Birth Control Methods: Mums Share On What Worked And What Didn’t Work For Them

For family planning purposes or in a bid to prevent unwanted pregnancies, there are variety of options provided (read here). Talking to your gynaecologist for professional advice comes top on our list but if you are still in doubt, see what these mums have to say about their own options…

Nnenna Uche (31)

I’ve got four kids, though I initially planned to stop at two. The natural type of birth control that I adopted didn’t work for me. I got pregnant and had a set of twins. I knew I had to look for another way out. My doctor then advised me to go for IUD popularly known as the coil. He said it was safe, and has a high percentage of reliability even though it is not 100%. I spoke to a friend of mine who also confirmed that it worked for her. So I decided to try it out. It’s been two years now. The coil is amazingly cheap and you can even get it free at some health centers.

Side effect: I’ve noticed that my period is now heavier than what it used to be.

Yemisi Akinola (29)

Immediately after the birth of my son, I opted for the IUD but it didn’t work for me because a few months later, I became pregnant. It was an ectopic pregnancy for which I had to undergo an operation. Some people have attributed the failure to the fact that the IUD was not properly inserted in the first place. Whatever the case, I no longer have confidence in all these family planning stuff. My husband and I have decided to settle for the barrier method which is, to observe when I am ovulating and use condoms throughout that period. This is working for me.

Side effects: None, except the probability to miscalculate and get pregnant is very high.

Ineh Olisah (32)

I went for counselling after the birth of my baby and my doctor presented the various options of birth control to me. I opted for a particular type of coil when I was told has 99 percent guarantee without any side effects. What it does is that it works on my hormones, giving it signals that I am pregnant even though I’m not. I do not get to see my periods monthly, except for occasional spotting. It is internationally recognized and has been confirmed safe with no side effects.

Side effects: None