Post-partum Family Planning Practices Among Mothers Who Delivered in The Last 12 Months in Selected Areas of Gazipur.

This descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted to assess the post-partum family planning practices among 678 mothers who delivered in the last 12 months in selected areas of Gazipur district. The study was conducted from 17th September 2022 to 30th November 2022 and the data were collected through face to face interview from the villages of Sataish, Gutia and Rajabari of Gazipur district. A pre-tested, semi-structured, questionnaire was used to collect data for knowing their socio-demographic characteristics and practice of family planning methods. Out of 678 respondents, maximum (41.45%) mother were in the age group of 21-25 years. Almost all (96.00%) were Muslim. In terms of education 42.63% mothers were primary passed. Participants were mainly house wives (80.24%) and two-third (65.00%) mothers belong to nuclear family. Maximum mothers (42.92%) belongs to lower socio-economic class (10001-20000 taka). In the present study, the prevalence of postpartum family planning method use was (69.00%), among them more than half (59.00%) mothers used within 6 months after delivery. Almost half (49.00%) of the couple took decision combinedly and among user, most (41.79%) of them used combined oral pill. Majority (87.00%) of the mothers heard about family planning methods and half (51.87%) of the respondents got information from the health personnel. Two-third (66.99%) of the mothers received family planning counselling and (43.72%) received counselling during postnatal period. In this study, maximum (83.80%) mothers does not have any side effects after family planning methods use. Only (16.20%) had side effects, among them (32.85%) felt generalized weakness. Mothers (31.00%) who did not use family planning methods, among them (36.84%) had fear of side effects and very few (12.92%) reported that no sexual contact after delivery. Since family planning methods are not only for limiting births and the well-being of women, but also for the well-being of each family in society, improving the country's economy and maintaining the earth's ecological balance. As a result, family planning programs should be multidisciplinary in nature. It should include educating both husband and wife and other family members, enabling women to make decisions, raising literacy rates and developing the country's health system so that misconceptions about contraception can be corrected as needed by health workers and allied personnel.