Natural Family Planning Method

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There are several methods of contraception available in the market, from varieties of condom to variety of implants and surgeries.
But there was a time when people didn't had this much of resources, at that time these all natural ways of controlling birth were used.
Mentioning some of them:

Coitus interruptus (onanism)
It is simply a withdrawal technique, also known as the pull out method. As the word suggest 'coitus' means penetrative sexual activity and 'interruptus' means interruption. It simply means ejaculating outside the vagina. It is performed by male partner who withdraws his 'organ' when is on verge of ejaculation from the vagina and away from genitalia of the female i.e. before ejaculation. But before opting both partners should agree on this method. As it is not easy, it takes a lot of self-control. It should be carefully practiced as right before ejaculation, there is some fluid released from the penis that contains sperm.

Abstinence
It means no sexual contact of any kind, especially no penis-to-vagina contact strictly. In terms of birth control, abstinence means not allowing sperm near the woman's body below the waist. It is 100% effective if practiced strictly which will help to avoid pregnancy. Though it sounds weird but it may help building relationships and bonding in other ways sexual activity is not the only way to be intimate with someone there are several ways too which can spice up the bonding. But be prepared with the barrier methods (like condoms) handy 'may be' you change your mind in case and do take emergency contraception if you indulge in sexual activity without contraception.

Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
This method can only be used by a woman who has just given birth and are breast feeding the baby. Though temporary, can be used from after delivery to six months afterwards, if all conditions are fulfilled well.
As the name say 'lactational amenorrhoea' which means not having a period when one is producing milk for baby. It works only when a female exclusively breastfeeds baby for six months, the hormones that helps in producing the breast milk also work on the ovaries to stop it from releasing an egg (so, no ovulation would take place) for the first six months after the baby's birth up. A woman doesn't get her period during this time. And to work it properly baby should exclusively be breastfed (no formula, no pumping or pablum with breast feeds at least for every 4 hours during day and at least every 6 hours at night). It mostly works out better but may fail too as it totally depends on the hormones so be handy with the barrier methods too.
Fertility Awareness method (FAM)
It can be used by predicting fertile and infertile times in female's menstrual cycle. It is completely based on bodily signs, which changes during every menstrual cycle due to response to the ovulation hormones which causes the release of an egg. But one has to use abstinence method during fertile period.

Q: How to know the fertile and infertile period naturally?

  1. Calendar Method: It works by charting the menstrual cycle for at least 6 months, to become very familiar with its "rhythm" of it. Basically, if a woman has regular monthly periods (the number of days between the start of each period is exactly the same) then ovulation will occur at the same time during each cycle and a woman is fertile for as long as 6 days before ovulation and 2 or 3 days after ovulation, so in each month there is a total of 7-8 days of fertility in her cycle. To find the estimated length of the pre-ovulation infertile period, 19 sometimes 18 days are subtracted from the length of the female's shortest menstrual cycle. To find the estimated start of the post-ovulation infertile period, 10 or 11 days are subtracted from the length of the female's longest cycle. It predicts when release of an egg will occur based on when egg was released in past cycles. And to abstain from making sexual contact during the fertile period to avoid pregnancy.

  2. Ovulation (Mucus) Method: it works by observing changes in cervical mucus. When a woman is most fertile, there is more mucus and after ovulation, there is less mucus which is stickier, which blocks the sperms from entering the uterus.

  3. Basal Body Temperature Method (BBT): by measuring the basal body temperature every morning and charting or graphing the results help in determining when ovulation occurs. There is a slight rise in temperature when ovulation occurs.

  4. Sympto-Hormonal Method: Checking your urine with an ovulation kit to measure the LH hormone, checking for breast tenderness, abdominal heaviness, slight lower abdominal pain, or slight bleeding (spotting) Or a combination of all of these methods may work better for women with irregular or less distinct mucus changes.


P.S. These are the natural ways to avoid pregnancy but may fail too if not taken seriously so be prepared too if it happens. It needs a careful, daily observation and cooperation of both partners to abstain from sexual contact during fertile times