I've spent multiple consultations with multiple GPs and OBGYNs talking about birth control options as my body and my mind do not like what we've tried so far.
Lately, I've been using a phone app to help my monitor and use the rhythm method. The problem with the calendar-based or rhythm method is it assumes every woman has the same luteal phase after their period. I got put onto the app by my friend who is trying to conceive.
Natural birth control, or fertility awareness, uses the monitoring of basal body temperature as well as combining calendar method information. Monitoring cervical mucous is another way to help gain more information about what phase of your cycle you are in.
Background info - women produce only one egg per month (ovulate) and that occurs on only one day per month. Conceiving can occur around only 6 days per month as sperm can live for up to five days, thanks to the cervical mucous, and the egg can hang around for about 18 hours after ovulation - this brings a total of only about 6 days per month max. Cervical mucous signs of fertility is when it is of a raw egg-white colour and consistency - this should happen during the 5 days leading up to ovulation. (For more info re cervical mucous see this YouTube video).
If you use your calendar (free iPhone apps available) and monitor your cervical mucous, this alone has a 93% effectiveness - around the same as condoms.
If you monitor your basal temperature and use a calendar, this provides up to 99% effectiveness. Combining all three methods - calendar, cervical mucous, and temperature, will provide a contraception effectiveness of greater than 99% (or if you want to get pregnant, this helps you too).
LadyComp is a great device that combines a thermometre into a computer calendar that gives you coloured lights for whether you are infertile or fertile (depending what you want).
It feels good to be in control of my own body, to not be taking synthetic hormones, to not be worried about the increased risks of cardio-vascular disease, liver disease, and cancer. To not be gaining weight and losing my mind. My last contraception, Implanon, made me gain 20% of my body weight in less than a year and I'm still stuck with it now.
My question is - why has not one single doctor even briefly referred to these methods in my 19 years of fertility?
Lately, I've been using a phone app to help my monitor and use the rhythm method. The problem with the calendar-based or rhythm method is it assumes every woman has the same luteal phase after their period. I got put onto the app by my friend who is trying to conceive.
Natural birth control, or fertility awareness, uses the monitoring of basal body temperature as well as combining calendar method information. Monitoring cervical mucous is another way to help gain more information about what phase of your cycle you are in.
Background info - women produce only one egg per month (ovulate) and that occurs on only one day per month. Conceiving can occur around only 6 days per month as sperm can live for up to five days, thanks to the cervical mucous, and the egg can hang around for about 18 hours after ovulation - this brings a total of only about 6 days per month max. Cervical mucous signs of fertility is when it is of a raw egg-white colour and consistency - this should happen during the 5 days leading up to ovulation. (For more info re cervical mucous see this YouTube video).
If you use your calendar (free iPhone apps available) and monitor your cervical mucous, this alone has a 93% effectiveness - around the same as condoms.
If you monitor your basal temperature and use a calendar, this provides up to 99% effectiveness. Combining all three methods - calendar, cervical mucous, and temperature, will provide a contraception effectiveness of greater than 99% (or if you want to get pregnant, this helps you too).
LadyComp is a great device that combines a thermometre into a computer calendar that gives you coloured lights for whether you are infertile or fertile (depending what you want).
It feels good to be in control of my own body, to not be taking synthetic hormones, to not be worried about the increased risks of cardio-vascular disease, liver disease, and cancer. To not be gaining weight and losing my mind. My last contraception, Implanon, made me gain 20% of my body weight in less than a year and I'm still stuck with it now.
My question is - why has not one single doctor even briefly referred to these methods in my 19 years of fertility?
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