Pregnancy Planning (cont.)

Intercourse during pregnancy is safe for most women. Special situations in which women might be advised to avoid intercourse include prior preterm labor, multiple miscarriages, infection, bleeding, amniotic fluid leak, and a condition called placenta previa or low placenta. (A placenta previa is when the placenta is implanted near the outlet of the uterus, so that at the time of delivery the placenta precedes the baby. Placenta previa can cause painless bleeding in the last trimester of pregnancy, and may be a reason for a C-section.)

All women are advised to avoid sexual intercourse that could put them at risk to exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.

There is no evidence that there is increased risk of spontaneous abortion increases if a woman becomes pregnant in the first cycles after stopping oral contraceptive pills. Intrauterine devices (IUD's) are not harmful to the fetus. Women who get pregnant with an IUD that is still in place do not have higher change of congenital abnormalities in the fetus compared to other women. If the IUD of a woman in her 1st trimester is carefully removed by a doctor, or if it is expelled on its own in the 1st trimester, the chance of spontaneous miscarriage is not increased compared to other women.

When barrier methods such as condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and sponges are used, pregnancy can occur by simply discontinuing their use during a regular cycle. The same can be said for spermicidal gels and suppositories.

Medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) is an injectable hormone used for contraception. The contraceptive effect of Depo-Provera may last as long as 18 months after the last injection. Normal menstrual cycles and pregnancy cannot occur until after the contraceptive effect wears off.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/pregnancy_planning/article.htm