Your home is complete with children. Birth control options are available to head into the next chapter of your life. This may mean a vasectomy for him or a tubal ligation for you. Which is best?
Birth Control Options: Mom or Dad?
David Aichholz, OB-GYN at The Christ Hospital Physicians says you have options.
“For men, a simple vasectomy is done in the office of a urologist under local anesthesia in most cases,” he explains. “This is quick and easy with low risks in terms of complications,” he adds.
Or, women can have a tubal ligation or to have the fallopian tubes removed entirely. These are permanent birth control options that reduce the chance of getting pregnant to 1 percent.
Many OB-GYNs offer “laparoscopic surgery” where they remove the entire tube. A “tubal” can be easily performed following a C-section, says Aichholz. The tubes on either side of your uterus are removed after delivery, although not after a vaginal birth. Today’s doctors prefer to wait after you have recovered to remove your tubes.
“For men, a simple vasectomy is done in the office of a urologist under local anesthesia in most cases,” he explains. “This is quick and easy with low risks in terms of complications,” he adds.
Or, women can have a tubal ligation or to have the fallopian tubes removed entirely. These are permanent birth control options that reduce the chance of getting pregnant to 1 percent.
Many OB-GYNs offer “laparoscopic surgery” where they remove the entire tube. A “tubal” can be easily performed following a C-section, says Aichholz. The tubes on either side of your uterus are removed after delivery, although not after a vaginal birth. Today’s doctors prefer to wait after you have recovered to remove your tubes.
“I prefer to wait five to six weeks after a vaginal birth and then to laparoscopically remove both tubes at that time,” Aicholz says. Most women go home the next day, with a recovery time of four to seven days.
Which is Best?
Vasectomy is lower risk and less invasive than tubal ligation.
“No couple should enter into a sterilization surgery unless they are sure that no further children are desired,” says Aicholz. “If the decision is made for the right reasons, then no regrets are there afterwards. Talk to your health care providers about these issues and then meet with a Urologist or OB-GYN to learn more.”