Family planning counselor Seema Devi at District Women’s Hospital, Noida.

At the District Women’s Hospital in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, family planning is a clear priority. Beyond the neatly organized family planning corner, quality services are driven by the dedication of a calm and thoughtful family planning counselor, Seema Devi. This story highlights her journey to strengthen postpartum family planning services.

Devi has served as a family planning counselor at the District Women’s Hospital since 2012. She shared:

Basket of Choice is a welcoming gift for each and every eligible couple, encouraging them to choose a suitable method over confusion. Years of experience as a family planning counselor have taught me that people often have short memories. The real challenge lies in making family planning information and counseling consistently engaging, relatable, and easy to retain.

Early in her role, Seema realized that raising awareness about family planning across diverse communities would not be easy. To make the message more relatable, she often connects family planning with financial well-being. She noted:

Planning your family helps save both resources and finances. I spend one to two hours daily in the general ward identifying eligible couples who may hesitate due to financial concerns. Many couples feel uncomfortable discussing family planning, so I make sure to address their worries by maintaining confidentiality. By involving men, engaging with adolescents, and ensuring contraceptive availability, I bridge gaps in healthcare services.

I also review data to assess if the uptake is increasing and if counseling is making a difference. The importance of effectively utilizing data for decision-making in family planning was something I learned from the TCI India team.

Seema’s approach makes family planning more relatable and accessible for the communities she serves. Her commitment was recognized when she recently received an award from district authorities.

With support from TCI, facilities like the District Women’s Hospital are strengthening family planning counseling and building more responsive health systems for women and their families.