Natural birth control

Did you know that you can avoid pregnancy without using pharmaceutical contraceptive drugs, products, or devices? In this section, you can find out the basics of the different natural methods of birth control.

Natural methods of birth control or fertility awareness are often confused with the outdated “rhythm method.” But fertility awareness and natural family planning have come a long way since the “rhythm method” was discovered. In the last 60 years, scientific research has helped doctors understand with great precision how to pinpoint the time of a woman’s ovulation even when she has variable or irregular cycles.

Based on this research, methods of tracking and charting your fertility cycle have been designed that help you know what days you could get pregnant if you have intercourse. It takes only a few minutes of daily observations to know with a high degree of accuracy where you are in your cycle. Fertility charts allow you to track one or more of the following signs of fertility:

  • Cervical mucus: Also known as the “white flow,” cervical mucus is often visible in your underwear or on toilet paper after wiping. Cervical mucus can be clear, white, or yellow in appearance, and can be stretchy, tacky, or watery in texture. The amount, appearance, and textural characteristics of cervical mucus, as well as the sensation a woman feels while wiping, change throughout the month in a cyclical pattern, with the stretchiest mucus and most wet sensation occurring during the most fertile time of the month, i.e., around ovulation.
  • Basal body temperature: If you take your basal body temperature every morning for a month, you will see an abrupt elevation of your body’s temperature after a certain point. That’s one sign that ovulation just happened.
  • Cervix position: The cervix is positioned high, and the opening (or “os”) is open and soft around the time of ovulation. The cervix is low, and the opening is closed and firm otherwise. With a bit of guidance and practice, you can learn to tell the difference on your own.
  • Urine hormone detection: Right around the time of ovulation, two key hormones are produced: luteinizing hormone (LH) and estrogen. These can be detected in your urine with a simple at-home test.

Based on these signs, several methods of charting have been developed to meet the specific needs of women:

  • Cervical mucus-only methods (also known as ovulation methods) are probably the most widely used fertility awareness methods (FAMs) or methods of natural family planning (NFP). These methods of natural birth control work great for women with a fairly normal production of cervical mucus. Examples of these methods include the Billings Method or the Creighton Model.
  • Sympto-thermal methods (STMs) include three signs: Cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and the position of the cervix. STMs work well for women who like the added assurance that comes with tracking more than one sign of fertility. Sympto-thermal methods also work best for women who have a reliable schedule, as basal body temperature should be taken at or around the same time every day. Examples of these methods include SymptoPro or the Couple to Couple League’s Sympto-Thermal Method.
  • Sympto-hormonal methods help you detect the production of key fertility hormones with a simple at-home urine test, which can be cross checked with a cervical mucus observation. Examples of these methods include the Marquette method, ChartNeo, and FEMM.

To learn more about these methods or find a trained fertility awareness educator in any of these methods, click here.

  • shared fertility, what is shared fertility, shared responsibility for fertility, fertility awareness shared fertility

    How recognizing our shared fertility can strengthen marriages

    By Melayna Alicea • December 13, 2023
    With FAMs, couples are more likely to honor one another, not use one another.
  • teen irregular cycle metabolic syndrome, oligomenorrhea metabolic syndrome, teen oligomenorrhea metabolic syndrome

    Irregular menstrual cycles in teen girls can predict future metabolic syndrome

    By Kristen Curran • September 30, 2023
    As far as irregular cycles go, having too few periods might sound like a best-case scenario for many…
  • conceive after miscarriage, conceive after pregnancy loss, how long to wait to conceive after miscarriage

    How long should you wait to conceive after miscarriage?

    By Kristen Curran • February 24, 2023
    I’ve previously written about how long to wait to conceive after giving birth for optimal health for mom…
  • dyspareunia, painful sex, vaginismus, painful sex vaginismus, what is vaginismus, painful sex endometriosis

    “Sex should never be painful:” The connection between endometriosis and painful sex 

    By Mary Bruno • November 4, 2022
    Decked out in my white strapless dress trimmed with a subtle sweetheart neckline (and just a touch of…
  • FAM Basics: What is the Corpus Luteum?

    By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • October 21, 2022
    If you’re new to fertility awareness methods (FAM), you may have heard the term “corpus luteum” tossed around…
  • how to stop your period, stop your period naturally, stop your period for a night, stop your period for a week, natural way to stop period, stop period with lemon juice

    The internet is rife with ways to stop your period for a night. Do any work–and are they safe?

    By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • July 1, 2022
    Whether it’s for an upcoming vacation, a wedding (and honeymoon!), a work trip, or a job interview, most…
  • fertility awareness instruction insurance coverage, fertility awareness insurance coverage, FAM insurance coverage, FABM insurance coverage, HHS remove FAM insurance coverage, HHS remove FAM from preventive care, HHS fertility awareness rule change, HHS fertility awareness change

    The right to get your Fertility Awareness-Based Method training reimbursed by insurance is now at risk  

    By Gerard Migeon • July 1, 2022
    Editor’s Note: In December of 2022, a federal court rejected the Biden administration’s illegal attempt to end insurance…
  • vasectomy reversal, reverse a vasectomy, does vasectomy reversal work, is vasectomy reversal effective, can I become a father again after a vasectomy, return to fertility after vasectomy

    Is a vasectomy reversal effective enough to help you become a dad again?

    By Gerard Migeon • February 17, 2022
    “I’m 36 & DH is 38. He had vasectomy Nov ’15. We want to have it reversed to…
  • A vasectomy can’t repair a broken love life—and it might cut a relationship short

    By Grace Emily Stark • February 14, 2022
    In researching the phenomenon of vasectomy regret, I came across a Reddit thread that gave me particular pause.…
  • uterine fibroids, fibroids, black women and fibroids, fibroids and infertility, fibroids and pregnancy complications, fibroids infertile, ttc with fibroids, trying to get pregnant with fibroids

    Uterine fibroids: Causes, symptoms, and treatments

    By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • February 10, 2022
    If you’ve ever heard the term “uterine fibroids,” it’s likely because the condition runs in your family (or…