Women all over the world are faced with the daily question “What birth control should I use?”. It can be an extremely stressful and difficult decision. There are so many different kinds on the market today. Should you use the pill? What about the patch? Maybe even an IUD? What if I told you to ditch all of them?
Current Birth Control Methods Have Risk
Every type of birth control comes with side effects. They can be as minor as developing acne to as major as increasing your risk of a blood clot. Oral contraceptives such as the pill are said to increase a woman’s chance of developing a blood clot by three to four times. This is due to the estrogen and progestin that is inside the pills. Sadly, birth control patches may increase this risk even more. It is reported that the amount of estrogen your body absorbs from the patches can be 60 percent higher than the amount delivered by the pills.
Even non-hormonal options carry risk. The Copper IUD has been rising in popularity over the last few years. It is advertised as a hassle-free birth control option. But, reported side effects of the IUD have proven otherwise. It was reported that the FDA received 70,000 complaints about the Mirena, a popular brand of the IUD, between 2000 and 2013. The manufacturer Bayer faced about 3,000 US lawsuits involving sudden uterine perforations from the Mirena as of 2015.
There Are Other Ways to Prevent Pregnancy
All of this may seem scary, and you could find yourself wondering “What method should I take prevent unwanted pregnancies then?” This is where Natural Family Planning comes in. What if I told you there was a way to prevent unwanted pregnancies by simply just being more aware of your body. Yes, it really could be that simple.
Natural Family Planning teaches women how to become more familiar with the signs of ovulation. It also teaches them the patterns of the menstrual cycle. This knowledge allows them to plan sexual activity in order to either avoid pregnancy or become pregnant. With Natural Family Planning, A woman is able to identify the signs of her fertile days. These are the days during her cycle that she is most likely to become pregnant. If she wishes to not get pregnant, she can either not have sex, or she can ask her partner to use condoms.
Knowing Your Cycle
When trying to figure out fertile days, the length of your average menstrual cycle, changes in vaginal discharge, and the basal body temperature are key bits of information. A menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of bleeding in one month to the first day of bleeding in the next month. This is usually 23-35 days for the average woman. During this time period, The most fertile days is when ovulation occurs. This typically happens in the middle of the menstrual cycle.
Another way to determine fertile days is by judging the changes in your vaginal discharge throughout your menstrual cycle. At the end of each cycle, there may be no noticeable discharge coming from the vagina. These are often referred to as “dry” days. As one approaches ovulation, the vagina will release more wet and stretchy fluids. Fertile discharge is often compared to egg whites.
Finally, you can monitor your ovulation days by keeping track of your basal body temperature. In the morning, body temperature rises when you are about 12 hours away from ovulation. It will stay slightly elevated until around the time of the next period.
Natural Family Planning is a great and natural birth control method that every woman needs to learn more about. There is no need to feel trapped using birth control methods that could affect your future health. There are places that offer help and knowledge with more natural birth control options, such as the Fertility Clinic Cary NC. You have choices. Take control of your reproductive health and live a better tomorrow.