How To Avoid Pregnancy Naturally: Natural Birth Control Methods

In the recent decades, there has been a rising interest among couples to take a more “natural approach” to family planning. They are not relying on methods like birth control pills, contraceptive devices, and various other chemical methods that although are effective in the short term, yet are not free of side effects in the long term. Avoiding pregnancy through natural methods is gaining importance. Hence, many people ask the question, how to avoid pregnancy naturally?

The application of natural methods to abort the risk of unwanted pregnancy is being followed by around 4% of the married population. It is called Natural Family Planning. Using natural methods to avoid unwanted pregnancy means a couple knows when to avoid participating in sexual intercourse. They have a clear understanding of when the egg in the woman’s body is ready to be fertilized in the male sperm.

The answer to the question, how to avoid pregnancy naturally involves the male and the female to have a thorough knowledge of the ovulation mechanism of women. The days in which women can easily conceive usually occur right before the ovulation as well as around it. At this time, it is better to avoid sex as it will directly result in the woman becoming pregnant.

What Is Natural Family Planning

man and a woman talking, Credit: Canva

Natural Family Planning or NFP refers to planning your sexual intercourse in line with the fertile phase of women’s menstruation. You can use it to avoid pregnancy or achieve it. If you want to avoid pregnancy then you need to refrain from indulging in sex. It is done by identifying pre ovulatory signs. After identifying the signs you can decide that you need not engage in sex. When the woman reaches the infertile phase of her menstrual cycle, then she can indulge in sexual activity, as she will not be able to conceive during that time. This is exactly how to avoid pregnancy after sex naturally.

Keep in mind that Natural Family Planning achieves only when the couple has the knowledge of the reproductive mechanism or fertility awareness.

How to Avoid Pregnancy Naturally – Fertility Awareness Methods

When people are inclining towards natural methods, they frequently ask, is there a natural birth control? The fertility awareness methods are all natural birth control methods. You can use any one of them and gain an understanding of how to avoid pregnancy naturally.

The methods are:

1. Calendar method

2. Cervical mucus method

3. Symptothermal method

4. Ovulation indicator kits

5. Other natural emergency contraception methods

1.   Calendar Method

a calendar, Credit: Canva

This method helps a woman to avoid getting pregnant by not indulging in sexual intercourse during her fertile phase. For this method, a woman needs to keep a record of her twelve prior menstrual cycles. She will then identify a shortest cycle and subtract 18 days from it. It will help her to determine the first day of her being the most fertile.

By subtracting 11 days from her longest cycle, she will find out the last fertile day. It will thus allow her to calculate the number of days during which she may perhaps ovulate. The calendar method is 80% effective. However, it needs a woman to experience a consistent menstrual cycle.

2.   Cervical Mucus Method

a stretchy band, Credit: Canva

Cervical mucus is produced in women when estrogen levels become high. She generates high amounts of mucus that is watery before the ovary releases an egg. This mucus is quite stretchy. By identifying the differences in the quantity and texture of her mucus, she can determine her fertile days. If she indulges in intercourse in the days between her last period and the time at which she noticed a change in her mucus, she will not conceive. It is how to avoid pregnancy naturally using cervical mucus method.

3.   Symptothermal Method

thermometer on a calendar, Credit: Canva

In this method, you need to take all the factors like calendar method, temperature of your body and cervical mucus inspection along with other symptoms like stomach cramps and breast tenderness. Woman may feel some discomfort in her lower part of the stomach during ovulation. Going by the results of all of these methods, a judgement is arrived at whether it is safe to indulge in sexual intercourse without protection to avoid unwanted pregnancy or not.

4.   Ovulation Indicator Kits

pregnancy testing kit, Credit: Canva

Ovulation prediction kits can also help you determine how to avoid pregnancy naturally. Women should use it to find out the likelihood of her ovulating. The kit measures the levels of LH or Luteinizing hormone that is present in the urine. This hormone promotes the growth of ovarian eggs. LH increases in amount around one to two days before the woman begins to ovulate. It can be detected in the urine around twelve hours later. The kit  changes colour and its intensity reflects the amount of this hormone.

A woman becomes most fertile around two days prior to her ovulation, the day when she begins to ovulate, and the day after. She can become pregnant if she indulges in sex within a day after the LH has increased. Thus, ovulation kits will help you determine when you are prone to becoming pregnant.

5.   Other Natural Emergency Contraception Methods

plate of papaya, Credit: Canva

These methods include the kinds of food you can eat to avoid unwanted pregnancy. You might wonder, what should be eaten to avoid pregnancy ? Some of the most potent food items that will help you to know how to avoid pregnancy naturally are papaya or papaya, ginger, or adrak, apricot, dried figs or anjeer, juniper berries or kala jamun, and cinnamon or dalchini. These foods are believed to prevent pregnancy and induce periods in women. However, you should not completely eat only these foods and think that they will help you avoid pregnancy. You should have an understanding of your fertile and infertile phases during your menstrual cycle.

People also wonder, can salt and water prevent pregnancy? This method is totally unproven and reliance on it will not help you to eliminate the risk of unwanted pregnancy. It is not the answer to the question, how to avoid pregnancy naturally. Using such unconventional and unproven ways will only make you conceive unexpectedly and bear its brunt in the future.