Avoiding Pregnancy - the Natural Way

It is likely that as soon as your gave birth to your baby that your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) discussed contraceptive options with you and possibly offered the mini-pill as the best option for breastfeeding Mums. You may well have taken her up on the offer or continued back on the contraception that you were using prior to falling pregnant, but have you considered all the options?

Have you ever wondered what all the hype is about Natural Family Planning (NFP)? As more and more women realize the harmful side effects of the Pill, implants, and other barrier methods of birth control, they search for a more natural birth control option. NFP is exactly that and is gaining popularity as a safe, healthy, and highly effective (98%) method of birth control.

First of all, what is it?

The World Health Organisation’s definition is “methods of planning or preventing pregnancy based on the observation of naturally occurring signs of the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle. People who use NFP to avoid or delay pregnancy, abstain from sexual intercourse on potentially fertile days. Those wanting to achieve pregnancy use NFP to identify the fertile phase and hence maximize the probability of pregnancy.” WHO (1988)

NFP is NOT the old “Calendar, Rhythm or Billings” method. Many people refer to NFP as the “Rhythm” method but this is simply not correct. The Calendar or Rhythm method is where a woman’s fertile time is based on the average length of a women’s menstrual cycle, thus not accurate at all. On the other hand, NFP is based upon your own individual cycle and is perfect for women who have irregular cycles.

The highest success rate in the avoidance of pregnancy is with the Sympto-Thermal method, which is highly scientific and is 98% effective (the same effectiveness as the mini-pill). This is the method taught by Natural Fertility NZ Educators.

So how does it work?

With the Sympto-Thermal method, a woman observes her fertility signs daily and records these on a chart.  These include:

• Cervical mucus secretions

• Basal Body Temperature (waking temperature – taken orally)

• Cervix position

The chart will give vital information about the fertile time within the cycle so that the couple can avoid intercourse (or use an alternative form of contraception, like condoms or a diaphragm) at this time. It is important to note that if a barrier method is used at the couples time of combined fertility, then they are then relying upon the condom or diaphragm as their form of contraception.

Using NFP is actually a very simple, yet accurate indication of a woman’s fertile time.

What are the pros and cons of NFP?

The Pros of Fertility Awareness include:

The Cons of Fertility Awareness include:

What are the costs associated with using NFP?

There are minimal costs associated with using NFP and there are no continuing costs once you learn the method. There is a fee (around $200 - $300) to attend a series of 3-4 sessions. You will also need to purchase a Basal Body Temperature Thermometer (BBT). After learning the method there is no other charge and you will have a life-long knowledge of your body and your fertility.

How much time does it take to practice NFP?

For the amount of knowledge you gain from using NFP there is minimal time invested. Every morning you will take your temperature and record it on your chart. Then throughout the day you will observe your mucus pattern. Both of these steps take about five minutes out of your day. It is such a small time investment for the benefits received.

Contraception while Breastfeeding

Natural Family Planning can also be used by Breastfeeding Mums and it doesn’t interfere with the production or quality of breastmilk.  If the mother is fully breastfeeding, has had no bleeding or spotting after the baby is 8 weeks' old and the baby is less than 6 months' old then the LAM (Lactation Amenorrhoea) Method - approved by the World Health Organisation) can be taught. The perfect natural contraceptive method for very busy Mums.  Mothers are taught this in an individual consultation and the Educator keeps in contact monthly to ensure that circumstances have not changed. It is very important that the method is taught by knowledgeable and experienced Educators and that Mother's recognise the signs of returning fertility. NFNZ accredited Educators have qualified from the only Accredited training programme in New Zealand for teaching the LAM method of contraception.

Where the LAM criteria cannot be met, an alternative natural method of contraception is taught called Breastfeeding Charting. This involves the charting of cervical mucus, vaginal sensation, how often your baby is breastfeeding over a 24 hour interval and what your baby’s longest sleep is.  From here, a pattern of infertility is established and guidelines are taught.

Conclusion

The STM of Natural Family Planning is a natural, non invasive method of avoiding a pregnancy. It can be used by anyone whether they have “regular” cycles or not, whether you have just stopped using the pill or Depo-Provera and at every stage in your reproductive lifetime. It does require a little time, commitment and motivation from both partners to learn the method, but if this is achieved and it is used correctly and is taught by a Natural Fertility NZ accredited Fertility Educator, it will give you at least 98% effectiveness against a pregnancy.