Natural Methods of Family Planning

According to WHO Family Planning is a way of thinking and living that is adopted voluntarily ,upon the basis of knowledge ,attitude and responsible decisions by individuals and couples ,in order to promote the health and welfare of family and this promote effectively to the social development of family.

Family Planning

According to another expert committee ;Family Planning refers to practices that help couples and individuals certain objectives :

To avoid unwanted birth. To bring about wanted births To regulate the interval between pregnancies To determine the number of children in the

family To control the time at which birth occurs in

relation to parents

These are the methods in which the woman assesses the physiological signs and symptoms to dtermine ovulation and hence determine the fertile period .

Miscellenous – 1.abstinence 2.coitus interruptus 3.rhythm period 4. lactational amenorrhoea

Natural methods of contraception

Withdrawl method Is not practical Hardly practiced Can lead to temperamental changes like

nervous breakdown

Abstinence

Withdrawl before ejaculation However precoital secretion of male may

contain sperm Side effects- vaginism,pelvic

congestion ,anxiety neurosis However better than using any other family

planning device Failure rate -25%

Coitus interruptus

The shortest cycle minus 18 days gives first day of fertile period and the longest cycle minus 10 days gives last day of fertile period during which intrercourse shouldn’t take place

Calender method However menstrual cycles may not be regular

or not applicable during postnatal period . Medical complications- ectopic pregnancies

And embryonic abnormalities

Safe period (rhythm method )

Prolonged and natural breastfeeding offers natural method of preventing pregnancy

The failure rate is 1-10%. Only 2 % chances remain if woman is

exclusively breastfeeding for first 6 months

Lactational amenorrhoea

Basal Body Temperature Cervical Mucosa Symptothermic

Natural method of contraception

The rise of BBT takes place during ovulation due to progesterone .

0.3-0.5 o celcius Rhythm period can be followed hence

Basal Body Temperature method

Billings method or ovulation method Observation of changes in the

characteristrics of cervical mucosa Ovulation- cervical mucosa becomes clearly

white ,smooth ,slippery and profuse Tissue paper is wiped out inside the vagina

and then the mucosal changes are seen Requires high degree of motivation .

Cervical mucosa method

Combination of BBT ,cervical mucosa and the safe period method to avoid fertile period

Double check method

Symptothermic method