had a baby before will become pregant within the first year of use. Unless you have an allergy to latex, condoms have no harmful side effects.

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