Introduction: Family planning is a crucial healthcare service, so our study aimed to assess the effect of pre-discharge postpartum counselling on knowledge, attitude, and use of family planning methods within 6 weeks postpartum.
Methods and Materials: A prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) (Clinical trial ID: NCT05079100) was conducted at the post-partum unit in Women's Health Hospital, University hospital, from the 1st of February 2022 to the 1st of March 2022. Eligible women were randomly assigned into two groups the intervention group including 60 participants who received a face-to-face counselling and brochure about postpartum contraception methods and the control group including 60 participants received the standard care. Outcome groups were compared regarding change in knowledge, attitude, and use of family planning in the 6 weeks following childbirth.
Results: The groups were comparable regarding demographic, obstetric and contraceptive histories and there was insignificant difference between the two groups. The results show that post-partum counseling had a significant effect on the use of post-partum family planning methods within six weeks postpartum, as there were 65.2% of women used F.P. method within 6 weeks postpartum in the intervention group and 34.7% only women used F.P. methods in the control group. Also, had a significant effect on increasing knowledge and changing attitudes toward postpartum family planning with p-value < 0.001.
Conclusion: Postpartum counseling has a significant effect on knowledge, attitude toward F.P., and use of postpartum family planning methods.