Postpartum
Birth Control
Your guide to birth control options for you and your partner.
Is
the Family Planning Method Right for You?
An all-natural
form of birth control.
What Is Family
Planning?
Family planning, also known as the "rhythm method" or "safe
period," is the oldest method of birth control. It involves abstaining
from intercourse during a woman's fertile period each month, usually
beginning around the third day after menstruation ends and lasting
for about 12 consecutive days.
There are several
ways to determine when a woman is ovulating -- where she is in her
cycle, body temperature, and vaginal secretions. Using these elements
as a guide to determine when a woman is fertile, a couple can prevent
pregnancy. Similarly, when the couple decides it's time to have another
child, it provides them with the information about when is the best
time to get pregnant.
The benefits:
Family planning through abstinence is a drug-free, device-free method
of birth control. It is especially attractive to couples who, for
whatever reason, don't want to interfere with reproduction in an artificial
way. For a breastfeeding new mom, it also has no effect on breast
milk.
The drawbacks:
Using family planning by periodic abstinence as a method of contraception
(to prevent pregnancy) means a couple can't have intercourse during
a certain period every month. Some couples find that this lessens
the spontaneity of sex. Also, this is generally not as effective a
method as others, such as barrier methods, intrauterine devices, or
oral contraceptives.
If you decide
to use the family planning method of birth control, two things are
essential:
Training by a qualified counselor or a medical professional
Consistent use
of the method
Periodic abstinence as a method of birth control can only work when
it is followed diligently. Unless you are confident that you can recognize
the signs of impending ovulation and abstain from intercourse during
the fertile period, this is probably not the right choice for you.
How to Detect
Ovulation
It is highly recommended that you take a class with a professional
before trying this method of birth control. Here are the basic methods
that you will be taught about detecting ovulation:
The basal body
temperature method
Women experience a slight -- but detectable -- rise in their body
temperature during their fertile period. To use this method, a woman
would take her temperature by mouth, using a basal body thermometer,
every morning before getting out of bed and write it down. This way,
she will notice the rise in body temperature that signals ovulation
has occurred. To use this form of detection, a couple must abstain
from sexual intercourse from the end of the woman's period until three
days after the rise in temperature is recorded. However, a few drawbacks
to this method are:
There's a large chunk of each month during which the couple needs
to abstain.
A woman must
take her temperature every day with a glass (not digital) basal body
thermometer.
Temperature readings
may be affected by fever, lack of sleep, or stress.
The ovulation
method
This method involves detecting changes in how much mucus is produced
by the cervix (the mouth of the uterus) and how it feels. The texture
of the mucus changes around ovulation, and a woman using this method
of detection must check regularly for mucus at the opening of the
vagina and assesses it for such changes.
For most women,
the vagina is dry for a time just after menstruation. Then somewhat
sticky mucus appears. Just before ovulation, the mucus becomes increasingly
wet, slippery, and stretchy, like raw egg whites. The day when the
mucus seems the wettest, called the "peak" day, indicates
ovulation. Just after the "peak" day, the mucus may become
thick again -- or even disappear -- and the feeling of dryness returns.
Women using this method should be aware that the texture of the mucus
can be affected by a vaginal infection, sexual excitement, or the
use of lubricants. Checking mucus is best done in conjunction with
checking temperature with a basal body thermometer.
Using this method,
the "safe" days (those days on which intercourse is okay
for couples trying to avoid pregnancy) are the 10 or 11 days at the
end of the menstrual cycle and the dry days, if any, that occur just
after menstruation. The "fertile" period (during which the
couple should abstain), starts with the first signs of mucus and continues
until four days after the "peak" day.
The symptothermal
method
This method combines the temperature and ovulation methods. It involves
taking your temperature every day, checking your mucus, and looking
for other signs of ovulation including:
Breast tenderness
Abdominal cramps
Vaginal spotting
A change in the
position and firmness of the cervix
Using this method involves abstaining from sexual intercourse from
the day you first notice feelings of vaginal wetness until the third
day after the rise in temperature or the fourth day after the "peak"
day of mucus production.
By combining
these methods of fertility detection (and looking for other signs),
this is actually the most effective way to determine the "safe"
period and the "fertile" period each month.
Your
should know:
The
information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes
only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical
advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose
or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your
pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any
questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's
condition.
Rebornne Baby. American Baby
