Natural Birth Control??? - Bristol,CT

S.,
I know everyone is pushing the Mirena IUD but I refused it because I didn't want any hormones in my body either. I ended up opting for getting my tubes tied but since you want more children, this just won't do for you. I know that you can still get the "old fashioned" copper IUD, but you have to request it. The great thing is, no hormones, and it will last up to 10 years before having to be removed. I have a close friend who got the copper IUD and LOVES it.
I would say that's the best form of hormone-free birthcontrol aside from condoms. I suppose you could use spermacide with a sponge or a diaphragm but those have to be used every time, unlike the IUD.
Good luck!

Hi, S..

My husband and I use a diaphragm. I know it sounds archaic, but we really like it. Once I got used to it, it took about 2 seconds to put into place and it worked well. We hated condoms, too, and hating them meant that we had sex much less. The diaphragm fixed all of that!

OK, I'm in the medical field and as far as I know there is no proven form of "natural" birth control short of abstinence. I guess like everyon else said could could try a diaphragm or an iud.

Hi S.,
Check out Naprotechnology, or the Ovulation or Creighton Model of Natural Family Planning. You can probably get some contact info. from your local Catholic Church (you don't have to be Catholic). You could also check the website of the Pope Paul VI institute (not sure the address, but you could google it). My husband and I have been using this for 15 years, and it's amazing, both to avoid and to achieve pregnancy. My cycles while nursing are like yours, and it's been great to be able to tell what's going on in my body. But you need to see a practitioner to learn it, which you should be able to find through one of the above avenues.

i successfully avoided w/ tcoyf prior to both of my pregnancies. please feel free to pm me w/ questions.

Absolutely the copper IUD. I second what the other poster said about how easy it was. I have heard that the first few periods after insertion are really unpleasant (I also don't have my cycle back), but it's hormone free, easy as cake, and fertility returns to normal as soon as it's removed.

I just read the magazine called "A Baby Magazine" where it went through the different types of BC and which moms preferred what.

Have you thought of using a diaphragm or the patch or the mini pill(which is ok for moms who BF and can remember to take it every day). I personally opted for the depo shot.

Good luck!?

Hi S.,
I followed the Billings Ovulation Method of birth control where you track your cervical mucus. I am sure you could pull it up online and find out how to do it. It simply means charting what you wipe (worry about the graphics) every day. No hormones or anything else. When your mucus is slippery like egg whites, you are in your fertile time. I have six children ages 15 to 5. The first 3 were all 3 years apart and the first 2 were even born on the same day! I started using this method after the first 3 because I too couldn't take the Pill and didn't like other barrier methods. I wanted all 6 of my children and we were actually told after the 3rd one that we would not be able to have any more so we proved them wrong. Anyway, I hope this little bit of info helps. Good luck to you.

M.

Dear mom,

I have 2 children which were conceived while nursing,

Becareful

M

Hello!
I currently use an IUD...it doesn't release any hormones...just tricks your body into thinking you're pregnant already so it doesn't implant an egg. The only thing is, the ob/gyn has to put it in during your cycle...not sure how she'd do it in your case. The one I got is good for 10 years and can easily be taken out in the office and you can start making babies right after. No more painful than a papsmear to put it in.
Hope some of this helps. (I'm sorry I don't know the name of mine)

I liked A Cooperative Method of Natural Birth Control by Margaret Nofziger.

I'm the same way as you, I hate hormones and I don't do well on them. I got a 10 year IUD. It's copper, no hormones. Copper is a natural spermicide which was news to me! I haven't had any issues at all, it's been great.

Very Easy - NFP - Natural Family Planning
There are even ways to monitor while nursing to help know when your cycles will come back
Check out http://ccli.org

The Basics of NFP are very simple. You take and chart your temperature every morning at about the same time and cross check that with your observations of your vaginal mucous.

Hope this helps

J. M

ive gone through all of this, used condoms until my baby was 15 months, its sucked! plus we had to use the expensive polyeurothane one bcuz im latex sensitive! ugh! i think your only options right now are, diaphram or maybe an IUD. Iud doesnt have as many side effects as the pill, but is not for everyone... good luck

What about a diaphram? I used one years ago because I too didn't like condoms. Have you talked to your gynecologist about it? That might be the place to start.

Best wishes to you!
C.

Ok...I know you said you have tried all sorts of condoms, but my question first was....are they all latex? I didn't know there was a non-latex condom out there until I talked to a friend who is allergic to latex. There is a polyurethane condom that Trojan makes. I was like you. Dreading to use a condom because of the way it made me feel afterwards (found out I am sensitive to latex). Since using the polys, relations have felt much better.

Hi S.,
I second the recommendation of NFP as taught by the Couple to Couple League (CCL)! They teach you about "Ecological Breastfeeding", a type of nursing which naturally gives women an average spacing of 2 years between births, due to the lactation amenorrhea of 14.5 months it provides (on average--each woman is different). They also teach you how to know when your fertility returns. You can ovulate before your first warning period--this happens 15% of the time. It happened to me, but I knew from my signs that my fertility was returning. My husband and I decided not to postpone and our third was conceived when my second was 14 mos. and before my cycles began. I had no cycles for almost 4 years! This helps reduce breast cancer, and the normal lack of cycles (from lactation amenorrhea) retains your iron reserves (so you have more energy to care for baby!). We've spaced all our children this way (and even extended the 2 yrs. with systematic NFP). We're so happy to be free of all artificial BC in our marriage (it felt like gearing up for war, not love!).

