Contraceptive use in the postpartum period is less emphasized by policy makers and program designers in Ethiopia. Information about the current utilization of modern contraceptives and its associated factors among postpartum women is needed to design strategies and improve service delivery practices in health institutions. This facility based cross sectional study assesses the utilization and factors associated with modern contraceptives use among postpartum women in Felegehiwot referral hospital, Bahirdar city, Northwest Ethiopia. Data was collected through a face to face interview for 425 women who were attending basic maternal and child health services. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify the association between the dependent variable and the explanatory variables. The association was considered statistically significant when P value was < 0.05. A total of 425 postpartum women participated in the study with 100% response rate. Over half (53%) of women interviewed used modern contraceptives during the postpartum period. Women who are aware on PPFP (AOR, 16.99; 95% CI, 2.85 to 101.16); married (AOR 3.052; 95% CI, 1.644 to 5.667); and higher age (AOR, 5.825; 95%CI, 2.519 to 13.467) were more likely to use modern contraceptives in the postpartum period. However, educational status, parity, spousal reaction for FP related discussions, and contraceptive education failed short of any statistically significant association with modern postpartum contraceptive use. Utilization of modern contraceptives in the postpartum period was found to be relatively lower. Proper counseling, increasing method mix, enhancing male engagement, and expanding contraceptive information are important measures to boost contraceptive use.
