In this presentation, Bishop Essien Ekong (MD), an experienced medical practitioner, taught the brethren the need for family planning and child spacing. Family planning is needed for the recovery of the woman and man (physically and economically) after child birth, when the woman is having medical conditions which makes pregnancy risky to her health, and when the couple has decided to stop having children. Read the presentation for all details about family planning methods. May the Lord bless you all in Jesus' name. Amen.

1. CHURCH OF CHRIST,
SANGOTEDO
FAMILY PLANNING
CHILD SPACING
A Family Counselling Teaching
Presented by Bro. Essien Ekong (Bishop)
26-June-2016

2. INTRODUCTION
 Modern family planning methods were
unknown in Bible times; therefore Bible is
silent on the matter. Bible however
present children as gifts from God.
Gen 1: 28- And God blessed them, and God
said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,
and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over every
living thing that moveth upon the earth.
God hath graciously given thy servant.

3. INTRODUCTION
Gen 4: 1- And Adam knew Eve his wife; and
she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I
have gotten a man from the LORD.
Gen 33:5- And he lifted up his eyes, and
saw the women and the children; and said,
Who are those with thee? And he said, The
children which God hath graciously given
thy servant.

4.  Children as a heritage from the Lord
Psalm 127:3-5
 A blessing from God Luke 1:42
 Blessings to barren women
1 Sam 1:6-And her adversary also provoked
her sore, for to make her fret, because
the LORD had shut up her womb.
7-And as he did so year by year, when she
went up to the house of theLORD, so she
provoked her; therefore she wept, and did
not eat.

5. 8-Then said Elkanah her husband to her,
Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest
thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am
not I better to thee than ten sons?
Luke 1:7- And they had no child, because
that Elisabeth was barren, and they both
were now well stricken in years.

6. Coitus Interrupticus is the
earliest form of
contraception - Gen 38:10-
 Contraception is opposite of conception. It is not
contraception that is bad but the motive.
 Married couple use contraceptive for various
reasons;
 postpone until they are in a better position to
care for children.
 missionary couples who feel their service to God
overrides need for children.
 No one has the right to determine whether
someone else should or should not use birth
control; how many children is the right number
e.t.c.

7. Other Reasons
1. Illness threatening life of
mother
Risk of multiparity
* anemia
* weak uterus
* loss of stamina
* placenta previa
* maternal distress
* deformed children

8.  2. Economics
 poor upkeep
 provoking children to wrath with hunger
 being a burden to other people especially the
church
 1 Tim 5:8- But if any provide not for his own, and
specially for those of his own house, he hath denied
the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
 If they cannot care for children, birth control is
advised
 3. Situational
 if things are hard
 war & famine

9. 

11. If we could see inside the woman’s body
this is what it would look like. These are
her two egg sacs called ovaries. Many
small eggs are stored here. Each month an
egg comes out of one of the ovaries. Then
it moves down this tube into the womb
(uterus). If a woman does not become
pregnant, the egg leaves the woman’s
body with some blood lining of the womb.
This is a woman’s monthly period.

12. This is the womb (uterus). In a woman
who is not pregnant, the womb is about as
big as your fist. When a woman is
pregnant, the womb stretches as the baby
grows.
This is the birth canal (vagina). The baby
passes through the vagina when it is born.

14. Let us Look at the man’s body
now
The man’s sexual organs are the
penis and seed sac (testes). The
testes are where the man’s seed, or
sperm is made. This is the path the
sperm travels through, starting from
the testes through this tube and out
of the man’s body. The sperm comes
out of the man’s penis in a milky
liquid during sexual intercourse. This
liquid has millions of tiny sperm in
it, too small to be seen with the
eyes.

15. Let us Look at the man’s body
now
During intercourse, the sperms swim
up from the penis through the
woman’s birth canal into the womb
and tubes. If one of the sperm
reaches an egg and join with it, the
egg will grow into a baby.

17. 

18.  Here is the woman with her baby.
What is the best food for the baby?
The mother’s milk! The mother
must be strong and healthy to feed
her baby and care for her family.
 What should the mother eat to stay
strong and healthy? She needs to
eat many different foods such as
cereals, milk, fruit, meat and
vegetables.

19.  Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM) is the
use of breastfeeding as a temporary Child
Spacing Method and a bridge to a longer term
method. LAM works by preventing ovulation
(the release of female eggs) because
breastfeeding stops the releasing of the natural
body hormone that cause the ova (female eggs)
to form in the ovaries (egg sac). So if no egg is
released, the woman will not get pregnant. It
is effective in the first 6months after child
birth if the woman is feeding her child on
breast milk only, day and night and her menses
has not returned.

