Birth Control
Birth control counseling helps you explore various contraceptive options, understand how each method fits your lifestyle, and select the most suitable option. Whether you’re starting birth control for the first time or reassessing your current method of contraception, expert guidance can make every choice feel safe and confident.
Our all-female OB/GYN team provides private contraception counseling designed around your comfort, health needs, and future plans. We support your reproductive choices at our clinics in Wellesley, Natick, Millis, and Walpole.
What Is Birth Control?
Birth control includes the methods and medications used to prevent pregnancy. For many patients, birth control medication can also help manage their menstrual cycles, ease PMS, reduce cramping, or support hormonal balance.
There’s no single birth control option that works for everyone. The ideal option for you will depend on your health, lifestyle, comfort level, and your reproductive plans.
During your contraception counseling session, our provider will help you explore the options that best match your goals. We explain how each method works and what to expect with daily use, side effects, and long-term effectiveness.
When to Schedule Contraception Counseling
You may benefit from a contraception counseling visit if you’re:
- Starting birth control for the first time
- Considering a change to your current contraceptive method
- Noticing side effects from your current birth control
- Seeking emergency contraception
- Having irregular periods, heavy bleeding, or pelvic pain
- Unsure which birth control option fits your lifestyle and health needs
What Is Birth Control?
Birth control includes the methods and medications used to prevent pregnancy. For many patients, birth control medication can also help manage their menstrual cycles, ease PMS, reduce cramping, or support hormonal balance.
There’s no single birth control option that works for everyone. The ideal option for you will depend on your health, lifestyle, comfort level, as well as your reproductive plans.
During your contraception counseling session, our provider will help you explore the options that best match your goals. We explain how each method works and what to expect with daily use, side effects, and long-term effectiveness.
When to Schedule Contraception Counseling
You may benefit from a contraception counseling visit if you’re:
- Starting birth control for the first time
- Considering a change to your current contraceptive method
- Noticing side effects from your current birth control
- Seeking emergency contraception
- Having irregular periods, heavy bleeding, or pelvic pain
- Unsure which birth control option fits your lifestyle and health needs
What Happens During Contraception Counseling
Contraception counseling at About Women By Women provides you with a safe space where you can speak openly about your goals and concerns with our providers. We explain each birth control option in plain language and ensure you feel comfortable asking questions and exploring alternatives throughout the discussion. If English is not your first language, our multilingual team (Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and Greek) is available to support you.
We also offer same-week appointments for urgent contraception needs at our Wellesley, Natick, Millis, and Walpole clinics.
Here’s what your visit may include.
Review of your health history, cycles, and symptoms to understand your overall needs.
Discussion of your goals, whether for pregnancy prevention, cycle control, acne, PCOS, endometriosis, or perimenopause support.
Explanation of all suitable birth control options, with clear pros and cons for each method.
Optional pregnancy test, if clinically appropriate, before starting certain birth control methods like pills, patch, or ring.
Decision-making support without pressure, helping you choose what feels right for your body and your life.
Personalized plan for prescriptions, IUD insertion, follow-up, or next steps.
Birth Control Options We Offer
The right birth control method depends on your health, lifestyle, and reproductive goals. We help you choose the option that fits your needs and lifestyle.
Hormonal Methods
Hormonal birth control prevents pregnancy by giving your body steady levels of estrogen and/or progestin, which signal the brain not to release the hormones needed for ovulation. It also thickens cervical mucus to block sperm and thins the uterine lining to reduce the chance of implantation.
This method can also help regulate cycles, ease PMS, lighten periods, and improve acne.
These are taken daily and come in different formulations tailored to your symptoms and needs.
This is inserted once a month and releases a steady dose of hormones into the vagina, offering low-maintenance, consistent support.
This injection is administered once every three months and provides long-term coverage without the need for daily or monthly dosing.
This patch can be worn on the skin and changed weekly. It offers steady hormone delivery and predictable cycles.
Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC)
LARC methods offer highly effective, low-maintenance contraception for several years. At About Women By Women, we ensure your comfort by providing dedicated appointment slots for IUDs and Nexplanon, with placement and removal services performed on-site.
An intrauterine device (IUD) is a small, T-shaped device placed inside the uterus during a simple in-office procedure. Depending on the type, it can provide 3 to 12 years of birth control.
- Hormonal IUD releases a small amount of progestin to lighten periods and reduce cramping.
- Copper IUDs are hormone-free and prevent pregnancy through natural sperm inhibition.
This thin, flexible implant is placed under the skin of the upper arm using a local anesthetic and provides up to 3 years of protection. It is ideal for women who want long-term contraception without an internal device.
Non-Hormonal Options
Non-hormonal birth control offers effective alternatives for those who prefer to avoid hormones or need additional protection.
Condoms and diaphragms provide contraception without affecting your hormones. Our provider discusses correct use, diaphragm fitting, and how barrier methods can also reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections.
Tubal ligation provides a permanent option for those who do not wish to have future pregnancies, and we help you understand the benefits, risks, and long-term considerations so you can make an informed decision.
Contraception Counselling for Specific Life Stages
Your birth control needs can evolve throughout your life. Our all-female team provides guidance that’s sensitive, age-appropriate, and tailored to your health, goals, and comfort level.
Life Stage | How We Support You |
|---|---|
Teens & Young Adults |
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Preconception & Family Planning |
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Perimenopause |
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In-Office Procedures for Birth Control
IUDs and Nexplanon can be a great fit if you prefer reliable, low-maintenance birth control that lasts for years and doesn’t require daily attention. Our team offers in-office placement and management for these birth control methods, helping you avoid extra clinic visits or long wait times.
We offer same-week availability for urgent contraception needs, and our nurses are available to answer questions before and after your procedure.
IUD Placement & Removal
Your provider will review the steps with you and check that you’re comfortable before beginning. An IUD is placed through the cervix into the uterus in a procedure that typically takes just a few minutes. IUD removal is usually even faster. We offer cervical blocks with lidocaine to manage pain during the procedure.
We also offer supportive comfort measures, such as guided breathing, a slow and gentle pacing of the procedure, and recommendations for over-the-counter pain relief. You can always ask to pause if you need a moment.
Mild cramping or spotting may occur afterward. We will explain what’s normal and when the IUD becomes effective, which depends on the type of device placed.
Nexplanon Insertion & Removal
Nexplanon is inserted under the skin of your upper arm using a local anesthetic in a quick, in-office procedure. You may feel pressure but not pain, and removal is done through a small incision in the same area. The entire process typically takes only a few minutes, and most patients can return to their normal activities immediately.
Nexplanon begins working within days (or immediately, depending on the timing within your cycle). It provides up to three years of highly effective contraception.
Follow-Up Care for Contraceptive Needs
Your contraceptive care doesn’t end after choosing a method. Our team offers same-week appointments for urgent concerns, allowing you to receive answers and adjustments quickly and comfortably.
We also offer follow-up care, such as:
Check-ins for side effects such as vaginal bleeding, acne, or cramping
Device removal or replacement for IUDs and Nexplanon
Testing (pregnancy tests or hormone labs) if symptoms suggest an underlying issue
Adjusting prescriptions or dosage to improve comfort or effectiveness
Schedule a Birth Control Consultation
If you’re ready to explore your contraceptive options or want guidance on choosing the method that fits your life, our all-female team is here to help. We offer same-week appointments and nurse-backed support for your concerns and queries.
To schedule a consultation with our experienced OB/GYN team, please call us at (781) 263-0033 or book an appointment online.
