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Some women using various family planning methods share their experiences of battling the myths and misconceptions surrounding their use with PUNCH HealthWise. They noted that despite gaining weight, they are happy to have the number of children that they and their husbands can cater to. ANGELA ONWUZOO reports
“I never knew that things will be so hard in Nigeria today. I thank God my husband and I embraced family planning 10 years ago and stopped at three children,” says Mrs. Deborah Babawale, who is using the injectable family planning method.
The 38-year-old trader whose husband is a bus driver said she ignored all the myths and misconceptions surrounding family planning and chose the method that suits her for her good and the good of her family.
According to her, her decision and choice 10 years ago to embrace family planning are paying off as she and her husband can take care of their three children.
Sharing her experience with PUNCH HealthWise, Deborah said though using contraceptives made her slightly gain weight, that remains inconsequential to her citing the benefits of having a small family, especially with the current economic situation in the country.
Deborah recounted, “I had my third and last baby who is now 10 years on March 10, 2013. I gave birth to my first baby in 2010 and the second one in 2011.
“There was no space between them which I blamed on ignorance. But there was a space between my second and third baby.
“I come from a large family. My mother gave birth to eight of us. I am the fifth child. My mother, who is late now, was a petty trader and my late father was a painter.
“So, they struggled to feed us and were only able to train some of us up to secondary school level because of poverty. They told us that they had no money for our university education. That was how I was unable to get a university education.
“After several efforts to get my uncles’ support to sponsor me failed, I vowed that I will never have plenty of children like my parents.”
Poverty denied me tertiary education
The Oyo State indigene told our correspondent that if she had had the privilege of tertiary education, she would have studied law and would have been better off than selling kitchen utensils on the Island.
“I like the law profession a lot because I love justice and equity. My uncles failed to train me in the university and trained only their children because they said they were not the ones that told my parents to have the number of children that they could not take care of,” the businesswoman said.
On how she was able to achieve her aim of having fewer children, the mother of three narrated, “Luckily, when I got married in 2010 and I discussed with my husband that we should have only three children and he agreed because he too had a similar experience like me.
“They are 11 in their family. So, after my last baby in 2013, I told some of my friends and aunties that I wanted to go for family planning. Some of them responded to me negatively.
“They told me that I would gain a lot of weight and that I would be having heavy menstruation and all that.
“But I ignored all the negative things that they said and decided to give it a try. So, I went to a healthcare centre near my area in Yaba. When I got there, they directed me to their family planning section, and the health provider that I met there attended to me and explained all the methods to me.
“After that, I decided to use the injectables. Since then, I have been using it and it is working for me. Although it made me add some weight, I am happier using it and gaining weight than having the number of children that I cannot take care of.”
Enjoying sex without fear of getting pregnant
Continuing, she said, The only side effect that I have seen so far is weight gain. All the other negative things that I heard were all lies. I enjoy sex with my husband without fear of getting pregnant. All I do is take my injection every three months.
“A bag of rice in 2013 when I had my last child was sold between N6,000 to N7,000. But a bag of rice is now sold for between N30,000 to N33,000. What about the rise in the cost of their school fees and books? Things are tough in this country now,
“Despite the high cost of living now, my husband and I don’t need to struggle to feed them because they are few.
“And we are going to train them in school up to the tertiary level. Imagine if they were seven or eight, what would our living conditions be today?
Family planning weapon to conquer poverty
“For me, family planning is the way to go for any couple that wants to conquer poverty and give their children the best in life, especially good education.”
Mrs. Alice Ukaegbu, 32, is another mother enjoying family planning.
The Lagos resident and indigene of Imo State said, “I have four lovely children. My last child is six years old. I started using injectable family planning in 2016, six months after I gave birth to him. I was encouraged by a health worker at Shomolu General Hospital to do it. Since then, it has been working for me.
“It, however, made me gain some weight. But I am not bothered because it is helping to prevent pregnancy.
“My husband and I are doing well with the four children that we have. We can cater to them. And I have peace of mind each time I have sex with my husband because I am not afraid nor worried about getting pregnant.”
Alice, a fashion designer told our correspondent that a lot of women desiring to have fewer children are not on any family planning methods for fear of gaining weight.
The issue about weight gain, she insisted, will not hold her back from using family planning until she enters menopause.
Weight gain can be controlled –Experts
Maternal health experts say some of the family planning methods like the implant, injectables, and oral tablets are hormonal methods and therefore, can cause weight gain.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with PUNCH HealthWise, President, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, Dr. Habib Sadauki, said those experiencing weight gain by using contraceptives like injectables and implants should be active and control their diets.
The consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist also urged them to try other methods like the Intrauterine devices which he said do not cause weight gain.
The SOGON president said, “Weight gain in the use of some of these methods can be controlled by controlling your diet and what you eat. If you do that, the weight gain should not be that much.
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