Natural Family Planning
Family planning is all about informed decisions. When do you wish to have children? How can you prevent unplanned pregnancies? How will you manage the spacing between pregnancies? This can be achieved through natural approaches and medical interventions. Let’s talk about natural family planning.
What is Natural Family Planning?
Natural family planning is using birth control methods that do not require medicine. It involves monitoring your fertility cycle to avoid fertile windows, and employing other natural birth control strategies.
Most people refer to the former as the calendar method, tracking periods and estimating ovulation so intercourse can be avoided during this time. Since you’re not having sex during your fertile window, there are fewer chances of you getting pregnant. If correctly done, this method has up to 99% success.
Methods of Natural Family Planning:
Certain tools and methods can help you with natural family planning. These include:
- Ovulation predictor kits: These are strips or sticks that detect the level of a hormone, LH in your urine or saliva. This hormone rises significantly a day or two before ovulation, helping you time your fertility window accordingly.
- Cervical mucus observation: Your cervical discharge changes near ovulation. It becomes watery and there is also an increase in its amount. Observing these changes closely can help indicate ovulation.
- Basal body temperature measurement: there is a 1-2 degree rise in your basal body temperature just before your ovulation. Tracking your body temperature daily will help detect this change and plan accordingly. You can either do this manually with a thermometer or use modern smart rings or smartwatches.
It’s a great way to learn about your body and also avoid intercourse when you’re fertile.
What are the guidelines for natural family planning?
To get the most success from this method, experts recommend avoiding sexual intercourse five days before and including the expected ovulation date since the sperm can survive for up to five days inside the vagina. You should continue avoiding sex 1-2 days after ovulation as well since that is how long your egg can survive before being discarded.
What are the disadvantages of natural family planning?
While this method is often successful, it is dependent on human diligence, creating room for error. It is also less reliable for women that do not have a regular menstrual cycle, since they can not accurately predict their ovulation day.
This method may be less suitable for women who require strict contraception in case:
- They have medical conditions that could be worsened by pregnancy
- They are taking medicines that could be harmful to the baby in case they get pregnant
It’s always best to consult your midwife regarding which contraceptive method is most suitable for you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!