Ways to Avoid Getting Pregnant Naturally

Pregnancy is the time period during which a female carries one or more offspring in her body. For pregnancy or conception to happen, sperms have to be deposited within the vagina during coitus or sexual intercourse. An egg or ovum is released by the ovaries in females every month, about two weeks after the last menstrual period. The egg travels into the fallopian tube, where a sperm fertilizes the egg. What follows next, is the implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine wall, and the formation of placenta. The fertilized egg then grown into a fetus inside the uterus.

The Calendar Rhythm Technique

This technique is based upon calculating a female’s most fertile days on the calendar. Based on your 12 preceding menstrual cycles, you can minus 18 days from your shortest cycle to find out your first fertile day, and 11 days from your longest cycle to determine your last fertile day. You can then know the days on which you may probably ovulate. In females with irregular cycles the number of days on which she may ovulate varies thereby increasing the chances of becoming pregnant. The image below shows the general idea, but the days in which fertilization can happen are shorter, usually 5 days before your ovulation day and one day after that.

This method is only around 80% effective in preventing conception and when utilized alone, it is said to be ineffective and outdated.

Know About your Cervical Mucus

Cervical mucus has the natural role of allowing sperms to easily pass into the cervix. You can know when to have sex without getting pregnant only by knowing the characteristics of your cervical mucus during the different days of your cycle. These changes are brought about by the fluctuations in your hormone levels. You are extremely fertile when your cervical mucus is clear white in color, is greasy and elastic upon touch, and matches the consistency of an egg white. This is just before the release of a mature egg from the ovary. On the other hand, if the cervical mucus is sticky and gummy, it implicates that your menstrual cycle has just ended and it’s highly unlikely that you will get pregnant at this point, so it’s safe to have sex. It’s one of the most popular and effective means and a perfect answer to how to avoid pregnancy naturally.

Ovulation Test At Home

Two basic hormones of fertility are secreted around the days of ovulation, namely Estrogen and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The ovulation test primarily detects an upsurge in the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine. This method can help to establish the time in the menstrual cycle of a female when she is most fertile. LH is the hormone that causes the release of egg or ova, and its increased level in the urine is a good indicator of when to not have sex. It can be cross-matched with the mucus test and is 75% effective in preventing pregnancy, when employed together.

Chart Your Basal Body Temperature

Your body temperature falls slightly around ovulation and rises afterwards. It’s best to avoid sex for a few days before and after this stage. After ovulation, the spike in temperature occurs due to the release of a hormone called Progesterone, from the Corpus Luteum. It may be a slight rise of only 0.4°F, but it is noticeable and you can track this change over time. Basal Body Temperature (BBT) can be employed as a good marker and answer to how to avoid pregnancy naturally.

You need to purchase a basal thermometer to measure your BBT and make this a morning routine. However, you need to make a measurement chart of no less than 2-3 months. You need to establish a pattern of your basal temperature, before you practice this method effectively. This method has a high success rate of 85-90% in preventing pregnancy.

Breastfeed Your Baby and Avoid Getting Pregnant

After giving birth, most females don’t get menstrual cycles for 2-3 months. It’s a postpartum infertility phase through which the mothers go through, and is called Lactational Amenorrhea. However, if the mother keeps breastfeeding her child for up to 6 months, it's possible to delay this naturally occurring infertility phase. However, like all methods, none is 100% effective. Some women may have irregular cycles and techniques like this one, can fail to prevent pregnancy.

Withdrawal Technique

Otherwise termed as Coitus Interruptus, in this technique, the penis is pulled out from the vagina just before ejaculation. This is a rather unreliable, but the oldest method and answer to how to avoid pregnancy naturally. Even if the penis is pulled out in time, conception can still take place as the pre-cum has enough sperms to result in pregnancy

Abstinence

This method can be effective but has a very high rate of failure. Sexual intercourse is a special way of bonding between two partners, which is very difficult to evade. Therefore, abstinence requires a high level of self-control and understanding between them. It’s especially hard for those couples who are sexually active.