Is barrier method a method of Postpartum Contraception?. Find out more by watching this video by Dr. Nazira Sadique, T Nagar, Chennai, Cloudnine Hospitals. For more information visit cloudninecare.com

"Lactational Amenorrhea is a protection in the sense, that is if the lady is totally breast-feeding during the day and atleast 2 to 3 feeds at night, with no top up feeds and 6 months no menses, then it is protective. But it is little tricky in the sense that it offers good protection. So but it is upto maybe 90% or more. But you can still follow contraception. Maybe you can start after 3 months, if you are very confident and the other thing is that you will not get periods. When you are totally lactating or totally breast feeding the baby, then you may be in amenorrhea, that is not getting periods. So that means maybe you are protected for 6 months. Once again I am telling you, once the baby starts weaning or once the baby starts taking solid foods or starts taking the top up feeds, then the protection goes. So as you are going from the amenorrhea phase to the phase of menstruation, that small gap of period that you are not protected, then you can conceive. So Lactational Amenorrhea protects as long as you are totally breast feeding and no menses. Once the baby starts on other feeds, the protection is gone"

"Postpartum contraception is like a family planning in the sense, that is after the child is born, say the first child is born, then you see everything for the child till the child goes to school. Then at that time you do not want to be burdened with another pregnancy very quickly. So you are going to plan your family. So after the child is born, then you have to taken the decision to do something and adopt a temporary contraception of your choice so that you will plan the pregnancy after the child starts going to school, say after the child is 3 years old or after the first child is 5 years old and it also gives you enough time to recuperate from your first pregnancy. After the delivery every woman has to recuperate herself, has to get back into shape, improve her health, improve her anaemia if she was anaemic earlier and whatever the medical problems that she has had during the pregnancy she has to come out of it. So she has to give her enough time so that she recovers herself for the next pregnancy. So it is kind of a family planning method"

"Postpartum contraception is very very safe. Nowadays the government recommends insertion of the copper T soon after the delivery of the placenta so that you won’t know how it is being inserted also. But ofcourse it is done with your consent. You can even opt for that, whether it is a normal delivery or a C-section. Once the placenta comes out, the Copper T, can be put in place so that it can be left there for 3 to 5 years, which is your choice. The safety wise, it is your chive. So you can opt for Copper T, Copper T, is very safe. It does not interfere with lactation and it can be that there can be Copper T available that can be inserted for upto 3 years or upto 5 years and even upto 10 years and if you are worried about bleeding for menstrual problems or a heavy flow, then you can go for a hormone containing device called as mirena. It will not cause increased flow during menstruation and a mirena can be even kept in place for upto 5 years. That is also recommended. All of the, Copper T, is called as a long acting contraceptive devices. So it can be kept in place as long as you want it to be there, say 3 years, 5 years or 10 years. Injections are also quite safe. It will also reduce the ;lactation. It can be taken once in 3 months without a break. That means you should not prolong it. Once your doctor has advised that it has to be taken on a particular date, then it has to be taken within a week of that date. Don’t prolong it, because then it will become a failure and you van conceive of you prolong the next injection. So you have to keep in mind that the injections have to be taken every 3 months and the pills that are taken after delivery, that will not compromise on the lactation is that the tablet which has to be taken everyday, for you can take it upto 1 year or 2 years and then change over to a different type of contraception. So again the choice is yours. All the 3 methods are very very safe in the post-partum period. So once the baby wean, then is it starts taking the oral other soft diet other than milk than other top up feeds, then you can opt for a different method if you feel a Copper T does not suit you. Can opt for another methods. Say after 6 months or 1 year. But follow something so that you get adequate space between the first child and then next child"

"Actually we do not for see any complications with any of these methods, because say once suppose you are on a Copper T. Once you remove, then the fertility returns immediately and then it is the same way. Injectables, maybe the ovulation will start taking place, maybe a few months once you stop. It may vary form 6 weeks to 3 months once you stop the injection and it is the same with the progesterone only pills that is started soon after the delivery. So there is no problem with regaining the fertility status. So if at all there is any problems then it can be taken care by consultation with your gynaecologist and it is not a major complication. If at all you might get a displaced Copper T. But if you come for a regular follow up, and that can also be picked up and taken care of. So there is not very many complications with the patients with the contraceptive methods that have been suggested to you so far"

"Combined hormonal methods are combined hormonal oral contraceptives. Actually the combined hormonal methods, injectable is not again available in India. You have different forms. You have pills, you have patches, you have rings, you have oral pills and then it should be started within the first 5 days of periods or if you are switching over from one contraceptive to another, then it has to be started off immediately. Suppose if you are removing the Copper T, then you start the combined oral contraceptive immediately and then for the first one week, follow additional precautions or you can start it within the first 3 days of your periods and each pill pack will have a 21 day pills. The government supply has an extra 9 tablets of iron tablets. So at the end of it you will have a withdrawal bleeding and then you will start having a regular menstruation. So again you have to start the best pill pack within the first 3 days of the next periods. The same combined oral contraceptive is also available if you are not able to tolerate orally. Like if you are having nausea and vomiting, you don’t like it, but you want the contraception, then the same thing is available in the ring for, which can be inserted in the vagina a little high up. It is a small ring the pessary type within the 5 days of periods, kept in place for 2 weeks and then removed, then a day or two, you might start off your menstruation. So a new ring has to be fitted in place within the 5 days of periods and then the combined oral contraceptive is available as a patch, which can be applied over the skin. But unfortunately it is not available in India. But that patch if anybody is travelling abroad, then you can ask for it or ask your local doctor there and use it. It has to be changed every week for 3 weeks. Like of you are starting it on a Sunday, then you remove it and then you put a new patch the next Sunday. Like that you have to follow for 3 weeks. The once you stop it, you will have a bleeding, like a menstruation. Then you again go for a patch, 5 days after your menstruation, for 3 weeks. So the concept is the combined oral contraceptives are taken for 21 days, whether it be an oral pill or a ring or a patch, it is 3 weeks, so that at the end of it, you will have a menstruation like the regular mensuration it has to be followed every month, but you have to make sure that if you are taking oral pills not to forget it. Take it in the regular manner, say that if you are taking it in the night, take it every day in the night so that you will remember"