Rhythm method

MarchABC · February 2013

After reading the post on permanent solutions for controlling future pregnancies, I was wondering if anyone has successfully used the rhythm method of birth control? Or is anyone considering it after this pregnancy?

I was on BCP before having my son and would rather not go back on it. I really liked going natural after having him. I could track my fertility pretty well mostly based on CM and the calendar. However, we didn't try to protect against getting pregnant so I didn't worry about fertile and infertile days. We want to prevent for at least 2 years after our 2nd son is born in April and I'm worried that they rhythm method is just not safe enough. Anyone have great success or recommendations?

JSS1002 · February 2013

My opinion is that I'd only rely on that method if I was ok having another kid. Just use condoms.

MKC12/22/2006 · February 2013

Check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0060881909

This is what I used before conceiving and also to conceive. I plan on using it again after the baby comes.

MarchABC · February 2013

MKC12/22/2006:
Check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0060881909

This is what I used before conceiving and also to conceive. I plan on using it again after the baby comes.

Thank you!! Definitely planning to check it out. Now that I see it, I've definitely seen this title.

Ready4theParty · February 2013

I'm way too paranoid to try it as birth control.

emeraudecephiro · February 2013

I did NFP, works pretty well. Just takes paying attention to your body.

MrsP7309 · February 2013

Are you actually talking about the rhythm method or NFP? The rhythm method I wouldn't trust. It makes assumptions about future cycles from previous cycles, and that's a good way to wind up pregnant.

NFP, or FAM if you plan to use a back up method, tracks your fertility signals to figure out when you're ovulating this cycle. I do know a lot of people who have used that successfully.

MN_Jen · February 2013

My FIL tells this joke:

"What do you call a couple using the rhythm method?"

"Parents."

Of course, they were using the rhythm method in the 1970's...

RussianMommy · February 2013

the only BC I have used is pull out and will continue to do so afterwards

(FWIW, this baby was planned, not an accident due to pull out)

Sugarpea90 · February 2013

I have used NFP since we got married in 2006. We waited about 2 years to have babies and DD1 and DS are almost 3 years apart. It takes a lot of discipline on both parts but it does work. Baby 3 was also planned btw.

bibliophileemily · February 2013

MrsP7309:
Are you actually talking about the rhythm method or NFP? The rhythm method I wouldn't trust. It makes assumptions about future cycles from previous cycles, and that's a good way to wind up pregnant. NFP, or FAM if you plan to use a back up method, tracks your fertility signals to figure out when you're ovulating this cycle. I do know a lot of people who have used that successfully.

This. NFP (Natural Family Planning) or FAM (Fertility Awareness Method), which monitor various signs of fertility and is what OP sounds like she's describing, are NOT the rhythm method. The rhythm method assumes a lot based on a calender; with NFP, you chart your fertility signs every month assuming that they will not be exactly the same as previous months.

If you learn NFP/FAM and are rigorous about practicing it, it can be up to 99% effective, which is the same success rate as the Pill. It just requires abstinence or a barrier method during fertile periods. It worked great for me; this baby was knowingly conceived. In fact, because I knew my body so well through NFP, I knew I was pregnant before I even took the test!

To find out more about NFP, check out the Couple to Couple League; it's a very Catholic website, so if that makes you uncomfortable, maybe look elsewhere to learn more about this method, but I found their study-at-home kit very helpful.

MarchABC · February 2013

bibliophileemily:
MrsP7309:
Are you actually talking about the rhythm method or NFP? The rhythm method I wouldn't trust. It makes assumptions about future cycles from previous cycles, and that's a good way to wind up pregnant.

NFP, or FAM if you plan to use a back up method, tracks your fertility signals to figure out when you're ovulating this cycle. I do know a lot of people who have used that successfully.
This. NFP (Natural Family Planning) or FAM (Fertility Awareness Method), which monitor various signs of fertility and is what OP sounds like she's describing, are NOT the rhythm method. The rhythm method assumes a lot based on a calender; with NFP, you chart your fertility signs every month assuming that they will not be exactly the same as previous months.
If you learn NFP/FAM and are rigorous about practicing it, it can be up to 99% effective, which is the same success rate as the Pill. It just requires abstinence or a barrier method during fertile periods. It worked great for me; this baby was knowingly conceived. In fact, because I knew my body so well through NFP, I knew I was pregnant before I even took the test!
To find out more about NFP, check out the Couple to Couple League; it's a very Catholic website, so if that makes you uncomfortable, maybe look elsewhere to learn more about this method, but I found their study-at-home kit very helpful.

