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Successful natural birth control methods to avoid pregnancy
Find out the ways for successful natural birth control and avoid pregnancy without birth control pills and other products

Natural birth control or family planning is the oldest methods of birth control or controlling the fertility. This is usually practiced by couples who have fundamental religious believes or influenced by traditional culture society where using artificial medicines are still not advised. In natural birth control methods, women do not use birth control pills, patches, sterilization or any methods but rather use non-physical intercourse methods during their fertility periods to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Besides birth control, this practice will also gain great knowledge about “fertility awareness” to couples.

Natural birth control methods can be broadly categorized into
1. Rhythm method
2. Ovulation or cervical mucus method
3. Standard days method (SDM)
4. Sympo-thermal method

1. Rhythm method
Rhythm method is the oldest form of methods to avoid pregnancy by counting the “safe days” and “unsafe days”. This is based on some assumptions. An adult woman generally ovulates 14 days before their first day of menstrual period. These 14 days could be her most “unsafe days” because she becomes more fertile in those days. Sperm remains active in women’s body for maximum three days (or 5 days in rare cases) and an egg will be fertilized within 24 hours of being released from ovaries. Now, you need to know your first day of last menstrual period and then calculate 14 days back. With one or two days give and take, you will know the first date you ovulated last month so will be in the next month around that date. In order to avoid pregnancy, you either need to avoid physical intercourse or have your male partner use condoms to avoid conceived.

However, rhythm methods may not be effective for women who have irregular cycles or who do not have exactly the same number of days cycles every month. In such cases, calculation of days could be failure between 15% to 25%

2. Ovulation or cervical mucus method
Ovulation method is also know as cervical mucus method to know the changes of cervical mucus every month helping you to understand better the chances of getting pregnant. However this method of natural birth control is not practiced by every woman. It requires adequate knowledge to check her cervical mucus every month.

Without cervical mucus, sperm will not be able to survive in woman’s body and can not make an egg fertilized. Cervix is also affected by monthly changes in the body. After completing your period, your cervix will release little mucus in few days where you experienced the dry vagina. As your cycle progress, more cervical mucus will be produced. In the days leading up to ovulation the cervix responds to estrogen by producing mucus capable of sustaining sperm survival. Once you get closer to ovulation, your cervical mucus will become thinner and sticker. This mucus leaves the vagina as the woman is in an upright position. The mucus is observed through the sensation at the vulva and by looking at any discharge.

When ovulation is about to occur, you will notice that cervical mucus is very clear, stretchy and slippery, very similar to raw white egg. When this happens, it will help sperm in great way to swim upto uterus to fertilize eggs and hence pregnancy occurs. When the woman realizes this change of cervical mucus, she can decide either to conceive or avoid intercourse to get unwanted pregnancy or she might insist on her partner to use condom.

Ovulation method will be effective if you know checking the cervical mucus in the following ways: - put finger or toilet paper to wipe across the opening of vagina. You will notice the mucus. - take the sample of mucus by holding with two fingers and examine it for few days. - once you notice the slippery and stretchiness, do stretch with two fingers. If it goes upto three inches without breaking then you will experience ovulation soon. If you don’t wish to become pregnant, avoid intercourse for next 2-3 days when you will notice that mucus is gone away.

However, this is not very effective method of natural birth control or family planning method unless it is taken with other fertility awareness method like symptom-thermal method. If, however, you plan to practice this method, it is recommended taking advice from your health practitioner or family doctor.

3. Standard Days Method (SDM)
This is the new method of birth control methods where days are calculated to know when to avoid intercourse from becoming pregnant. The researchers at The Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University School of Medicine have developed the Standard Days Method (SDM) after analyzing the thousands of menstrual data collected from roughly more than 7,500 women experiencing different menstrual cycles lasting between 26 and 32 days. This data was later compiled and analyzed by the experts to find out the most “fertile days” in a woman’s menstrual cycle.

SDM method is designed after analyzing every minute details including ovulation, survival of sperm and lifespan of active eggs. Based on these assumptions, SDM has come to the conclusion that Day 8 through Day 19 in women’s menstrual cycle are very fertile and woman can decide either to conceive or avoid intercourse from being pregnant.

Now, you need to calculate how long your cycle is. The first day your period starts will be considered as Day 1. So based on SDM analysis, you are most not likely to get pregnant between Day 1 to Day 7. Then Day 8 to Day 19 will be very crucial because you will be most fertile and tend to become pregnant. You must avoid intercourse or ask your male partner to use condom. Again, Day 20 to Day 32 will be safe days for you.

4. Sympo-thermal method
Also known as Basal body temperature method is the method of keeping records of your body temperature though your cycle period and based on temperature differentiation, fertile days are calculated. Here, you need to record your body temperature when you wake up in the morning even without getting up from the bed or going to washroom first or having your bed tea or coffee. This you must continue every day and record the fluctuation in temperature.

It is presumed that your temperature must hover between 97.2ºF and 97.4ºF, although it may go up and down. When you ovulate, you might notice sudden temperature increase in the body by half to even full degree. Your body temperature may even go beyond 98ºF. This is due to the extra progesterone. During ovulation time, you might notice the sustained high temperature for three days. Once the ovulation has taken place, it can be assumed that having sex during the rest of your menstrual cycle will be safe and will not result into pregnancy.

Once the ovaries have released the egg, it will need 24 hours for fertilization whereas sperm remains viable in woman’s body for 3 to maximum seven days (in rare cases). So, there are still chances of becoming pregnant even if you don’t have sex during your fertile days. That’s why some couples abstain from sex prior to ovulation.

There are generally two types of thermometers available in the market viz basal temperature thermometer and the digital thermometer. Basal one is the traditional glass thermometer whereas digital thermometer is much advanced and preferred by women due to its capability to record most minute changes in the body temperature.

However, this method of natural birth control or family planning will only be effective if it is recorded every day at the fixed time without fail. In regular cases, this method is effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy significantly upto 95% but if you are sick in any month then your temperature readings will differ and you will not be able to calculate your fertile days accurately.

You may also visit at birth control and birth control pills to know more about the general information on birth control patches. The above article is for general information on usage of birth control patches effectively and should not be taken as medical advice. If it is so, please consult your doctor or physician for treatment purpose.