What about birth control?

Sex after pregnancy requires a reliable method of birth control. If you're less than six months postpartum, exclusively breast-feeding and haven't resumed menstruating, breast-feeding might offer about 98 percent protection from pregnancy. However, research suggests that the contraceptive effectiveness of breast-feeding varies.

To reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and other health problems, limited research suggests waiting at least 18 to 24 months before attempting your next pregnancy. Your health care provider will recommend thinking about your desire to have more children and pregnancy spacing before you deliver your baby.

Your options immediately after delivery include:

• A contraceptive implant, such as etonogestrel (Nexplanon)
• A copper or hormonal intrauterine device (IUD)
• Progestin-only contraceptives, such as the contraceptive injection medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) or the minipill norethindrone (Camila, Ortho Micronor, others)

Birth control methods that contain both estrogen and progestin — such as combined birth control pills — pose an increased risk of blood clots shortly after delivery. For otherwise healthy women, it's OK to begin using combined birth control pills and other types of combined hormonal birth control one month after childbirth. Although birth control methods that contain both estrogen and progestin have long been thought to decrease the milk supply of women who are breast-feeding, recent research suggests that this is not true.

Talk to your health care provider during your postpartum visits about birth control options.