Natural Birth Control
The Clean an Neat Method

• Why a natural method?
• Don’t you trust in other methods?
• Are you worried about the side effects of some control methods, or simply you do not tolerate the ones with hormonal content, for example, the contraceptive pill?
• Do you or your partner are allergic to any form of contraception, perhaps a latex condom?
• Do you feel uncomfortable to use a device in your vagina, diaphragm or IUD? or
• Are you a religious person and the only method of birth control that you want to use is something natural?

Whatever the reasons, CONGRATULATIONS because you want to be well informed about natural methods to plan your family. Personally I prefer a natural method, I'm afraid of any other contraceptive methods, although nowadays with technology so advanced, there are highly effective contraceptive methods that only require a bit of commitment. However, I like the natural control method because I learn to know my body and, it’s kind of weird but I enjoy sex more if I know that there are no contraceptives involved. It is exciting to know when is the right time to get pregnant and when not.

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a Natural Birth Control Method, and is used for when you want to get pregnant or to know when you can have a safe sex with no problem to get pregnant.

Read about:How to get pregnant

NFP works according to your periods of fertility and infertility in your body. You learn to know when you are ovulating to choose the precise moment of fertilization, when the sperm makes its appearance in the egg, and begins the process of a new life. In periods of fertility you should abstain from sexual intercourse. This means with no penetration and ejaculation. If you do not want to get pregnant during fertile days, use another barrier method such as condoms .

Let me tell you that fertility awareness requires training, commitment, discipline, and determination in order to be effective. So if you have decided for a natural birth control method, you have to consider these aspects. Around 25 per 100 women in the first year typically become pregnant using NFP, and with the proper knowledge and strict control, can be reduced to 5 per 100 women.

In summary, different types of NFP include: The calendar or rhythm method, The ovulation or Billings method (the cervical mucus), and

The basal body temperature method

Either method should consider the following:

• An egg (ovum) can live in the woman's body from 12 to 24 hours per month
• Sperm can remain in the body of the woman until 5 days after having sex. If you do not want to get pregnant, your period of ovulation should be out of these 5 days living sperm.

Calendar method

The length of your infertile phase, before ovulation, is calculated by subtracting 18 days of the total number of days from your shortest cycle. The length of your infertile phase after ovulation is calculated by subtracting 11 days of the total number of days from your longer cycle. Then your fertile days are the number of resulting days from the calculation of subtracting 18 and 11 days.

Kind of tricky isn’t it? Remember: Natural birth control requires commitment and discipline.

Here you have an example:

If your shortest cycle is 26 days and the longest cycle is 30 days:

Step 1: 26 -18 = 8 (infertile phase before ovulation)

Step 2: 30 -11 = 19 (infertile phase after ovulation)

Your fertile window will last from Day 8 to Day 19. Sounds good, right?

How secure is this method?

When you have regular cycles, this method is useful and quite accurate, but there may be factors such as stress, which may delay ovulation. That's the reason you have to try at least 8 cycles to see how it behaves your period.

Billing’s ovulation method (cervical mucus)

How is this method?

You can use a toilet paper and pass it by the vaginal opening, before and after urination, and observe if there is mucus and its characteristics. This method is very safe but it must be taught by qualified staff and it has to be done at least three cycles to learn about the different characteristics of the mucus.

In a typical cycle, after 5 days of menstruation there are between 3 and 4 dry days. After then, it starts sticky secretions with humidity, cloudy, white or yellowish. The humidity rises when cervical mucus is quite distinctive: abundant, slippery, clear and very stretchy. Ovulation will occurs within 2 days after the peak day of mucus, and therefore you will be at your most fertile days for getting pregnant.

Basal body temperature method

This natural birth control method consists in taking the body temperature, the first thing in the morning before you get out of bed, and do it everyday. Immediately before ovulation, the temperature drops abruptly, then during ovulation, the hormone called progesterone, increases the body temperature. When the temperature remains high for at least 3 days in a row, this means that the fertile period is over and the infertile period has just begun. The disadvantage of this method is that body temperature can be affected by several factors such as disease, lack of sleep, alcohol, etc.This method has a 99% security but it requires a very prolonged abstinence.

Any of these natural methods of birth control should be carrying out in company with your partner. Abstinence and periods of fertility and infertility should be well known by your partner. These methods require time in order for you to know how your body behaves, which is why the relationship with your partner should be prolonged, in the best cases, with a marital relationship.

These natural birth control methods seem difficult, but they are not, you have to get used to and keep track of your own body. In addition they have no cost at all, they are actually for free. Remember that only on fertile days of ovulation, you can get pregnant. During those days, you may want to use temporary another method of contraception, like condom.

Read about other types of birth control:

Aviane | Shot | Patch | IUD | Condoms | Nuva ring | Seasonal | Oral hormones | Emergency pill