This is from http://ccli.org/nfp/ebf/summary.php:

Summary of Ecological Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing Program
Basic Principles

1. Frequent and unrestricted nursing is the primary factor in producing natural lactation amenorrhea and infertility. (Lactation amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual periods due to breastfeeding.)
2. Ecological Breastfeeding (EBF) almost always provides this frequent nursing and natural infertility. It is that type of baby care which follows the natural mother-baby relationship. It avoids the use of mother-substitutes, such as bottles and pacifiers; it follows the baby-initiated patterns. EBF is the norm and offers many built-in benefits, one of which is extended natural infertility. In essence, a lengthy postpartum amenorrhea is the expected norm.

Ecological Breastfeeding: The Early Months

This phase almost invariably produces natural infertility as long as the program is complete. Phase I usually lasts six months. The key to natural infertility is frequent and unrestricted nursing. The following Seven Standards help to ensure this frequent nursing.

1. Do exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; don't use other liquids and solids.
2. Pacify the baby at the breast.
3. Don't use bottles and pacifiers.
4. Sleep with the baby for night feedings.
5. Sleep with the baby for a daily-nap feeding.
6. Nurse frequently day and night, and avoid schedules.
7. Avoid any practice that restricts nursing or separates mom and baby.

Ecological Breastfeeding: Later Months

At around six months of age, the baby will start taking solids or liquids other than breast milk.

Aside from Standard #1, exclusive breastfeeding, the other six standards will remain operative until the baby gradually loses interest in breastfeeding.

This time is one of very gradual change in which the amount of nursing is 1) not decreased at all at first, and 2) lessened only gradually at the baby's pace. The time of natural infertility that a woman can achieve at this time is frequently longer than the first six months if the EBF program is followed with continued frequent and unrestricted nursing, although this varies from woman to woman.

Chance of Pregnancy:
The First 6 Months. The first 8 weeks postpartum for the exclusively breastfeeding mother are so infertile that in 1988 scientists agreed that any vaginal bleeding during the first 56 days postpartum can be ignored for determining amenorrhea or fertility for the exclusively breastfeeding mother. This rule would also apply to the EBF mother.

During the first 3 months postpartum, the chance of pregnancy occurring
is practically nil if the EBF mother remains in amenorrhea.

During the next 3 months postpartum, there is only a 1% chance of
pregnancy if the EBF mother continues to remain in amenorrhea.

After 6 Months. For the nursing mother there is about a 6% chance of pregnancy occurring prior to the first menstruation. This assumes no fertility awareness and unrestricted intercourse. This risk can be reduced to close to 1% through the techniques of systematic natural family planning — observing the signs of fertility and abstaining accordingly.

About 70% of EBF mothers experience their first menstruation between 9 and 20 months postpartum. The average return of menstruation for EBF mothers is between 14 and 15 months.
Natural Spacing by Breastfeeding Alone

For many couples who desire 18 to 30 months between the births of their children, Ecological Breastfeeding should be sufficient.

i went off the pill for 1 year before getting pregnant - and used the taking charge of your fertility to guide me to not get preg until we were ready - it is heavily dependant on your cycle and temperature (you have to take your temp everymorning, about the same time, before you even get out of your bed - think of a thermomter and note pad next to your bed) - so i'm not sure how it would work if you're not having any cycles.

have you tried using a diaphragm - just a rubber cap and some spermicide - i used this as well - during what we called "prime time" - when i didn't want to get preg - it involves a little planning - having to say "ok tonight we're having relations, have to put it in etc..." and you can keep it in for up to 6-8 hours if i remember correctly - or starting then "wait a minute" run to the bathroom and put it in.... can ruin the mood a bit.

I highly recommend that you finish reading Toni Weschler's "Taking Charge of Your Fertility"! Her website can be found at ovusoft.com I know that most people seem to use this method for achieving rather than preventing pregnancy, but I've found that it works very well as a whole-life fertility management plan.

I'm with you about using condoms. And it was far worse in the early months of lactating, too...I was just so uncomfortable, uninterested and DRY as can be. Astroglide can help, by the way. I seem to remember that Weschler makes recommendations about other barrier methods, too.

If you are done having kids, have you discussed the possibility of your husband having 'The Snip'?

Hi S.,
You may want to speak with you gynecologist about getting fitted for a diaphram.
Good luck,
R.

I didn't read what others wrote but I wanted to tell you what I do. I can't take the pill do to the hormones and such with my family medical history. My husband hates the condoms too. So after some research I decided to go with a, IUD that has no hormones. It's a bit uncomfortable at first and when you get your period but you don't really have that issue. My only concern there is they put it in when you do and you ussually don't fell the cramping while it settles because of having your period. You can take Tynlenol or something while this happens though. It's not the Minera one but I can't remeember the name of it. It has copper wrapped around it which works as a "repelant" so there are no hormones needed. After 6 weeks they will wrap the string around your cervics so hubby doesn't feel a thing! I didn't tell mine about the string because ALL men will insist the feel it otherwise. Hope this helps.

Hi S.,
go back to Taking Charge of Your Fertility!
There is a section in there about nursing moms with no cycles yet. It really is a great book and I am sure you will find what you are looking for. I am with you, not into the hormones!
Good Luck - and that section is in the back. You might need to review some of her concepts in the beginning of the book, but she definately addresses your situation.
Good Luck!
E.

Hi S.,
Long ago I read the book "Taking charge of your fertility" and it was awesome. It has everything you need to know about natural birth control. After reading this book, I successfully abandoned birth control pills and did not conceive until we were ready to try for a baby five years later. The book helped give me the confidence in knowing my body to determine when I was ovulating. It is a remarkably interesting read too. So many fertility books read like a college text book, but this one was really well written. Good luck!
Cheers!
K.