In Sokoto State, an increasing number of women are using family planning to decide when and how far apart to have their children. Previously, many women had numerous children with little to no spacing.
ASHENEWS visited several healthcare facilities, including Ashmed Specialist Hospital, Al-Nisah Hospital, Saraki Specialist Hospital, Shepherd Specialist Hospital, and Liberty Clinic, to investigate how family planning methods are improving maternal health outcomes. The investigation included testimonials from women who have benefited from child spacing and various contraceptive methods.
Mrs. Sharifah Usman, who came to Shepherd Hospital for a check-up, shared her experience with ASHENEWS. She has six children, each born a year apart.
“I got married in 2009 and didn’t know anything about family planning. After my first son, I got pregnant again after six months. This kept happening with all my children. After my last daughter, a doctor told me about family planning. I told him I didn’t want to have more children and asked him to remove my womb without my husband knowing.
“Family planning really helped me. Without it, I’m sure I would have had more than 12 children by now. My husband doesn’t mind having many kids and has the money to support as many as I can have,” she said.
Dr Steve Adonalo, who works at Ashmed Specialist Hospital on Sama Road in Sokoto State, explained the benefits of family planning.
“Women who choose family planning can decide how many children they want to have. Some women who have just married and don’t want to have children yet choose family planning to delay childbirth until they are ready. Others might already have the number of children they want or have medical reasons for not wanting more children.
“Some women decide not to get pregnant again after having a Cesarean Section (C.S.). We advise families who prefer to space their children to wait two years between births,” said Adonalo.
Mrs. Ahmed Sabdat, a nurse at Al-Nisah Hospital on Abdullahi Kure Road in Sokoto State, noted that women in Sokoto are increasingly accepting family planning because it helps them avoid having more children. Most women, she said, choose implants, Depo-Provera, and Norplant products.
“At our hospital, family planning products are easily accessible. We educate women about each product so they can make informed decisions. In the past, women in Sokoto State didn’t like hearing about spacing their children because it was always their husbands who decided how many children to have. Now, women are deciding for themselves how many children they want and how many years to space between each child,” said Sabdat.
Mrs. Linda Sadiq, a patient at Liberty Clinic, shared her positive experience with family planning.
“I have been using family planning for four years. I have one daughter and am now pregnant with my second child. I learned about family planning before I got married and decided to space my children by three years. When I told my husband about my plans, he was happy and supported me.
“My husband and I attended classes and programs about family planning. I learned how to use family planning products and how to have sex with my husband without getting pregnant,” said Sadiq.
Dr Sakina Musa, who works at Saraki Specialist Hospital in Sokoto State, said that northern women traditionally do not think about spacing their children.
She said that they liked having many children, but due to the current economic situation, some have now decided to have two or three children instead of eight or nine.
“We advise women who come to our hospital to follow our family planning advice and teachings so they can learn about family planning and child spacing. Northern women don’t like being told what to do unless it’s a religious matter and their religion allows it. Usually, their husbands make decisions for them, especially regarding having more children,” said Musa.
Musa added that the most popular method accepted by clients at their hospital is implants. She recalled a patient who had her seventh child via Cesarean section and then asked for her womb to be removed because she didn’t want any more children.
It is expected that as more women take control of their reproductive health, maternal and child health outcomes in Sokoto state are expected to improve significantly.
