The average Canadian woman loses her virginity at 16, has 1.6 kids, and hits menopause around 51. Barring problems with fertility, let’s do some quick math (we’ll give her a bit of a postpartum break, and trim that poor sixth of a kid down to a half while we’re at it): We spend about three decades trying to not get pregnant. Now that you’re a mom, there are more than enough obstacles to sex—your birth control method doesn’t need to be another. And as a busy parent, it’s more important than ever to have a reliable, no-fuss way of managing how many more babies you have—and when.
“One thing we ask every patient is, ‘How important is it for you to not be pregnant right now?’” says Nicole Pasquino, a registered nurse certified in reproductive health and a professional practice leader at Options for Sexual Health in Vancouver. Then it’s a question of what you’ve tried—both successfully and unsuccessfully—in the past, and what your thoughts are about the different options: Maybe condoms are too much of a hassle, or you felt depressed on the pill, or the idea of an IUD completely freaks you out. You also need to consider the future: How many more kids do you want to have? Is this a temporary situation, or are you looking for a more permanent solution?
“There really is a contraception method for everyone,” Pasquino says. (Or two—you can always double up!). Here are five moms who have found their fit.