21.  The man and the woman are very
happy. They now have three
children. The new baby is 6months
old. The woman’s period has come
back. What does this mean? It
means she can get pregnant again.
Breast feeding alone cannot prevent
her from getting pregnant.

22.  A woman can get pregnant about six
months after she has had a baby,
even if she is breastfeeding and her
period has not returned. But her
body may not be ready for another
pregnancy. Also, if she gets
pregnant too soon her milk may
stop, and she will have to stop
breastfeeding her new baby before
the baby is ready to take other
foods.

23.  The husband wants to make sure his
wife and new baby are strong and
healthy. He also wants to be sure he
can provide for his family. The
couple wants to wait at least three
years before they have another
baby. The couple used a Child
Spacing Method in between birth of
their first two children. The man
suggests to his wife that they go
back to the clinic to see a provider
for some more information about
Child Spacing.

25.  The Health Care
Provider welcomes
the couple warmly.
After they are
seated, the husband
asks the Health Care
Provider. “Please
explain to us again
how we can live
together as a man
and wife and not
have a baby because
we want to put some
space between our
children so that our
baby will grow strong
and healthy”.

26.  The Health Care Provider says that Child Spacing
means allowing space of about 2-3years in between
pregnancies or until the couple want to have another
child.
 There are many Child Spacing methods for the couple
to choose from. The Health Care Provider explains
each one.

27.  Some couples use the natural Child Spacing methods
or by using Cycle Beads. With these methods the
couple does not have intercourse during days when
the woman’s egg and the man’s seed might meet.
There are a number of ways for a woman to figure
out when these days will be. Only a trained child
spacing provider can teach a woman how to use
these methods correctly.
 These methods do not have any side effects. But
many couples find it difficult to avoid sex at certain
times. Couples must identify the days the woman is
most likely to get pregnant and avoid sexual
intercourse to avoid pregnancy. These methods are
not as effective as other methods we have talked
about earlier. Couples can use condoms during the
days the woman is likely to get pregnant.

29.  The first is the IUD, or coil. The IUD is a
small piece of plastic, or plastic and
copper or hormone that stays inside the
woman’s womb. The IUD prevents the
woman’s egg and the man’s sperm from
joining. Then the woman cannot get
pregnant. Only a trained child spacing
provider can put the IUD in and take it
out. The IUD can stay in the womb for up
to ten years or until the woman wants it
removed. It will not move to other parts
of her body. Neither she nor her husband
can feel the IUD.

30.  Most women have no problem with the
IUD but some women may have bleeding
between periods, or more painful,
heavier periods.
 The IUD is a very effective Child Spacing
method. It is one of the best Child
Spacing Methods for women who want to
space birth or delay pregnancy.

32.  Next, the provider explains the pills. Each pill
has a small amount of hormones. These
hormones prevent the woman’s egg sac
(ovaries) from releasing eggs. Without an egg,
a woman cannot get pregnant. A woman must
take one pill at the same time everyday even
if she does not have sexual intercourse. She
will still get her monthly period, but it may
be lighter and shorter.
 Most pills have 28pills per packet. When a
woman finishes a packet of 28pills, she should
start a new packet the next day.

33.  If a woman forgets to take her pills for one
day, she should take it as soon as she
remembers. She should take her daily pill at
the usual time, which means she has to take
two pills that same day. If she forgets to take
her pills for two days, she should take one
tablet as soon as she remembers, then
continue taking the white pills as usual until
they are finished, then she should throw away
the brown pills and start a new packet.
 If she forgets to take her pills for more than
three days, the woman should see her health
care provider immediately for advice.

35.  This woman has an Implant. Look at the
outline on her upper arm. Implants
contains hormones that stops the
woman’s egg sac (ovaries) from releasing
eggs so she cannot get pregnant. The
hormones are released very slowly.
Implants can prevent a woman from
getting pregnant for five years. After five
years, or when she decides to have
another child, a woman with implants
must return to the clinic to have it
removed or replaced.

36.  Most women have no problems using the
implant; some women who use implants
stop having periods. Others have irregular
periods. None of these things are
dangerous to a woman’s health.
 Implants must be inserted and removed
by a trained health care provider. It is one
of the most effective child spacing
methods. It is very easy to use.

