Family

Planning
OBJECTIVES
1. Define family planning.

2. Discuss advantages of family

planning to the mother, father,
children and the community.

3. Identify the different methods

of family planning
WHAT IS FAMILY PLANNING ?
Family planning is the concern of married couple. It
is defined as planning of when to have children
and the use of birth control and other techniques
to implement such plans. Other techniques
commonly used include sex education, prevention
and managerment of sexually transmitted
infections, pre-conception counseling and
infertility.
 It is further defined in Primary Healthcare (1987)
published by the Department of Health as:

1. the number of children a married couple would want;

2. when to have the next baby;

3. to use responsible means to achieve the couple's

desired number of children;

4. to seek help so that childless couple will have children.

Purposes
Raising a child requires significant amounts of
resources: time, social, financial, and
environmental. Planning can help assure that
resources are available.
The mother should be at least 18 years old before
trying to have children in order to have improved
maternal and child health. If the couple desires to
have another child, it is healthier for the mother
and the child to wait at least for 2 years after the
previous birth before attempting to conceive (but
not more than 5 years). After a miscarriage or
abortion, it is advisable to wait for at least 6
months.
ADVANTAGES OF
FAMILY PLANNING:
To the Mother
1. After delivery, the mother enables to regain
her health. Her health can be fully recovered
within 2 to 3 years interval.
2. The mother could be given enough time for
treatment and recovery if she is suffering from
some chronic ailments such as: tuberculosis,
heart disease, anemia, diabetes, etc.
3. Young mothers (below 18) and old mother (over 38
years old) are prevented from getting pregnant because
it is dangerous for them to bear children at their age.
4. The husband and children could be given enough time
and opportunity to love and provide attention
5. She can give more time for herself, her family and the
community where she belongs.
Through Family Planning, the Children will
become:
1. Happy. Children could be properly attended and loved, hence they will live
happily in their homes with their parenta.

2. Secured. If there are few children in the family, all their needs could be well
provided such as adequate food, clothing, good education, etc.

3. Healthy. If the mother is healthy, children will also be healthy because the
mother can afford to buy nutritious food and vitamins for them.

4. Wanted and satisfied. The father and mother can attend to their growth and
development, if there are only few children in the family.
For the Father
1. The burden and responsibility in supporting his family will be
lightened, since he will be providing only for few children
whom he can afford to support.
2. The father can give his family a happy and contented life.
3. He will have enough time and opportunity to relate his wife
and play with his children.
4. The father can provide the family a good home, good education
and bright future.
5. He can give himself an opportunity for his own personal growth.
6. The father could be given enough time for treatment and recovery
if he is suffering from some chronic ailments such as: tuberculosis,
heart disease, anemia, diabetes, etc.
7. The father will not worry much of having additional child to
support if he is jobless.
8. He can participate actively y in his community's programs,
activities and projects.
9.The father is proud of his family, his wife who can attend to needs
and children and maintain herself as a loving partner
TO THE FAMILY
1. The family members have
more opportunities to enjoy each
other's company with love and
affection.
2. They have the opportunity to
have saving for the rainy days.
For the CommunityThe economic and social status of
the community will be:

1. They will have enough time to socialize with

the neighbors, participate in the school activities
of their children, neighborhood projects and
other civic activities.
2. The community will not be congested and the
health of the community members will be
improved. There will be playground for their
children, more open spaces between houses, land
for gardening, responsive
water/sanitation/waste disposal facilities; less
pollution because the community is not thickly
populated. Thus, the community is conducive for
harmonious relationship and a healthful place to
live in.
For the CommunityThe economic and social status of
the community will be:

3. There will be better job opportunities.

4. Extra resources (skills, money, material, time,
etc.) to share in the development of the
community will be available.
Methods of Family
Planning:
1. Tubal Ligation
•It is a method performed by a
trained doctor in the clinic or
hospital
•It is a permanent

•method for women. Women

who are non-pregnant can also
be ligated.

•It can be done immediately

after the mother has delivered a
baby or aborted.
2. Vasectomy
•This is a method for men which
is permanent.

• It is a method performed by a
trained doctor in the clinic or
hospital.

•A man who is vasectomized has

no more capability to make his
wife pregnant.
3. Pill
•To prevent ovulation and
pregnancy, a tablet can be taken
orally.

•The pill can be given only after

physical check up of a mother by
a trained health worker.
4. IUD
•The woman's uterus will be inserted
with a devise by a trained health
worker. Once inserted, the woman will
have usual menstruation.

•During the first day of use, the mother

will experience a temporary slight
discomfort.

•the sexual intercourse is not affected

nor the flow of the milk among nursing
mothers. The up can be removed by
tramite SM health worker once the
couple decided to have a baby and the
woman can become pregnant.
 5. Injectables
•It is a substance in liquid form that is
injected to the woman once in every 90
days.

•Ovulation and pregnancy is

prevented.

•Irregularities in menstruation may

sometimes be experienced by a woman.
Natural Family
Planning:
 • It is a method where in the couple will not have
intercourse during the days when the woman is fertile
A. Calendar or ovulating.

•Based on the records of the woman past menstrual

cycles for 6 months, the fertile or ovulation period is
calculated.

•The shortest cycle and the longest cycle are

determined.

•Twenty is subtracted from the shortest cycle and ten

from the longest cycle.

•The difference represents the beginning and the end of

the fertile period.

•A woman with regular menstrual cycle (28-30 days)

can be recommended to use this method.
B.Thermometer Method
To determine the fertile period of the women, this
method is used by taking basal body temperature for at
least 3 to 5 minutes by mouth in the morning before
getting up or doing any activity.

•Readings of the temperature should be plotted daily on

a graphing paper.

•The determination of the ovulation period is

determined after a slight drop of the temperature
followed by a steady rise after 24-72 hours.

•The woman is considered highly fertile during this

period and sexual contact must be avoided.
C. Cervical Mucus Method
•The fertile period of the woman is determined by this
method by examination of the cervical mucus.

•The woman experience wet/slippery sensation during

the fertile period, which usually occur from 12 to 16
starting from the first day of menstruation.

•The mucus is characterized by abundant, watery,

elastic and can be stretched from 6 to 12 centimeters
long which resembles the raw egg white.

•The woman is considered highly fertile during this

period and sexual contact must be avoided.
D. Sympto-Thermal Method
•The woman determines her fertile or ovulation period
and her infertile and safe period through this method by
observing everyday the changes in her cervical mucus
secretions, basal body temperature and other
accompanying body symptoms like heaviness of the
abdomen, abdominal pain, headache, irritability, breast
tenderness, low back pain, appearance of bluish or
blackish spots in the thigh or arms and pimples before
menstruation.
7. Condom
In order to cover the man's penis during intercourse. a
thin plastic or rubber sheath is used. During the
intercourse, this sheath catches the man's semen which
contains the sperm cells that enter the vagina which
fertilize the egg cells. Care must be given in its use so
that no semen escapes during the couple's contact.
Breast feeding
A substance called Prolactin is produced as the baby
suckles the breast. This prolactin acts in the ovary to
prevent ovulation. The more the baby sucks the
mother's breast, the longer the return of ovulation and
the likelihood of pregnancy is prevented.
8. A Health Worker can also be a part in the
family planning of couple.
•By giving planning concepts and information essential
to preventive measures in maternal and child health
care.

•She can identify and motivate priority target

population.