Natural Family Planning

Not every woman wants to use a hormonal birth control type. Some can’t take oral contraceptives, some just don’t want to, and still more don’t like “messing with their bodies”. One option, while not for everyone, is natural family planning.

If you’re thinking of natural family planning as an option there are some things to consider. You will need to become intune with your body’s fertility pattern and the changes your body goes through each month to prepare you for a possible pregnancy. But once you start recognizing the way your monthly cycle, body temperature and cervical mucus change, natural family planning becomes just that, natural and easy.

Basal body temperature (BBT) is the temperature of your body when it is at rest. When using this method, it is always suggested that you take your temperature as soon as you wake up, before you get out of bed. During the first phase of your cycle, your temperature will normally be in the range of 96°F to 98°F. As ovulation approaches, it will rise to around 97°F to 99°F and stay elevated for a few days. This increase in body temperature is actually caused by the hormone progestrone to facilitate a warmer and more comfortable environment for a possible pregnancy.

To take your basal body temperature, you do need to use a special type of thermometer, which is able to record the slight changes in your temperature. These basal thermometers can be found in the family planning aisle of your pharmacy. Basal body thermometers are available in traditional mercury thermometers as well as digital, which are faster and easier to read.

Basal body temperature should be taken first thing in the morning, before any physical activity and after your body has completely rested. You can choose to take your temperature orally, vaginally or rectally. Ideally, your temperature should be taken at the same time everyday as it can vary according to the time you take it at. You should also not eat or drink before recording the temperature.

Starting on day 1 of your cycle, take and record your temperature every day. You may find it helpful to put this information down into a graph so that you can see the changes in your temperature easily. Typically, you will notice a rise of 0.4 degrees at the time of ovulation. This temperature has to be higher than any recorded prior to that in the cycle. If this high temperature is maintained for 3 to 4 days, then this is the time you ovulated. If you become pregnant, your basal body temperature will continue to remain high for more than 18 days.

Charting your basal body temperature has to be done for a few months until you get familiarized with your body pattern and see the sharp or gradual increase in temperature. Also, this method will only alert you to ovulation after the fact until you have been doing this for some time and can more accurately judge your ovulation cycles. Therefore, to prevent pregnancy, you will need to use other methods of birth control, like the Today Sponge until you are confident enough to rely on this natural birth control alone. Using an ovulation predictor kit or a cervical mucus chart are comparatively better in predicting the fertile phase.

BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.

For more information on types of birth control call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.

Birth Control Buzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, types of birth control(prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase pharmaceuticals on-line. For more information, call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.