38.  This woman is getting a child
spacing injection. Women can take
injections in the arm or the bottom.
The injection contains hormones
that stop the woman’s egg sac
(ovaries) from releasing egg’s so she
cannot get pregnant. The effect of
each injection lasts two or three
months. Injections are a good
choice for breastfeeding women
because they can still produce lots
of milk for their baby.

39.  Some women have no problem using
the injections; many women who
are using injections may stop having
periods; others have irregular or
heavier periods. Some gain weight.
None of these things are dangerous
to a woman’s health, and they will
go away when she stops using the
injection.
 The injection is a very effective
child spacing method and it is very
easy to use

41.  This woman is using diaphragm. A
diaphragm is a small cup that a woman
puts deep into her birth canal (vagina). It
prevents the sperm from reaching the
egg, so the woman cannot get pregnant.
The woman puts some special cream or
jelly inside, outside, and on the edges of
the diaphragm. She squeezes the
diaphragm closed, and puts it into her
vagina. She must use the diaphragm every
time she has intercourse. The woman
must leave the diaphragm inside her body
for several hours after intercourse. Then
she can take it out, wash, dry and store it
in its container.

42.  A woman must be fitted with the right
size of the diaphragm by a trained child
spacing provider.
 The diaphragm is effective if it is used
every time a woman has intercourse. It is
not as effective as the IUD (coil), pills,
implant, or injection. For the diaphragm
to be very effective, the partner should
also use a condom.

44.  There are also some child spacing
methods a man can use. He can use a thin
rubber tube called a condom. The man
unrolls the condom onto his erect penis
before sexual intercourse begins. The
condom prevents the man’s seed from
getting inside the woman’s birth canal
(vagina). After sexual intercourse, the
man must take off the condom and be
careful not to get sperm inside the
woman. The couple must use a new
condom every time they have sexual
intercourse.

45.  Condoms also protect men and women
from Sexually Transmitted Infections
(STIs) and HIV/AIDS.
 If the condom breaks during use, the man
should withdraw and the couple should
see a provider immediately for advice.
But this rarely happens if the condom is
used correctly.
 Condoms are effective if they are used
every time a couple has sexual
intercourse.
 Condoms alone are less effective than the
IUD, pill, implant or injection

47.  There is this pill that can be used by
women after unprotected sexual
intercourse to prevent pregnancy called
the emergency contraceptive pill.
 If a woman finds herself in any situations
listed below she can use the emergency
pills:
 Condom fell off or is torn during sexual
intercourse.
 The woman forgets to take her pill

48.  The woman is a victim of sexual assault such as
rape.
 The woman is not using any type of
contraceptive and the woman had sex anyway.
 The emergency contraceptive pill is more
effective when it is taken within 72hours
of unprotected sexual intercourse. It will
not disrupt an existing pregnancy.

50.  Some couples have all the children they want. When
they are sure they do not want any more children, they
may decide to use a permanent child spacing method.
 Either the man or the woman has a simple operation so
the woman does not get pregnant again

51. Let us look at the man’s first
operation
 The man has a simple operation
called a Vasectomy. During the
operation, the tubes that carry the
sperm are tired and cut. The man
still makes a milky liquid when he
has sexual intercourse, but there
are no sperm in it. Since there are
no sperm in the man’s liquid, the
woman cannot get pregnant.

52. Let us look at the man’s first
operation
 The man will still want and enjoy
sex after the vasectomy. He looks
and feels the same as he did before
the operation.
 The man has to wait (or abstain) for
3 months for this method to become
effective. If he cannot abstain, he
should use a condom when having
sexual intercourse during the
waiting period.

54. Now let us look at the woman’s
operation
 The woman can have an operation
called tubal ligation. In this
operation, the tubes that carry the
woman’s eggs to the womb are
closed. During the operation, a
doctor makes a small cut in the
woman’s belly and closes the tubes.
After this, the eggs cannot meet the
man’s sperm so the woman cannot
get pregnant.

55. Now let us look at the woman’s
operation
 The woman still has a period every
month. She looks and feels the
same as she did before the
operation.
 After the operation the man and
woman can enjoy sex as they used
to. But there is no chance the
woman will get pregnant.

57.  The husband and wife have heard
about many different child
spacing methods.
 They are talking to each other
and deciding which one is best
for them. If they do not like the
method they chose first, they can
come back to the clinic and
choose another one. They can use
the method they like best until
they decide to have another
baby.

59. CONCLUSION
Since the Bible does not
address this issue, birth
control is advisable
provided it is not abortive
and provided the motives
are wise and biblical.