Choosing the Right Birth Control: How Your OB-GYN Can Help You Decide
When you need birth control, you want to choose one that best suits your needs. There are many options nowadays, and choosing one can feel overwhelming. Each option has its own benefits, factors to consider, and potential side effects.
Fortunately, you don’t have to make the decision alone. Working with your obstetrician-gynecologist, or OB-GYN, can help. As a specialist in women’s health, your OB-GYN can explain your options and help you pick the birth control option that best aligns with your health, lifestyle, and family planning goals.
Why Choosing the Right Birth Control Matters
It’s important to acknowledge that birth control does more than prevent pregnancy. It plays several roles in managing your reproductive health, menstrual cycle regulation, and hormone balance. Birth control can help you manage symptoms of a range of conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and heavy periods. Choosing the right method can also help you support your long-term family planning goals, helping you decide if and when you want to conceive.
Furthermore, even if used for the sole purpose of preventing pregnancy, birth control affects your entire well-being. It can influence all kinds of things, from your mood to your weight and even your skin. Consulting with your OB-GYN ensures that you’re informed about your choices so you can weigh the pros and cons of each.
Types of Birth Control Available
There is a wide variety of different birth control options at your disposal. Each has its own means of effectiveness, and you may find some more convenient or less disruptive than others. Here, we’ll briefly look at some of your options:
Hormonal methods
- Birth control pills: These pills, which are to be taken daily, use hormones to prevent ovulation. They are highly effective but have to be used consistently. Some of their potential side effects include nausea, headaches, or mood changes.
- Patches: Skin patches release hormones and are to be swapped weekly. They’re convenient, but those who are sensitive to estrogen may experience skin irritation, nausea, headaches, and breast tenderness. Smokers should also be mindful, as they can increase the risk of blood clots.
- Injections (Depo-Provera): You might choose to get a hormone shot delivered once every three months. It’s known for its effectiveness, but it can manifest changes in your menstrual cycle and delay your return to fertility after stopping the injections.
- Implants (Nexplanon): A small rod can be placed under the skin that releases hormones for up to three years. Although it is a highly effective, long-term solution, it can lead to irregular or prolonged bleeding during menstruation, weight gain, and mood swings.
- Intrauterine devices (IUDS): These T-shaped devices are inserted into the uterus and last 3-10 years, with both hormonal and non-hormonal versions available.
Non-hormonal methods
- Cooper IUDs (Paragard): Copper IUDs are hormone-free, long-term solutions designed to affect sperm movement. They can cause heavier or longer periods and cramping, especially in the first few months after insertion.
- Barrier methods: These include condoms, diaphragms, and cervical caps. They’re less effective than hormonal options, and you have to ensure you use them correctly as per the instructions provided.
- Natural methods: These approaches include tracking ovulation and paying attention to fertility signs to avoid pregnancy. Significantly less reliable than other methods, it requires a lot of diligence, and even then, there are no guarantees they will work.
- Permanent solutions: Tubal ligation (for women) and vasectomy (for men) are surgical procedures for those who are certain they do not want any pregnancies in the future. There is a small—but still present—failure rate for these procedures.
Every method has perks and pitfalls, and discussing these with your OB-GYN before selecting one can help give you peace of mind.
How Your OB-GYN Can Help You Choose the Best Birth Control
While your personal lifestyle and health considerations are going to play a key role in finding the right birth control for you, your OB-GYN can help guide you as well. Here’s how:
- They evaluate your health history, reviewing any medication, pre-existing conditions, or past experiences with birth control, to help choose a safe and effective option.
- They can suggest options that you will be able to keep up with based on your activity level, travel habits, and personal preferences.
- They can help you choose an option that’s best for your future. Some methods may make natural conception more difficult down the road. In this case, you’ll want to consider shorter-term methods. For longer-term family planning, your OB-GYN may recommend more permanent solutions.
A professional consultation with your OB-GYN helps ensure you make an informed choice based on your health and goals.
Addressing Common Concerns With Birth Control
Like many, you may have some concerns about birth control. These fears are often inspired by myth or misinformation, but your OB-GYN can help answer all your questions and clear up any confusion. They can shed light on the following concerns:
- How birth control may affect weight gain
- Any impact on your long-term fertility
- Long-term health effects (although most modern methods are proven safe for long-term use)
- Side effects
Adjusting Your Birth Control Plan Over Time
Your need for birth control may change due to age, health conditions, or other life events, such as pregnancy and menopause. Continuing to include your OB-GYN in the conversation can ensure your chosen birth control continues to align with your needs. Be sure to consult your OB-GYN if your birth control is affected by major life events like:
- Post-partum changes, including breastfeeding
- Aging and hormonal shifts
- The development of any health conditions
Birth Control Options in Idaho Falls
Choosing the right birth control method is vital for your reproductive health, and working with a knowledgeable OB-GYN can ensure you make the best choice for your lifestyle and medical needs.
At Leavitt Women’s Healthcare, we offer expert guidance to help you navigate your options, whether you’re exploring birth control for the first time or reassessing after some changes.
Contact Leavitt Women's Healthcare today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced providers and get started with birth control today.