11.3  Advantages of postpartum and post-abortion family planning

There are a number of potential advantages in providing postpartum and post-abortion family planning services. You will have several opportunities to contact your clients during antenatal care and the postpartum period, so introducing family planning services can be more efficient and effective.

When a woman comes to you for prenatal care, you will have an opportunity to discuss infant healthcare, breastfeeding, and family planning as well. You can also introduce these ideas at early prenatal visits, and discuss them in greater detail as the delivery date approaches.

When you assist a mother during delivery, it presents another opportunity to offer information about breastfeeding and family planning. In some cases, this may be the only contact the woman will have with you. You can also integrate family planning with postnatal or child healthcare, for example when giving vaccinations.

The period following the treatment of abortion is also an opportunity for you to help women look at family planning needs. During this time, the assessment of each woman should include her personal characteristics, her clinical condition, and the service delivery capabilities in the community where she lives and where the services will be provided.

The initiation of family planning during the immediate postpartum and post-abortion period can lead to short- and long-term cost savings for both your clients and the health services.