Birth Control for Newlyweds

I am getting married this summer and do not want to have children immediately as I would be overwhelmed with the possibility of being newly married as well as a new mother. The thought of becoming pregnant during the first year of marriage is overwhelming to me in itself. In this situation, would I be permitted to use birth control pills in order to prevent a pregnancy from occurring?
Thank you.

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

Different rabbis weigh the halachic factors involved in permitting birth control differently. Most rabbis will require a meeting with the couple to ensure that the rabbi understands your situation and that you understand the halacha.  You and your fiance should choose a rabbi you are both comfortable consulting on matters concerning the two of you. Then you should arrange to meet to discuss the issues at hand as openly as possible. If you have further questions, please feel free to write back to us.

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases.

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The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha is a public service of Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women. This project and others like it are made possible by contributions from people like you. If you have benefitted from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.