26 | Natural Family Planning How to Get Started
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If you’re looking for a natural, hormone-free way to space out your babies or prevent pregnancy for now, you’ve come to the right place! I’ll be sharing 5 reasons we love natural family planning and the most simple way to get started using the Natural Cycles app.
(Use this link for 20% off your first year of Natural Cycles and a free thermometer)
Why I Ditched Hormonal Birth Control
Let’s just start here: hormonal birth control is a hard no for me.
Back in the early days of our marriage, I tried both the pill and a hormonal IUD. Both completely messed with my mood. Like, to the point where I didn’t recognise myself. My husband noticed it too and basically begged me to stop.
I didn’t like how I felt using synthetic hormones that way, but now that I’ve learned more, I have a different reason for being opposed.
Many hormonal birth control options have an abortive backup effect. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what that meant, but now—I just can’t knowingly use something that could harm my baby!
I’m thankful it’s becoming more common to question use of hormonal birth control, and since you’re here, I’m assuming you’re looking for a natural option too!
My Favourite Natural Option
Natural Family Planning (also known as the Fertility Awareness Method) basically means using natural fertility signs like your basal body temperature and cervical mucus to understand and work with your cycle. This means you can use it to pursue or avoid a pregnancy.
I knew if this was going to work for me, I needed to find a simple method. I didn’t want to be doing math equations every morning. So, in 2019 I started using Natural Cycles, a fertility tracking app, and we used it successfully for two years before getting pregnant with our first baby in 2021.
5 Reasons I Love Natural Family Planning
1. It Can Be Simple
You don’t need a science degree to start tracking your cycle. Yes, there are books and charts and terms to learn, but the Natural Cycles app makes it so easy.
I just take my temperature each morning and input it into the app. That’s it. If you’re fancy and have an Oura ring, it syncs automatically. But you can get started with just a thermometer.
2. It Helps You Understand Your Body and Emotions
Before I started tracking my cycle, I had such intense mood swings and thought something was wrong with me. But once I learned how my cycle impacted my emotions, everything started to make sense.
Now I know: I’m not crazy. I’m just a woman. And there are actually things I can do—like eating differently or using non-toxic products—to help my body feel better throughout the month.
Many women also use cycle syncing, where you plan work, workouts, and meals around your cycle. I haven’t been able to try it fully because I've been pregnant or postpartum for the last four years, but it sounds like a great way to live!
3. It Encourages Whole-Body Wellness
I used to see my fertility as something to control or suppress. Now, I see it as something to work with. Even when you’re not trying to conceive, you’re still supporting the way your body was designed to function.
Before my first pregnancy, I had almost pain-free periods just by tracking my cycle and paying attention to what I ate. I could practically predict how I’d feel based on my diet the week before my period.
4. It’s Actually Pretty Effective
Let’s not pretend this is just guesswork. Natural Cycles is 98% effective with perfect use. That’s right up there with other forms of birth control.
I’ve had what I would call a “surprise” pregnancy while using Natural Cycles, but that one was on me. I chose to ignore the apps warnings!
5. It’s Budget-Friendly
If you’re tracking manually, all you really need is a thermometer. The Natural Cycles app costs me about $90/year (Canadian), which is probably less than I spent on the pill anyway.
Using ovulation strips can help make this method more accurate, and I always keep cheap pregnancy tests on hand, especially in those irregular postpartum months. (Seriously, don’t go spend $20 at the drug store. These amazon pregnancy tests are so cheap!)
5 Simple Steps to Get Started with Natural Family Planning
Ready to dive in? Here’s how to get started:
1. Ditch Your Hormonal Birth Control
Talk to your doctor if needed. Not every doctor is going to be super supportive of natural methods, but if you are going with Natural Cycles, it is FDA approved!
2. Choose Your Tracking Method
You can go old-school and chart everything yourself (check out the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility) or you can take the easy route like me and use Natural Cycles.
3. Start Taking Your Temperature Daily
Keep your thermometer on your nightstand and take your temp as soon as you wake up. If you’re using Natural Cycles, it’ll tell you whether it’s a “safe” day or not based on your input.
4. Use a Backup Method While You Learn
It takes a few months of consistent tracking to fully trust the method. Natural Cycles is super cautious at first and gives you fewer “green days” until it gets to know your cycle.
5. Stay Consistent and Keep Learning
Tracking is about learning your body and building trust with it again. Keep charting, keep learning, and give yourself grace while you figure it out.
Final Thoughts
I hope this was helpful if you’ve been curious about natural family planning or feeling unsure about hormonal birth control.
I was amazed at how simple it is to prevent pregnancy naturally and how effective it can be!
If you are planning to check out Natural Cycles, use my link to get 20% off your first year and a free thermometer.
Happy tracking!
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