Natural cycles as contraception - this isn’t correct is it ??

[amithestupidone]

I was chatting to a friend about not getting on with my coil she was telling me how she just uses an app and opk tests to avoid her ‘fertile window’

She explained how last week her lh surge was Tuesday meaning ovulation day was Wednesday. She had sex on the Monday and Friday that week and says that’s how she avoids pregnancy? I’m totally confused as to me those 2 days might still be in the danger zone ??!!!

Can someone explain how it works as it doesn’t sound that reliable to me?

you take your temperature every morning and the app prompts you when your temperature indicates ovulation could approaching to take ovulation tests and use condoms just before this too. Once the tests plus your temp have confirmed ovulation the app recommends condoms for another couple of days as that’s how long the egg lasts before the cell dies. I successfully avoided pregnancy for years using it and also got pregnant quite quickly when I switched to the plan a pregnancy mode too, even though my cycle is classed as “highly irregular” by the apps info! I loved it as hormonal contraceptives weren’t for me and it teaches you a lot about your cycle.

It’s not reliable.

Sperm can live for up to 5 days inside a woman. If I was her I would not have had unprotected sex the Monday, as she could get pregnant. Your fertile for 1 day a month. You can use opk tests but you need to be very careful and test everyday.

This was what I thought - she said the opk showed an lh surge Tuesday evening so to me that says ovulation 24-36 hours later ? And then that could have been wed night or Thursday morning? I find it so confusing though I think I’d be a nervous wreck relying on that 😂😂😂

Only rely on it if you don't mind getting pregnant.

Start planning your friend's baby shower, @amithestupidone

Catholic friends were told that the natural methods were totally reliable. Two babies later...

These methods are unreliable. My friend had a device that you owed on a stick or something and inserted it into the machine and it told you when you were safe. She got pregnant despite this machine. Clearly you're not safe!

Peed. Not owned. Typo!

I think if used correctly Natural Cycles is meant to be quite effective - only anecdote of course, but I used it for 18 months for contraception before we tried for a baby. But having sex two days before ovulation definitely isn't safe if you want to avoid a pregnancy, so either her app isn't being cautious enough in telling her when is OK, or she's ignoring it and making her own decisions! I just looked back at my old data and it advised using condoms for over a week before suspected ovulation and a couple of days after.

A friend did it for 3/4 years very reliable but they were prepared if she would fall pregnant. I think they used condoms for the couple of dangerous days though.

Myself and my friend have used this for years with condoms or avoidance around the 4 danger days. Tbh we all use pull out the week before and after and been ok. But I totally accept it's unreliable.

women only ovulate 1 day, actually fertile 5 days before, day of ovulation and day after. She's got muddled up somewhere 😬👶🏻

I think some influencers who had young babies raved about this. The replies were how unreliable it was...

It might not be reliable for some people buy u did this for 7 years after having dd and then fell pregnant with ds the month I stopped.

If you do it correctly (charting temp, making sure you don't move much/talk/wriggle about anything to raise temp. As well as adding an extra safe day either side of ovulation, as well as tracking cervical mucus

I think those methods can be reliable if you're happy leaving quite a wide margin. I've always had very very obvious ovulation symptoms (which were confirmed to be correct when it took a while to conceive DD2 so I started tracking ovulation with sticks to make sure), so I could wait until a couple of days after those have passed, and freely have sex from then until my period. I think that would be pretty reliable. But would only be just under half the month.

Your friend isn't even doing it correctly. If you ovulate Wednesday, Monday is not a "safe" day to have sex.

I've been using it for 7 years successfully! It's medically tested and approved. BUT you do have to measure temperature properly every day.

Would You really plan your family, solely, on the advice of your friend?
Didn’t think so.

But I'd also have to add, I'm pretty sure NC would give her a 'red day' during that time, meaning she should abstain or use condoms...