birth control: general thoughts

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Permalink Reply by little girl l BIG VOICE on March 3, 2008 at 10:47pm

God I would love to know more about this topic. I have been musing about going back on the pill, but I know nothing from a Raw perspective about it. But I agree, I really don't need a baby at the moment and I enjoy the security that comes with taking the pill. Hmmmphhhh. That's a tough one! Hopefully some more people will contribute and help us both out!?!

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Permalink Reply by jinksT on March 4, 2008 at 7:18pm

i love the convienence and security of the pill and have been taking different varieties on and off for many years (8+)

in the past couple years i have been trying more and more alternative methods to reach optimal health. one of my biggest motivations is daily headaches. i have tried so much and nothing has helped much. so, in my attempt, i have once again ditched the pill. i found it difficult to continue to put a foreign substance in my body (and something as strong as hormones) while hurting almost everyday! more than 6 months off the pill and i still am having headaches *sigh* but, i view these things as a threshold...if i reduce all possible triggers then maaaaybe i can get to the root and stop these things. it was difficult to give up the pill but i don't think i will be able to justify bringing it back again.

my partner and i use condoms because we do not want a child at this time. i have not decided what i might want in the future so i have not made any decisions at this point in my life that will reduce my choices.

i know my partner would be willing to take a pill but there aren't options for men yet that we know about :/

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Permalink Reply by skizzy the wonder lizard on March 5, 2008 at 10:17pm

i love the idea of men having more bc options, and i know my boyfriend would jump on a male pill if it were available.

all the same, i would not want to rely solely on another person to prevent my body from becoming pregnant. i will probably stay on the pill and still pursue surgical sterilization even after my partner gets a vasectomy (which he is planning to do).

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Permalink Reply by Rachel on March 9, 2008 at 7:45pm

Wow...i just went on the site and I can't believe this is not available in the US!

I have been off the pill now for 4 months because I don't feel right about putting hormones in my body when I am doing so many other things to keep it clean and natural. Been using condoms because I know I don't have it together enough to chart my temp every day (plus my friend who is ultra responsible just got pregnant using that method because she took a trip and didn't account for time change and change in altitude...too much to worry about!)

This is exactly what I have been looking for!!!!! Anyone else have reviews/input about this product? It's a bit expensive up front but actually ends up being cheaper than the pill over the long term. Plus, considering the peace of mind and ability forgo condoms, it's a no brainer!

Thanks so much,
Rachel

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Permalink Reply by malory on March 12, 2008 at 10:43pm

Rachel, I feel the same way. I have been off of b.c. for a number of months now because like you said... 'I don't feel right about putting hormones in my body when I am doing so many other things to keep it clean and natural.' I am a nutrition student and in my classes we've discussed all of the bad things it does to the body. I have even read that when a woman gets a "period" while on the pill it is really just withdrawal bleeding from being off of hormones (the placebo sugar pills at the end of the pack.) Pretty scary.

It almost seems worse to put good food into your body but still take HBC because the body will be trying to cleanse itself except for this one toxic thing being put into it every day. Versus eating SAD (standard american diet) and taking HBC and the body just being on full alert to block all the bad stuff. I don't know... those are just musings.

But Skizzy, I definitely know what you mean about not wanting a baby in your uterus. I am single and not having any sex right now (sadly) so I have health on the brain. I do definitely understand that when you are having sex, not getting pregnant is kind of like a number one priority even before optimal top health. It just sucks that HBC is thought to be the number one for sure way to prevent pregnancy, yet is so poisonous to the body.

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Permalink Reply by GirlandCoconut (aka LolaBloom) on April 17, 2008 at 9:28pm

Ditto, ditto, ditto. Persona sounds cool, I just started reading up on the charting, etc and that's gonna be a big ol No-Go for me with my sched, etc. My friend who is an ND just started using a Cervical Cap, I need to ask her more about it. I just want nothing to do with hormones or anything else non-natural getting near my bod if I can help it.

