No one but your partner and you can fully answer the question "Is it a good idea to get my tubes tied?" Having all the information you need to make a good decision can help. Discussing this option with one or more health care providers is also smart since talking to your doctor will let you be sure that this is the correct procedure for your health.
Learning about the Basics of Having Your Tubes Tied
The first part of answering the question "Is it a good idea to get my tubes tied?" is to gather up as much information about the procedure itself, the pros, cons, and any side effects of getting tubes tied. After you have all the facts, you can move on to asking yourself the right questions that will lead you to a final decision.
First, to learn more about the actual procedure visit the Feminist Woman's Health Center, there's also a great set of links to further topic resources. Birth Control Permanent Sterilization is another very good article to take a look at.
When taking charge of your fertility in this manner, you need to weigh all your options, such as other birth control methods like vasectomy.
How to Know: Is It a Good Idea to Get My Tubes Tied?
After reviewing the above information, you'll want to look closely at some questions that can help point out the pros and cons of tubal ligation for your personal situation. These can be different for every couple and every individual woman, so it's important to answer the following questions truthfully and carefully.
Questions You Should Ask Your Health Care Provider
- Is having my tubes tied safe for me? Am I a candidate?
- Which procedure is the best option for me?
- Where will this be performed: a hospital or an out-patient clinic?
- Will I get to go home right away?
- How long will my recovery period be after having my tubes tide?
- Are there any major side effects I need to know about?
- Is there another birth control method I should consider?
- What happens later on if I change my mind and want another baby?
Questions to Consider on Your Own and To Discuss With Your Partner
- Am I positive that I am done having children?
- Why don't I want children (or any more children)?
- Would I be just as happy with another form of less permanent birth control? Why or why not.
- Am I thinking about having my tubes tied because this is something I want to do or is someone pressuring me into the decision?
- Am I comfortable with the risks and side effects of the procedure?
- Does the promised benefit of almost 100 percent pregnancy prevention outweigh any concerns I have?
- Am I absolutely, positively sure that I am done having children?
Yes, that last question was also the first question. This isn't a pop quiz to see if you're paying attention, it's just a super important question. Once you have your tubes tied, it's difficult to go back. While there are doctors who can help you out if you decide that tubes tied reversal is for you, it's going to be expensive and, on top of that, the reversal won't be a sure thing.
Health care professionals, for the most part, consider tubal ligation as a permanent form of birth control. You cannot stop taking it like the pill. It can't be reversed as easily as a vasectomy. It's almost a totally done deal.
If you do change your mind and have a reversal that does work, you may have conception problems and there are increased risks if you become pregnant, such as ectopic pregnancy. There are some people who are perfect candidates for having their tubes tied: they are happy with no children or with the children they have and they have thought about this decision carefully. You just want to be positive that you are one of these perfect candidates before having the procedure.
To learn more about your question "Is it a good idea to get my tubes tied," read the following resources, Tubal Ligation Without Regret and Thinking Twice About Tubal Ligation.
