Natural family planning

[UnicornAndSparkles]

Not sure where to put this in the topics, so apologies if it's in the wrong place!

Background: mid 30s, married, 1 DC aged 3. Open to having a second baby but in no rush.

Question: I've recently come off the degesterol pill as it was crushing my sex drive and making me feel mildly depressed. Wondering what to use as contraception as I've only ever been on the pill. Cant go on the combined pill for health reasons. DH can't use condoms. I'm not keep on having a coil or the injection or an implant as I've heard so many horror stories about each one. Also not keen on anything that could affect fertility or delay conception once I'm off it. Is "natural family planning" the answer? When I was TTC I tracked my cycles and had pretty regular 28 days, so presuming I get those back it should be fairly easy to do. And we are happy to not have sex during the 7 days before and 2 days after ovulation. Both agreed that if I did fall pregnant it would be a happy accident and we would likely be TTC at some point within the next couple of years anyway. AIBU? Should I try other forms of contraception? It seems sensible to want my cycles to come back to "normal" before TTC in the future?

Has anyone else tried this method of contraception?

Don't rely on withdrawal , that is not a method of contraception.
Fertility awareness can work well if your cycle is regular but is not as effective as other methods and you need to be strict about avoiding intercourse during possible fertile window. If it wouldn't be a catastrophe for you to fall pregnant go for it.
Pp is right there are latex free condoms.
If you found progesterone only pill caused depression you could easily be the same with the implant and the injection. Added to which the injection can lead to a delay in return of fertility so if you were hoping to have another child and are already in your mid 30s you might regret this option. A copper coil works well and doesn't have hormonal side effects and could be an option but you might consider it a bit of a faff bearing in mind your plans for another baby. It might be worth considering afterwards though.

Did this twice!!!! Got pregnant twice not straight away but within a year/ 18 months so it's definitely not a fool-proof method!

Thanks all.

I'm not ready for him to have a vasectomy now; we aren't sure our family is complete and both agree we would likely want a second.

RE the condoms, yes they would be ideal and yes there are non-latex versions, but in our particular circumstances we aren't willing to go down that route; he had a life threatening reaction ending up in hospital, and yes I was there and it was truly awful and I can't bare to contemplate even seeing one of those things again. Latex or no latex. Neither can he.

The cycle I got pregnant I ovulated almost 7 days late. I wouldn't trust it.

If you don’t mind accidentally falling pregnant (which is much more likely with NFP than with contraception) then it may well work for you.

The cap?

The ring? The patch? Dont know what hormones are involved.

I'm not ready for him to have a vasectomy now; we aren't sure our family is complete and both agree we would likely want a second.

That's fair enough. Is he absolutely in agreement about a 2nd? Ensure he wants one - and that you being pregnant tomorrow wouldn't upset him. You can never be sure of a man's reaction to an accident - sadly have seen so many similar threads on here after the positive test. Hope all goes well for your family. 💐

I think it's fine if:

• A pregnancy wouldn't be an awful outcome

• You are willing to not have sex whenever the mood hits you

• Your cycle is relatively predictable

If you look at the conception boards you feel see heaps of women struggling to guess their fertile times with opks and mucus interpretation. Some religious groups push natural FP as being easy and reliable, it's not. But with some thought and planning you might be able to stave off a pregnancy for a year or so.

We've used the withdrawal method for years and never had an unplanned pregnancy. I think it depends on the man's self control!

I’d read up about it on the NHS website, they’ve got some good stats and stuff on there and they also recommend going to a class to learn how to chart properly before starting

Oh come on, I'm allergic to latex but have lots of sex. Larex free ones are great

Natural family planning means that you are not using contraceptives. Contraceptives are far and away the best way to prevent pregnancy (well, barring the snip or sterilization!). If you want another baby anyway, then no harm done.

If you actually want to prevent pregnancy, then you need to investigate contraceptive options with your GP. An unwanted pregnancy is much worse than the rumours you've heard about side effects or the use of non latex condoms.

We used the pulling out method for a year or so which seemed affective - the first time we stopped I got pregnant. I reckon that’s more reliable than what you’re suggesting - maybe you could combine the two?

Latex free condoms + lube = doesn’t feel too far off the real thing.

As PP have said, DH could just use latex free condoms.

There are apps you can use to track your cycle that work for both planning and preventing pregnancy. The ones I used tracked your temperature. Might be the way to go for you if you either abstain or use contraceptives when you're most fertile. Ava uses a bracelet you wear at night so less faff than taking your temp in the morning. Expensive, but we were trying, not preventing (it worked, btw). Anyone who has one can generate a £20 off code for referrals if you do go that route.