Everyone dreams of having their own family one day. Just the idea of our dream house, filled with the sounds of cooing babies, can send anyone into a baby fever. However, liking children or wanting a large family doesn’t mean that we’re ready for this immense responsibility. Before starting this journey, several factors are important because it’s one of the most important and decisive decisions of one’s life. If you’re hasty about this step, you will not only negatively impact your life but also that of your innocent children.
There’s no reason to feel rushed when it comes to starting a family. Family planning is a process by which you can control the number of children you have, space them out, and plan your pregnancies carefully. Family planning often gets a bad rep, but it comes with many benefits for the whole family. If you’re interested in learning more about how family planning helps you have a happier life, keep reading below.
- Contraceptives come with a host of health benefits
People often assume that contraceptives come with health drawbacks, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Pregnancy takes a heavy toll on a woman’s body and comes with lasting repercussions. Women experience many difficulties in pregnancy, ranging from weakness, pains, nausea, and other physical and mental health complications. Pregnancies can be significantly harder on women with existing health complications or younger or older women.
Furthermore, repeated pregnancies can be incredibly damaging on not just the woman’s health, but the baby’s too. One of the most significant benefits of using contraceptives such as the morning-after pill is that it helps women have greater agency over their bodies. Unwanted pregnancies can be incredibly damaging to both mother and child and can even cause death. Without access to contraceptives, women may need to seek shady abortionists or use other dangerous birth control methods.
Contraceptives like the Morning After Pill can help you prevent unwanted pregnancies for up to five days after having unprotected sex. It can help you space out pregnancies and protect your health.
- Better relations with existing family members
Having a baby isn’t just a burden on the woman’s body but can affect the entire family significantly. Even couples who have thought carefully about whether they want a baby can find themselves overwhelmed when the baby finally arrives. If your pregnancy is unplanned, you might experience emotional disturbances in the family. Parents often need to devote much of their time and resources to caring for younger children, making the older siblings feel neglected.
However, caring for a young baby can be incredibly challenging, and both parents need to be on board to make it work. If one parent feels like they weren’t ready, it may sow seeds of resentment in the relationship. Notably, family planning ensures that all family members are on board before you make this life-altering decision. Pre-pregnancy counseling can help you assess whether you and your family are ready for this responsibility. With everyone on board, you can make the most of this beautiful new chapter of your life.
- Personal advancement
Many imagine pregnancy and having children to be a limited-time affair. However, it isn’t just the gestation period that is difficult. Families, and women especially, need to devote a large chunk of their time to giving their children the care they deserve. Babies rely entirely on the mother for their physical and emotional development. Any neglect can lead to long-lasting consequences later in life. Therefore, women often sacrifice personal achievements to care for their children.
Most women face a wall of bias when it comes to working as mothers. Besides, many pregnant women often get fired because employers feel uncertain about their ability to work effectively. Others also face challenges in getting hired, despite laws that forbid workplaces from pregnancy discrimination. These challenges can significantly limit a woman’s personal and professional development.
Family planning can help women wait until they have a stable job to work during their pregnancy. It can also help them attain their personal goals and build their self-esteem before giving birth. When mothers have high self-esteem and confidence, they can pass this on to their kids to make happy and healthy families.
- Lighten the burden of supporting a large family
Supporting a large family doesn’t just come with emotional baggage but a hefty financial burden too. Parents often need to work multiple jobs to create a stable life for their children. While they may support their family financially, they end up with a limited role in their children’s everyday lives. In many cases, such a situation leads to many emotional disturbances. Parents need to save up for their children’s college funds while paying for daily expenses too. Many families need to shift housing to accommodate larger families, taking a considerable chunk out of their savings.
Conversely, having smaller families or thoughtful family planning can help you financially support children. There’s no shame in not having children or spacing pregnancies because of financial reasons. It means that when you do have children, you’ll be able to provide them every amenity they deserve.
Conclusion
While the prospect of a baby in the house may be thrilling, it’s essential to understand the myriad responsibilities that come with pregnancy. Being unprepared won’t just impact your life but will have lasting consequences for your innocent child. Therefore, it’s essential to consider family planning if you and your family want to have a healthy and happy life.
Comments are closed.