Yes. I absolutely used the wrong term.
I hadn't done any research yet so was just using a term I had heard before. Thank you guys for all of the info. I will be doing a lot of reading and researching but am glad to hear that others have had success with NFP.

MarchABC · February 2013

MN_Jen:
My FIL tells this joke:nbsp;"What do you call a couple using the rhythm method?""Parents."Of course, they were using the rhythm method in the 1970's...nbsp;

LOL. See now... That's what my husband says. I'm determined to learn more and prove him wrong.

bibliophileemily · February 2013

MarchABC:
Yes. I absolutely used the wrong term. I hadn't done any research yet so was just using a term I had heard before. Thank you guys for all of the info. I will be doing a lot of reading and researching but am glad to hear that others have had success with NFP.

No worries; a lot of people get them mixed up! Good luck with your research; if you ever have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'm not an expert, but I have no problem sharing my experiences/struggles with people wanting to learn about NFP. Smile

lifesadance · February 2013

JSS1002:
My opinion is that I'd only rely on that method if I was ok having another kid. Just use condoms.

I am currently pregnant because the rhythm method failed. Stick out tongue

Thankfully we were happy to have a 2nd and had wanted another, but we were planning to adopt a 2nd child because of some HR factors I have for pregnancy. They're not really life threatening factors just very worrisome for me. We also both work with at-risk youth, a lot of whom have come from the DCFS system, and see the need for good adoptive parents for slightly older children. We will probably still adopt a child out of the system later in life when our 2 bio kids are older.

NDarya · February 2013

I used rhythm method as a birth control and I thought I perfectly knew my body. well, i'm six months pregnant:) my DH jokes that my body sent a spy egg

I wouldn't trust this method again.

MikesGirl22 · February 2013

DH and I use a combo of NFP and rhythm, I guess. I typically have ovulation pains or discomfort and my cycle has always been extremely regular. You could set a clock by me. LOL. We usually just avoid intercourse during the window of opportunity and so far its worked out just fine. Both our DD and this LO were concieved on the first try and we have never had any scares or oops. I know that's not typical, and who knows what may happen as I get older (I'm 35 now) and my cycles may become more erratic...

tmrchi · February 2013

I second reading the "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" book. I think it should be required reading of every girl in health class. I was really embarrassed that I didn't know a lot of the information in that book.

FAM has come a long way from the "rhythm method". Of course it isn't perfect, but I really liked getting to know my cycles better when I was TTC. I found out I had outrageously long cycles, so without it I would have thought I was pregnant many times and would have had to go through a lot more fertility testing than I did.

kewper · February 2013

I use NFP. It worked to avoid pregnancy and to get me pregnant when I wanted to be. Generally you take your temperature every day and track mucus. I used the couple to couple league materials which were great.

principessa81 · February 2013

MrsP7309:
Are you actually talking about the rhythm method or NFP? The rhythm method I wouldn't trust. It makes assumptions about future cycles from previous cycles, and that's a good way to wind up pregnant. NFP, or FAM if you plan to use a back up method, tracks your fertility signals to figure out when you're ovulating this cycle. I do know a lot of people who have used that successfully.

This exactly. DH and I are Catholic and we use NFP, which is NOT the same as the rhythm method. It does require a lot of diligence, but it's very effective. We've never had an "oops" baby, and when I did get pregnant I knew exactly when conception had occurred. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

BrittKav · February 2013

We use NFP and my pregnancies were all planned (okay, DD2 came a few months earlier than we "planned", but we knew it was a possibility based on my charting and had unprotected sex anyway). We also used condoms during fertile times. We will continue to use it after this baby and I'm not worried.

