Most women, at one time or another, will be faced with having to decide which birth control option is right for them. With all of the methods available now, it can become quite confusing. The 'ring', the pill, the shot--I've personally tried all three and experienced the negative side effects that can come along with them. Birth control contains synthetic hormones which can cause :
- Breakthrough bleeding/spotting
- Mood swings
- Low libido
- Nausea
- Weight gain
After experiencing serious mood swings and learning that hormonal forms of birth control could make my PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) symptoms worse, I decided to ditch it altogether. PCOS can already make becoming pregnant difficult for some and considering that I will be
30 in the next few months, I do not want to lower my chances of being able to conceive when the time is right.
It's been about a year and a half since I have stopped taking birth control and I have been on a search for a more natural form since then. To my surprise there are not many forms of effective, natural birth control methods out there. Of course there is the
withdrawal method which does not have a very high success rate but, it works for some. Let's just say I'm not really very comfortable with the effectiveness of this one!
Then there is the
Fertility Awareness Method. It involves using cervical mucus testing, basal temperature, etc. to determine when you are ovulating. Then you plan the days you choose to have sex around your most fertile days. Considering my cycles only come three to four times a year, this method is a no-go for me also.
I'm still searching for a birth control method that will not worsen my already existing hormonal imbalance but help keep the babies at bay for a little while longer. I guess I can't really have my cake and eat it too, huh? I was told, "
You know what they call women on "natural" birth control?.....Parents!" It makes me wonder if natural birth control is an oxymoron. Hopefully, I will find something soon and I will share it with you ladies. Or I may be writing a blog post about my upcoming due date!
Do you know of a natural form of birth control that is also very effective?
