Birth Control: Natural Family Planning
From LoveToKnow Pregnancy
For families that want to minimize pregnancies but not use any drug or barrier methods of birth control, birth control: natural family planning is viable option.
What is Birth Control: Natural Family Planning?
The idea behind natural family planning is that a women is only fertile during certain days of her cycle or when she ovulates. By not having intercourse during those fertile days, the couple can prevent a pregnancy. Natural family planning is popular with families belonging to religions opposed to birth control.
Breastfeeding
One popular method of birth control: natural family planning used to be breastfeeding. According to Penny Simkin in Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn, new mothers have a 2%chance of becoming pregnant if they meet the following qualifications:
- Your baby is less than six months old.
- You have not had a period until after 56 days postpartum.
- You are nursing frequently (at least four hours during the day and six hours at night).
- You rarely supplement with formula.
Because the majority of American women supplement their baby with formula, breastfeeding is an ineffective form of natural family planning. In addition, women can ovulate before they have their period, so you may have intercourse without realizing you have ovulated.
Ovulation Factors
Many people use a combination of the following ovulation factors to help determine ovulation. Using a combination of these factors will be the most effective way for birth control: natural family planning.
Cervical Mucus
As a part of your monthly cycle, your body will produce different kinds of cervical mucus. By monitoring these changes, you can identify your fertile time.
- At the end of your period, you should notice little to no cervical mucus.
- At the start of your fertile time, when your body prepares for ovulation, your cervical mucus should be moist, sticky, and white or creamy in color.
- Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus should become clearer, wetter, and stretchier. It should resemble egg whites. This is a sign that you are most fertile.
- After you ovulate, your cervical mucus should become thicker and stickier again. After three days, you will not be fertile.
Remember that cervical mucus can be different women to women and cycle to cycle.
Basal Temperature
To monitor your basal temperature you will need a basal body thermometer. You will need to take your temperature at the same time every day. Most women take it when they get out of bed. After ovulation, your temperature rises just a little bit. After doing a few charts, you should notice a very distinct pattern of ovulation.
Many doctors question the accuracy of using this for birth control: natural family planning, as it only shows time of ovulation and sperm can remain viable inside a woman for up to three days. In addition, some women do not experience any temperature change during ovulation.
There are is a new product on the market for charting basal temperature. It is a called a computerized BBT thermometer or a BBT computer. It flashes a red light during the fertile stage of the cycle and a green light when you are infertile.
Cervical Changes
Some women monitor their cervixes for changes. However this is an ineffective form of natural family planning and should never be used on its own.
- Around your fertile time, your cervix should feel higher in your vagina, softer and slightly open.
- When you are not fertile, your cervix is lower, harder and fully closed.
Calendar-Rhythm Method
In the calendar rhythm method, the woman keeps record of her monthly menstrual cycles for three to six months. Then she calculates the number of days in her shortest cycle minus 18. Next she calculates the number of days in the longest cycle, minus 11.
For example, if a women’s shortest cycle is 28 days, 28 minus 18 equals ten. If her longest cycle is 30 days, 30-11 equals 19. Her fertile period is now day 10 to day 19 of her cycle. To prevent pregnancy, this woman should not have sexual intercourse during days 10-19.
The calendar-rhythm method is another ineffective natural family planning method if used on its own. The calendar-rhythm method works well though if used with one of the other ovulation factors.
In Conclusion
Always talk to your care provider to find the best form of birth control: natural family planning. Your care provider may recommend a class or a book so you can find the best form of natural family planning for you and your family.
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