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Permalink Reply by sparrowrose on January 18, 2009 at 10:27pm

I'd love to use something like a cervical cap, but I used to have a diaphragm and had to quit using it because I kept having allergic reactions to the spermicide. :-( Do cervical caps require spermicidal gel as well?

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Permalink Reply by Goji Girl on March 12, 2008 at 11:19pm

wow - i had no idea so many women were still on the pill!
shocking!
how funny that i discovered this discussion today, because earlier today i could literally feel the emotion of all of the women in the world regarding their cycle...interesting...
i have had many friends get extremely ill, and some almost die just from taking the birth control pill. i wish more people knew about this!
friends who now have endometriosis (bleeding from the inside and the outside of the uterus), absent cycles (for years now), and even one friend who had a stroke. not to mention the awful things that can happen when drinking alcohol on this, or mixing other drugs or prescription medications with this. i also had one friend who died 2 years ago (she was my age at the time - 21) of heart failure in the middle of the night. she was taking BC and also other medications.
i just learned form an old friend of mine that she had a weird metal thing inserted - i can't even remember the name - wow - that much metal inside! i avoid using metal all the time, even to eat with, etc - i can't imagine having it inside of me.
whew.
ok - other methods of birth control - condoms have always worked for me, although lately, my body is really rejecting the latex or whatever the synthetic material is...
well, i am now looking at the persona...i'm totally a gadget person... hehehe

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Permalink Reply by mystic mama on March 13, 2008 at 12:29am

I personally have not had good experiences with hormonal b.c. I used the Mirena for almost 2 years (hormonal iud) until I suspected it in bringing on depression and panic attacks. I felt amazingly better when I took it out, like a blanket was lifted off my emotions. Yes, it is one of the most effective forms of b.c., but at what cost? I am now using a computer program called Ovusoft where you chart your cycle and by taking your temperature and watching the cervical mucus, you can know which days are fertile. I personally like being more in touch with my own body and becoming conscious of my cycle.

Just my 2 cents! :)

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Permalink Reply by mystic mama on March 13, 2008 at 9:10pm

Yeah, with the ovusoft you have to use a backup if you are active during the "dangerous" days... unless you are really good at self control! As far as I know if you use it properly it is quite effective.

So I tried the fem cap... only problem I'm allergic to nonoxinol-9 (spermacide), so um, that just didn't work for me. It's also a bit of a pain because you can't use it spontaneously - you have to plan ahead. I've also heard it's not very reliable either... so unless you were combining it with another method, I'd be cautious.

I've not heard of guys taking neem oil. Wouldn't that be cool if they found a natural method for men to use! I would still be cautious, because it's your body that will get pregnant, not his. So he may not be as good at taking the precautions regularly because of that. Depends on the guy though!

I totally hear you on not getting pregnant. It's definitely a huge issue for us as women. In the end, I think a combination of getting to know your own body and your cycle, combined with various methods for preventing pregnancy during the fertile week is key.

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Permalink Reply by sparrowrose on January 18, 2009 at 10:30pm

My friend Margaret had three beautiful children using that method. (You'd think she would have concluded that it wasn't working for her after the second child, wouldn't you?)

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Permalink Reply by Nathalie Lussier on March 17, 2008 at 10:25pm

I don't recommend the pill. I was on the pill from ages 16 to 21 and after I stopped, I did not get my period. In fact I was without a period for over a year until I went to see a Chinese doctor. The doctor said that my system was completely out of whack and that I really should not have taken those drugs, especially so early on and not for that long either. I took BC because of acne, at the suggestion of doctors.

Today I use condoms as birth control. I would also suggest reading the book "Taking charge of your fertility" book. I haven't used the methods consistently because I wasn't getting a period for so long, but I definitely still recommend it and have heard of people being able to use it as a means of preventing pregnancies.

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