Planning your next pregnancy if you want more children — or preventing a pregnancy if you don't — is important. Spacing pregnancies at least 12 months apart will give your body time to fully recover. In the meantime, using reliable birth control is the best way to prevent pregnancy until you decide if and when to have another baby.

Women who have just given birth should wait three weeks before using birth control that contains both estrogen and progestin. This includes the pill, the patch, and vaginal ring. Using these methods in the early weeks after giving birth increases the risk of dangerous blood clots. Wait six weeks to use birth control with both estrogen and progestin if you delivered by c-section or have other risk factors for blood clots. These risk factors include obesity, history of blood clots, smoking, or preeclampsia.

Women have many good choices for birth control after giving birth. Keep in mind that breastfeeding alone isn't a foolproof way to prevent pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about your birth control options.