PipSqueak0313 · February 2013

The ONLY reason I am pregnant now using natural methods of bc was because WE IGNORED the evidence stating that I was starting into the fertile phase right before ovulation. A good portion of that denial was due to the number of times I failed to get pg when I WAS trying so I figured I wouldn't get pg this time either (forgot that just because ex & I had infertility issues didn't necessarily mean that dh & I did). FWIW, I have not used artificial birth control in over 16 years -- I had 3 m/c during years that ex and I were TTC and none when ex & I were NOT TTC. We didn't TTC until ds was 6ish and dd was 11.

I joke around with dh that I would love it if the dr did a hysterectomy IF he had to do a c/s but only cause I don't want to go back to dealing with periods again. But then again I'm going to be 43 this spring and getting closer to menopause age anyway.

blueandgray · February 2013

This is how I ended up pg with this LO. We knew we wanted another after having DD, and relatively soon so didn't want to go back on the pill. We were avoiding just to space them out a little further, but were ok with it if we did get pg. and we did get pg a few months sooner than we were ready to tttc

nyki06 · February 2013

Just out of curiosity since I'm not very well informed with NFP, do people generally choose this option because of religious reasons? It just seems like a lot of work vs different bc options.

PipSqueak0313 · February 2013

nyki06:
Just out of curiosity since I'm not very well informed with NFP, do people generally choose this option because of religious reasons? It just seems like a lot of work vs different bc options.

I don't think taking your temp first thing upon waking is any harder/more work than swallowing a pill everyday, it's less intrusive than having to stop to put on a condom, and it has no side effects unlike some of the hormonal methods. Oh, and there are no quick trips to the store because you ran out of pills/condoms/etc.

I am Catholic but that plays a very smal role in my choice for natural methods. I tried birth control pills -- and they made me soooo sick -- morning sickness was easier to deal with than how I felt while on birth control pills. Dh and I have tried condoms but we don't like them, mainly because they don't fit dh very well and they make things with my lack of moisture even more uncomfortable.

I also liked knowing the extra information about my body that you can only get by tracking your cycles. One of the best bits of information was knowing exactly when my period would start.

Also, the natural methods allow the husbands to be involved in birth control as well. For example, I can no longer hear the thermometer beeping so dh would be in charge of letting me know when it was done and then we'd write down the temp and watch/study the charts together. It makes birth control a couple responsibility rather than a woman's responsibility.

principessa81 · February 2013

nyki06:
Just out of curiosity since I'm not very well informed with NFP, do people generally choose this option because of religious reasons? It just seems like a lot of work vs different bc options.

I use NFP for religious reasons, but also because I'm not a fan of popping pills or having crazy hormonal changes in my body. Most people I know who use NFP do so for religious reasons, but I also know a couple people who use it for health reasons.

Angela814 · February 2013

MrsP7309:
Are you actually talking about the rhythm method or NFP? The rhythm method I wouldn't trust. It makes assumptions about future cycles from previous cycles, and that's a good way to wind up pregnant.

NFP, or FAM if you plan to use a back up method, tracks your fertility signals to figure out when you're ovulating this cycle. I do know a lot of people who have used that successfully.

This. I've used natural family planning to prevent and to get pg. Used correctly, charting temps and fertility signs, abstaining during fertile periods, etc, its as accurate as any other form of birth control.

heddy79 · February 2013

I'm pregnant due to the rhythm method. My GYN helped me to figure it out and I avoided having sex days 11 - 16. It worked fine for the first year and a half and then I guess I ovulated later than usual. DH and I wanted children and are very excited to be expecting our first child, shes just coming a little earlier than we had planned. I will use the rhythm method again after she is born, but hope to conceive about 6 months after this birth. Then its time to get "fixed".

MarchABC · February 2013

Thanks for all the great information, ladies!!

nyki06:
Just out of curiosity since I'm not very well informed with NFP, do people generally choose this option because of religious reasons? It just seems like a lot of work vs different bc options.

We would not be doing it for religious reasons but rather because it's natural. "Better living through chemistry" is necessary for illness and has improved our lives immensely (both in length and quality), but certain natural bodily functions, like fertility, can be handled sans medication (as long as there are no medical issues) so I say, why not give it a try? I'm curious to see how challenging it will be and if my body will operate like clockwork, like some pp's say. I'm not interested in getting pregnant before we're ready so I'll admit, the "spy egg" concept makes me nervous.

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