Before I start this post I just want to put a disclaimer out there that I am in no way a doctor. I base my posts on research that I have done as well as my own personal experience. I encourage everyone to do their own research as well as listen to their body.
Seems weird to have a post about birth control on an infertility blog...but with the increase in infertility caused by hormonal birth control, I think it is important for people to be educated on other means of preventing pregnancy.
I was actually asked to do a post on the harmful effects of birth control...but instead of discouraging use of birth control, I figured that I would do a little research and give you guys a few different types of birth control methods that are chemical/hormonal free...and a couple other methods that are alternatives to traditional birth control.
It seems like everything these days can be bad for you in one way or another. Whether it's what you eat for breakfast or the type of lotion you put on that patchy elbow.
Well when it comes to birth control, there are many unanswered questions and concerns.
We have all seen the law office commercials about birth control causing health conditions, infertility, or even death. This can make the decision to use birth control a scary one! Especially if you are looking for effective birth control methods for your daughter or son.
Sometimes I like to blame my infertility on the birth controls that I have taken in the past. While this may be the case, there is no way to determine that. It could just be that that is the way my body works.
But for those lucky people who don't struggle with infertility, there are many birth control methods that do not involve taking a pill every morning or putting hormones into your body.
Lets not use the term "birth control"...it's too negative and gives you the assumption that you can actually control it 100%... Lets use the term "pregnancy delayer"..less negative? I'm not sure...but I like it better :)
Ok! So on to the pregnancy delaying methods!!!
First you need to determine if you have a regular cycle. This means that your cycle ranges from 28-34ish days. If your cycle is consistent then that means that you are ovulating at approximately the same time each month and you can (somewhat) predict your fertile days each month. If you want to prevent/delay pregnancy then you need to avoid intercourse during your fertile period.
Fertility Friend as well as many other sites and apps have free calenders that you can use to chart your cycle. After a couple months, it can "predict" when you are going to ovulate to help you out.
You can also take your BBT(basal body temperature). You would take your temperature first thing in the morning before ever getting out of bed. Fluctuations in your temperature can help determine your ovulation days. I don't have much experience with this but the fertility friend website has a lot of information on it.
You can also use ovulation tests too! I have used about a billion of these over the past 2 years and they all seem to work about the same but I prefer Clear Blue Ovulation tests because they give me a clear yes or no. Happy Face means you're ovulating and just a circle means you aren't. Pretty easy! Ovulation tests are different than pregnancy tests, though. Ovulation tests need to be taken in the afternoon not with first mornings urine. Most people do not know this and that is why ovulation tests do not work for many women. But like pregnancy tests...ovulation tests can give you false negatives. So for that reason, many doctors do not recommend it as an effective pregnancy delaying method. Also, sperm can live in a woman's cervical fluid for up to 5 days!!! So having sex a couple days before you ovulate can still cause you to get pregnant. But if you combine it with BBT charting...you have a better chance of catching your fertile period.
Ok...on to methods that are less time consuming and a little more effective.
The Paragard IUD(intrauterine device) is a hormone free, copper, device that is placed in the uterus that claims to not interfere with your normal cycle. If you don't plan on having children in the near future, this might be a good option for you.
Then there is the obvious, condoms. Most women hate condoms...mainly because they are pretty uncomfortable. But when used correctly, they are actually one of the most effective methods to delay pregnancy. Many doctors say that using a spermicide with condoms or a diaphragm is more effective than the pill. However, many spermicides can cause infertility and studies show that they can actually increase your chances of contracting an STD. So I, personally, do not recommend spermicides.
These are just a few methods to delay pregnancy. There are MANY out there...just do some research and don't just grab for "the pill" if you want to delay pregnancy.
