Sex, Pregnancy and Birth Control

Sex, Pregnancy and Birth Control

Becoming pregnant starts with sex or making love if that sounds a little more romantic to you. It's very important to discuss your sexual activity and the need for birth control and the possibility of becoming pregnant with your physician.

Often the physician recommends to start adding certain vitamins to your diet before trying to conceive. The reason for this that as better the female body is prepared to conceive, the better the chances of becoming pregnant are. It is also important to note that taking special vitamins before conceiving can lead to a more healthy pregnancy and help to have a healthy baby when it is born.

There are four basic forms of birth control: chemical, barrier, intrauterine devices, and fertility planning.

1. Chemical

Oral: Birth control pills, which are taken orally.

 Injections: Injections to the woman's body with chemicals, which prohibit conception

2. Barrier

Examples of barrier methods are condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and anti-sperm methods such as sponge, jellies, foams, and creams, which impede or delay the sperm in its efforts to reach and fertilize the ovum.

3. Intrauterine Devices

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are small flexible devices made of metal and/or plastic that prevents pregnancy when inserted into a woman's uterus through her vagina.

4. Fertility Cycle Planning (also called Natural Family Planning):

Avoiding or seeking pregnancy based upon the fertile cycle of a woman.

Using birth control is counterproductive when trying to become pregnant. While some sorts of birth control can be immediately stopped of being used, others should be discontinued months before actually trying to become pregnant. The reason for this is that certain kinds of birth control temper with the hormones of the female body. The female body should have enough time to get back to normal hormone levels before trying to conceive. If a woman is using birth control pills it can take up to one year before she can become pregnant.