The Choice of a Wise Woman: How Postpartum Family Planning Builds Confidence and Continuity of Care in Holeta, Ethiopia
By Merian Abdirkadir, Amina Kanpise, and Betel Sahile, EngenderHealth Ethiopia
In Holeta Town in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, Holeta Health Center has long been recognized for delivering high-quality, integrated reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services.
Through the Integrated RMNCH+PPFP Scale-Up Project, the facility has strengthened its postpartum family planning services, ensuring women have access to voluntary, safe, and effective contraceptive options at critical moments before and after childbirth.
And the value of these strengthened services is perhaps best illustrated in the experience of a mother who came back on her own terms.
On a quiet morning in Holeta town, a mother returned to the health center with a clear purpose.
Three months after safely delivering her third child, the 34-year-old mother of three came back: not because something had gone wrong; she was there because something had gone right.
She had come back to the same facility where she had received care for years, ready to continue planning her family on her own terms.
Her visit reflects what is possible when women have access to voluntary, respectful postpartum family planning (PPFP) and healthcare providers are equipped to offer informed, client-centered counseling.
A Reproductive Journey Guided by Choice
For nine years, this mother had relied on an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) to space her pregnancies. The method worked well for her: it was non-hormonal, long-acting, reliable, seamless to use—all qualities that made her reproductive journey healthier and stress-free.
When she and her husband decided they were ready for another child, she returned to Holeta Health Center to have the IUCD removed. She conceived when she wished and delivered her third child safely a year later.
Now, in the postpartum period—a critical window for protecting maternal and newborn health—she returned once more, ready to resume the method that had supported her reproductive goals for years.
Respectful Counseling at the Right Moment
At the Family Planning unit, the mother was welcomed by a clinical nurse known in the community for her empathetic, thorough, and respectful approach.
Rather than rushing the visit, the provider listened carefully and offered comprehensive counseling on postpartum family planning options: discussing different contraceptive methods and their effectiveness, potential side effects, and what was most suitable for a breastfeeding mother.
With clear information and supportive guidance, the mother felt empowered by the discussion.
She chose the IUCD again, confident in a method she trusted, but also fully informed about all of the available options.
An Informed Decision, Made on Her Terms
The mother shared her experience in her own words:
“I used the IUCD for nine years and never faced any problem. It has no hormone that can cause discomfort, and I lived a healthy life throughout. After removing it, I became pregnant as I wished and delivered safely. Now that I am three months postpartum, I came back to insert the IUCD again.
I encourage every mother to consider postpartum family planning options, like the IUCD, to avoid unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. It is the choice of a wise woman. I want to thank the health care providers at Holeta Health Center for their commitment and quality service.”
Why Her Story Matters
This mother’s experience highlights the power of continuity of care—when women are supported before pregnancy, during delivery, and after birth, they are more likely to make informed choices that align with their needs, their preferences, and their values.
Accessible family planning can also empower women to plan their families with confidence and dignity.
Her return to using the IUCD reflects strong satisfaction with the services she previously received and her trust in the health system. It also shows how high-quality counseling, delivered with respect and clarity, strengthens voluntary family planning uptake during the postpartum period—when the impact on maternal and newborn health can have the greatest impact.
Her confidence is now influencing others. As women in her community hear her story, they are becoming more open to long-acting methods like the IUCD, seeing them not as intimidating or unfamiliar, but as reliable tools for health and stability.
Turning Experience Into Shared Wisdom
The story of this one mother points to broader lessons for strengthening postpartum family planning services. Timely counseling matters, especially when women already have positive experiences with a family planning method. Offering family planning during postpartum follow-up visits or immediately after delivery reduces missed opportunities. And client testimonials became powerful advocacy tools, normalizing long-term methods like IUCD within communities.
Above all, the commitment of providers to consistent, respectful, client-centered care makes the difference. When women feel heard and supported, family planning services are more effective, trusted, and responsive to women’s needs.
At Holeta Health Center, this approach is helping women plan their families with confidence, dignity, and wisdom—one informed choice at a time.