PREVENTING PREGNANCY
ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED ON THIS PAGE AND SITE ARE SUPPLIED ON A NON-ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY AND WE ARE THEREFORE NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY OUTCOMES HAD THROUGH USE OF ANY INFORMATION SUPPLIED ON THIS SITE. SEE DISCLAIMER
Knowing how to prevent pregnancy naturally is helpful for all women - even those who choose to use contraceptive methods, this is because it helps to limit your chances of becoming pregnant (in the event of a contraceptive failure, knowing your fertility will help you to decide if you want to take the risk during a fertile period or not - even with contraceptives & if you chose to take that risk & contraceptives failed you would be able to increase your options if you know if you were fertile or not). It is also of great help for women who have had a baby who's periods havent returned (there have been many women who fell pregnant without their periods returning assuming that because their periods hadn't returned they weren't fertile- however the body CAN release and egg and be fertile without giving you a period- just as it can give you a period and cycle and not release an egg - this is called anovulation). Knowing your Fertility can also help you to become pregnant if you are trying to conceive
This page is to help women become more aware of their fertility, to enable a little bit more control whether other methods of contraceptives are used or not.
There are various different methods you can use- however, it is advisable that you use more than one (if you can use them all, use them all) to get a more accurate picture of your fertile patterns (remember no woman is the same)
TRACK YOUR CYCLE FOR 6 MONTHS (Remember there are other methods for people who cant do this)
Count the length of your cycle until the first day of your next period and record the number for 6 months. Subtract 18 from your shortest cycle in the past 6 months. Subtract 11 from your longest cycle in the past 6 months. For example, 18 from 28 is 10, 11 from 32 is 21. From day 10 to day 21 is your most fertile time
MONITOR YOUR MUCAS (This is a REALLY good one for women who have irregular cycles or have not gotten their periods back after childbirth)
Consider the ovulation method. This method requires you to check your cervical mucous each day during your cycle. Unfertile cervical mucous is thick, sticky and cloudy in color. Fertile cervical mucus is thinner and watery. It is also stringy, clear and more abundant. If your cervical mucus is clear and stretchy you may be ovulating and should avoid unprotected sex
For women who are not overly confident in determining types of mucas then its best to follow the rule 'Dry' safe - wet (no matter the look) 'risk zone'
MONITORING YOUR TEMPERATURE ( a normal thermometre can be used however a Basal Body Thermometre which can be picked up at a chemist is better because it will detect temperature readings that would otherwise be to sensative for a normal thermometre)
This will require you checking your temperature at the same time each morning- it is best done in the morning (this is because at least 3 hours of consecitive sleep is needed for an accurate reading)- however it can be done at any other time of day as long as the temperature is checked at the same time each day. It is best to be done before getting out of bed as temps rise with activity. . Record the temperature each day and the time you took the temp. Your basal body temperature drops slightly just before ovulation and reaches its lowest point at ovulation. Over the next two or three days your body temperature will increase 1 to 2 degrees until it reaches normal and stays there through the end of your cycle, where it will then drop before menstration. Doing this will also give you and indication if you may have fallen pregnant (if you took a risk during a fertile stage) or not because temperatures will continue to rise, there will often be another dip called an implantation dip (when the egg implants in the uterus) and the temperatures will rise again after the dip and continue to rise- if you notice this its best to get a pregnancy test (urine test) and check a few days after the dip - if its negative dont completely rule pregnancy out until you have gotten your period- if its late get another test.
CHECKING CERVIX POSITION TO DETERMINE FERTILITY
LOW - Infertile (If the cervix is low down easy to reach this indicates infertile)
MEDIUM- Possibly Fertile (If the cervix is not low down but still reasonably easy to reach you may be fertile)
HIGH- Fertile (If the cervix is harder to reach or you just can't reach it this often indicates you are FERTILE)
HARD - Infertile (If the cervix feels hard this often means you are infertile)
SOFT - Fertile (If the cervix feels soft this often idicates you are FERTILE)
CLOSED- Infertile (If you cannot feel and opening this indicates infertile, if it you feel a small opening this may indicate possible fertility)
OPEN- Fertile (If you can feel an opening you are likely FERTILE)
The cervix feels like a bit of a nose inside your vaginal opening.
OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kits)
Ovulation predictor kits can be brought at chemists or supermarkets- they will tell you when based on your cycle length to begin testing to determine your ovulation time- the will usually show if Ovulation is going to happen up to 48 hours in advance- unlike pregnancy tests they will often show two lines (however if Ovulation is detected the 2nd line WILL be a 2nd line that is Darker than or as Dark as the original line IF the test is Possitive for ovulation) - The negative to these tests are they are EXPENSIVE if you are using them on a regular basis for preventative measures, and they will ONLY give you an indicator of when ovulation MAY occur (if you have an anovulatory cycle or your body prepares to ovulate but stops and doesnt ovulate until later in the cycle the Ovulation predictor kits will still detect this and will think your body is going to ovulate when it isnt) for these reasons its not advisable to rely on this method alone as you may think you have ovulated (when you havent) and end up ovulating later in the cycle without knowing and it also will ONLY give you an indication of your 'possible ovulation' meaning your possible highly fertile day it will NOT let you know when you are moderately fertile, slightly fertile or possibly fertile - which still leaves the chance of falling pregnant.
