Rhythm/withdrawal plus age 40 plus..

[StrongerThanIThought76]

Hi,

Just had mirena removed for various reasons. Looking into alternative methods of contraception, and it looks like if we use a combination of rhythm plus withdrawal method (not an issue for him at all) and taking into account my swiftly reducing fertility due to my age we 'should' be ok...

Any thoughts?

DH and I do this (I'm 42). I don't like hormonal contraceptives so we used to use condoms, but have more or less replaced them with what you describe. No accidental pregnancies and it works well for us.

If you did become pregnant, would you be prepared to either have the baby or have an abortion? If not, you may want to consider a safer method.

You will need to be 100% sure about your cycle and you'd still be gambling on him withdrawing in time, every time.

There is an old joke - what do you call a couple who rely on the withdrawal method? Parents!

I would use condoms as well, to be on the safe side.

Until I had the coil temporarily, 6 months ago, DH and I had successfully used this method for 10 years. Now I have had coil removed due to countless issues, we are using this method again.

I'm mid- 40s now.

As PP has said, if you were to fall pregnant, could you cope with the consequences?

No accidental pregnancies so far for us however., over all that time.

Hmmm. Obvious answer is you have to be prepared to deal with either a pregnancy or a termination. If you are, rhythm method away.........! If not, make other arrangements.

TBH it can get very difficult to chart your cycles as you go into perimenopause. The 'safe times' are harder to define and if your periods get closer together, you get even less.

Fetility reduces, but it does not necessarily go away. I know 2 people who had babies at 46 and the record for this country is 58. Probably the biggest risk of getting pregnant is you are more likely to miscarry, and there can be complications with miscarriage that you do not want on top of peri problems.