Everything you need to know about natural birth control

Artwork by Liz Lanuzo of Project Vanity

I always knew I wanted to have kids. No specifics on how many, what gender, and when, though. Whenever I would hear the phrase “family planning” it just went over my head, my brain stamping it with “N/A” and going on with my life. So I had a bit of a panic attack when I found out I was pregnant, a mere two months after I got married. I never thought I’d get preggers so soon! I felt very unprepared, and wished desperately that I had paid attention to the required pre-wedding seminar on birth control.

Don’t get me wrong—I don’t regret for one moment conceiving and giving birth to my beautiful babies. Still, I had thought my husband and I would enjoy at least a year or two of just being newlyweds. I realized with guilt that I had given more thought to planning our wedding than making specific plans for our marriage.

At Project Vanity, we want women to be informed of their options on this critical issue. Since we already talked about artificial birth control, let’s have a look-see at natural options. I sat down with Dr. Cecilia Vicencio, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Medical City, for the low-down on natural birth control, and her expert opinion on its merits and disadvantages. We hope this article can give you the basic facts you need and encourage you to consult with your own doctor before you decide whether or not this is for you and your partner.

First things first

Natural birth control methods are also known as fertility awareness-based methods for good reason. All of these methods involve pinpointing dates when one is likely to get pregnant and avoiding unprotected sexual contact on those times. It comes as a bit of a shock but Dr. Vicencio reveals, “You are actually only fertile one day in a month, so that’s just 12 days in a year!”

Although the egg cell is viable for only 24 hours each cycle, sperm cells live for an average of 3 to 7 days, with the most tenacious ones surviving for up to 8 days in the womb. So it’s unsafe to have sex about a week before the egg drops, and until after the egg exits the body through menstruation. The key to success is accurately predicting when you will ovulate, since not all women get their menstrual cycles within regular intervals. There are several methods that medical practitioners recommend.

Continue reading at Project Vanity.