Natural Family Planning as Contraception- Thoughts?

[RedHotChilliPepper01]

Howdy all

I think I already know the answer to this question (along the lines of- I tried it and am sitting here with my 2 yo lol!), but I was wondering how people have found using natural planning as a form of contraception?

A bit of background- my partner (26M) and I (26F) have lived together for a long time and are in a solid relationship. We’re both in high-level, well paid jobs that can fit around family life and both definitely want kids in a few years. At this point in our lives, having a baby wouldn’t be ideal, but it’s not the end of the world.

I’ve tried several forms of contraception before and don’t love any of them, the best I’ve found was the copper IUD, but found my libido dropped and I had pretty w*nk periods on it. Hormonal options make me into a monster so that’s a no-go for me. I’m pretty in tune with my cycle and have tracked ovulation days with fertility testing previously. Condoms are fine… but I’d rather not. What are people’s experiences? If I went for it I’d fully commit using temperature/ mucous/ cycle tracking and would obviously use protection when fertile.

Thoughts?

We used a thing called Persona years ago. Don’t know if it’s still available. You had to do a urine test each morning and got a red or a green light for sex. It built up a pattern of your cycle tailored for you. It worked well for us and we just did things other than full sex on red days.

Oh sweet- I’ll have a look into it, thanks for the reply! If you mind me asking, how regularly were you having sex roughly, and do you have any children now?

Why would libido drop on the copper coil - isnt it non-hormonal?

It is marketed for tracking ovulation to get pregnant, but I know some people use Ovusense (the internal one) for family planning.

It is, but my cycles changed which made me feel pretty shit for a significant portion of the month and there’s thought to be links to changes in oestrogen (copper in excess -> lack of detoxification of oestrogen, it was only after I had it removed that I made the link as I was suddenly a whole new woman). As is typical, I believe the whole thing is under-researched!! Definitely better symptoms than true hormonal BC, however.

This is interesting- I like that it’s not limited by irregular cycles or PCOS, too. Thanks for that!

Don't rely on an app predictions, they can be way out as they're based on averages. You need to learn to track. Your ovulation yourself using your temperature and discharge. I've done this for 10 years, but now use discharge only as I'm single and only tracking to know when my period will arrive.

You can ovulate anywhere from day 7 to day 65+ depending on when your body is ready. So the early part of your cycle can take some getting used to, depending on how regular you are. I strongly suggest you use condoms for the beginning part until you know your average ovulation date and are very aware that you can sometimes ovulate early. For example, I hadn't ovulated before day 14 in years and then all of a sudden i had a cycle where I ovulated at day 12. Then the next one was day 21. Due to stress.

The second part of your cycle is more fixed and can vary between 14 and 18 days usually. This is when you'll be able to have the most unprotected sex. Once you have tracked a few cycles and know your regular fertile period. Start but having unprotected sex the day before your period is due, so long as you have confirmed ovulation and work back from there each month to build confidence.

Once you're confident in tracking, you need to wait at least 2 days after you've ovulated before you can have unprotected sex. The egg can only live for 12-24 hours. So this prevents a mistaken ovulation day and having sex too soon.

In the early part of your cycle sperm can lay in wait for up to 5 days. Usually 2 though.

After I'd tracked a while my partner and I used no protection until day 10, then used withdrawal until v day 13, condoms until day 16, then no protection until my period. When we were happy with another child potentially coming along we just used withdrawal from day 12 to 16. I didn't get pregnant. But I'm not suggesting you use withdrawal as a method at all, I was also a good ten years older than you when we split up. You're in your peak fertile years. I'm just trying to give you my experience.

A great book that describes it all is taking charge of your fertility. And there was a Facebook group that I joined that was so helpful to help me when I got started. I think it was called the fertility awareness method.

I have a copy of the on vinted at the mo if you want it

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7994776167-taking-charge-of-your-fertility-toni-weschler

If you need any more help just shout, but you'll need to tag me as I don't seem to get notifications when someone quotes me.

@Bourneo Fab, thanks so much for the detailed reply! Yess- I’ve tracked fertility using FSH and LH urine testing for a while, as I was keen to be more in tune with my cycle, and so pretty happy I know when my most at risk days are. I usually now have a pretty good idea based on discharge due to this, but would need to start recording this more carefully. Appreciate the book rec, although right now my main aim is to avoid pregnancy, I like to do plenty of research both ways and so this could be useful at both stages of life.

@RedHotChilliPepper01yeah if you learn the methods, like it sounds like you already have, then you just reverse it to avoid pregnancy. I bought this book so I could avoid pregnancy after accidental getting pregnant on day 21 of my cycle! Which i was horrified by as my 'education ' on it until that point had been you ovulate on day 14. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I've had the same issues as you with contraception. It's the only way for me. And if I get a new partner is the only thing I'll use until menopause. I'm much happier and feel like me. And feel like I know my body more.

As you've probably already noticed tracking mentally well come as second nature once you know all the rules. But be careful to write it in the app when life is busy as you may have slip ups.

I found doing my temperature harder with a 3 year old as he was coming into my room to wake me up, so couldn't take it immediately. I tried a period of time where I did night time temping with some success. You may already know this, but you'll need a basal thermometer, not a normal one.

Just keep in mind when life gets busy or you have social events/, have a drink, it can be easy for life to get in the way and you both forget. So some people put like a red or green picture above the bed, so they/ their partner knows where in your cycle you are and it doesn't ruin the moment etc. And you can see it even if you drink etc.

Here's some examples of my charts when I was tracking very carefully.

Its hard to say. I think marriage is the first thing to get on your hit list. But this is just my opinion.

The good thing about Ovusense is that you don't have to take your temp the second you wake up as it has being doing it for you. Just take the sensor out when you go to the loo, wash and sync to your phone. After a couple of cycles it gets much better at predicting and you can see yourself when you are moving towards and have ovulated from the graphs it produces.