Rhythm Method

[Emiloo]

Hi Guys

I am having a break from Cerazette whilst I wait for my laparoscopy and I am really enjoying not having to take it everyday! We are TTC in January (ish), hopefully sooner (we are saving for a house that we should buy mid 2014) I have been looking into other methods and like the sound of the rhythm method. Has anyone got any experience with this? How hard is it? Any advice?

Not sure if OH will go with it, will probably say its "too much of a risk" but with nearly 1 year to go... He may be ok with it! Plus it'll help regulate my cycles, ready for TTC.

P.s. I have had microgynon but got taken off of it due to a family history of blood clots and had one dose of depo that i HATED.

 

[spicyorange]

i think rhythem is a bit unreliable and not the best natural methos these days but billing ovulation is a good natural way (google it)- its about regulating your cycle - mucus, temperature etc and avoiding BD at fertile times. personally i wouldnt trust it unless i was happy for an ooopsie baby. condoms suck but they are a fairly easy none hormal way to allow your cycle back to normal but without risk. i think when i get there il put up with a couple of months of condoms - or il jsut go to NTNP

 

[Emiloo]

Getting myself all confused trying to see the difference between the two on my phone! Think Ill have to have a look on my laptop later. I hadnt even heard of the Billings method- had only seen the 2 mentioned on NHS website- rhythm and pull -out!

 

[Mrs Eleflump]

The rhythm method - don't even go there! It assumes you have a 28 day cycle and ovulate on CD14. It doesn't take into account any of your own fertility indicators, it just goes off the calendar, simple as.

On the other hand, a method that combines at least two of your own indicators of fertility is better! Like spicyorange said, the Billings method is quite popular. I use the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). I have been using this with the withdrawal method during fertile times for over 2 years, and have not been pregnant once.

FAM uses your basal body temperature plus cervical mucus and cervical position (but I don't do cervical position, I find it too hard to tell). I also use opks, though not every cycle. I can't recommend it enough - my body does not like hormonal contraceptives, and though hubby will use condoms, he doesn't like them, and we'd rather not, tbh. He was dead against FAM for a while, until we had an accident (we were pulling out but he decided randomly not to one day ). We didn't get pregnant cry:, but probably a good thing as we were about to buy a house) but he was much more receptive to me telling him when he needed to pull out after that, lol.

If you do FAM, get yourself a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, it tells you exactly how to do it, and it has lots of tips for using it to get pregnant as well, it's not just for contraception.

And a final word of warning, if you use fertility friend to record your temps, DO NOT believe it when it tells you you're not fertile. FF is geared towards getting you pregnant, and the 'not fertile' phases it gives you are far too long if you're trying to avoid. I make hubby pull out from CD5 until 3DPO, no exceptions. That seems to work for my length of cycle.

Good luck, and hooray for getting off the hormones! Best thing I ever did, contraception-wise, I will never go back now.

 

[Emiloo]

Great, thanks for info Mrs Eleflump! That sounds exactly like something Id like to do. Will buy the book if OH says yes to it.

Can anyone help me with what to say to OH to persuade him to do this instead of taking the pill and explain why its better?

One thing I must say is my libido should increase!