Scaling-Up First-Time and Young Parent Access to Postpartum Family Planning: Could Small Shifts Change the Game?
In this blog the author relates that in many contexts, the youngest mothers (ages 15-24) are less likely than older mothers to use health services, including postpartum family planning (PPFP), for themselves and their children, increasing their vulnerability to rapid repeat pregnancy and poor health outcomes.
At this life stage, a period of rapid change and vulnerability, it is vital young mothers get the support they need, and it is increasingly seen as a window of opportunity to shape life-long practices. A growing body of program experiences have shed light on first-time parents’ (FTPs) needs and related programming considerations. Evidence shows that comprehensive approaches addressing individual, family, community, and health system factors can increase FTPs’ use of PPFP and other essential health services. While showing promising impact, these comprehensive approaches have proven challenging to scale.

- Beyond the ABCs of FTPs: A Deep Dive into Emerging Considerations for First Time Parent Programs
- Factors Impacting Use of Health Services by First-time/Young parents: A Formative Research Toolkit
- “Because my Husband and I Have Never Had a Baby Before…” Results and Lessons from Interventions with First-Time Parents in Madagascar, Mozambique, and Nigeria
- Training Tools: Providing Family Planning and Reproductive Health to Young Married Women and First-Time Parents in West Africa
- Lessons Learned from an Integrated Approach for Reaching First-time Young Parents in Nigeria
- Evidence to Action (E2A) Project's First-Time Parent Framework
- Connect: Increasing Use of Pospartum Family Planning by First-Time Parents
- Reaching the Youngest Moms and Dads: A Socio-Ecological View of Actors and Factors Influencing First-time Young Parents’ Use of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Madagascar
- Meeting the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Young Married Women and First-time Parents Toolkit
- First Time Parents
- Our First Baby: Health Education for Adolescents Who are Pregnant or First-Time Parents
- Setting Newlyweds Up for Success: A Young Couple Talks Straight about Family Planning in Congo
- Improving Health and Gender Outcomes for First-Time Parents in Cross River State, Nigeria
- Results Roundup: Webinar on New Findings from First-Time Parent Programs
- Reaching the Youngest Mothers to Save Lives
May 14, 2020