This page is to help women become more aware of their fertility, to enable a little bit more control whether other methods of contraceptives are used or not.
There are various different methods you can use- however, it is advisable that you use more than one (if you can use them all, use them all) to get a more accurate picture of your fertile patterns (remember no woman is the same)
TRACK YOUR CYCLE FOR 6 MONTHS (Remember there are other methods for people who cant do this)
Count the length of your cycle until the first day of your next period and record the number for 6 months. Subtract 18 from your shortest cycle in the past 6 months. Subtract 11 from your longest cycle in the past 6 months. For example, 18 from 28 is 10, 11 from 32 is 21. From day 10 to day 21 is your most fertile time
MONITOR YOUR MUCAS (This is a REALLY good one for women who have irregular cycles or have not gotten their periods back after childbirth)
Consider the ovulation method. This method requires you to check your cervical mucous each day during your cycle. Unfertile cervical mucous is thick, sticky and cloudy in color. Fertile cervical mucus is thinner and watery. It is also stringy, clear and more abundant. If your cervical mucus is clear and stretchy you may be ovulating and should avoid unprotected sex
For women who are not overly confident in determining types of mucas then its best to follow the rule 'Dry' safe - wet (no matter the look) 'risk zone'
MONITORING YOUR TEMPERATURE ( a normal thermometre can be used however a Basal Body Thermometre which can be picked up at a chemist is better because it will detect temperature readings that would otherwise be to sensative for a normal thermometre)
This will require you checking your temperature at the same time each morning- it is best done in the morning (this is because at least 3 hours of consecitive sleep is needed for an accurate reading)- however it can be done at any other time of day as long as the temperature is checked at the same time each day. It is best to be done before getting out of bed as temps rise with activity. . Record the temperature each day and the time you took the temp. Your basal body temperature drops slightly just before ovulation and reaches its lowest point at ovulation. Over the next two or three days your body temperature will increase 1 to 2 degrees until it reaches normal and stays there through the end of your cycle, where it will then drop before menstration. Doing this will also give you and indication if you may have fallen pregnant (if you took a risk during a fertile stage) or not because temperatures will continue to rise, there will often be another dip called an implantation dip (when the egg implants in the uterus) and the temperatures will rise again after the dip and continue to rise- if you notice this its best to get a pregnancy test (urine test) and check a few days after the dip - if its negative dont completely rule pregnancy out until you have gotten your period- if its late get another test.
CHECKING CERVIX POSITION TO DETERMINE FERTILITY
LOW - Infertile (If the cervix is low down easy to reach this indicates infertile)
MEDIUM- Possibly Fertile (If the cervix is not low down but still reasonably easy to reach you may be fertile)
HIGH- Fertile (If the cervix is harder to reach or you just can't reach it this often indicates you are FERTILE)
HARD - Infertile (If the cervix feels hard this often means you are infertile)
SOFT - Fertile (If the cervix feels soft this often idicates you are FERTILE)
CLOSED- Infertile (If you cannot feel and opening this indicates infertile, if it you feel a small opening this may indicate possible fertility)
OPEN- Fertile (If you can feel an opening you are likely FERTILE)
The cervix feels like a bit of a nose inside your vaginal opening.
OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kits)
Ovulation predictor kits can be brought at chemists or supermarkets- they will tell you when based on your cycle length to begin testing to determine your ovulation time- the will usually show if Ovulation is going to happen up to 48 hours in advance- unlike pregnancy tests they will often show two lines (however if Ovulation is detected the 2nd line WILL be a 2nd line that is Darker than or as Dark as the original line IF the test is Possitive for ovulation) - The negative to these tests are they are EXPENSIVE if you are using them on a regular basis for preventative measures, and they will ONLY give you an indicator of when ovulation MAY occur (if you have an anovulatory cycle or your body prepares to ovulate but stops and doesnt ovulate until later in the cycle the Ovulation predictor kits will still detect this and will think your body is going to ovulate when it isnt) for these reasons its not advisable to rely on this method alone as you may think you have ovulated (when you havent) and end up ovulating later in the cycle without knowing and it also will ONLY give you an indication of your 'possible ovulation' meaning your possible highly fertile day it will NOT let you know when you are moderately fertile, slightly fertile or possibly fertile - which still leaves the chance of falling pregnant.