Using charting as birth control

[malibunikkus]

Have any of you ever used the charting method (Billings Method) as natural birth control (contraception) successfully? I don't want to be insensitive by posting this here, but I am hoping some of those who are TTC may have previously used charting to stop them from getting pregnant.

Can anyone help?

[BekZ]

Yes I use it as natural bc!!! My cycles are all over the place atm so I like to temp so I know what is going on. If I was not temping I may have fallen pregnant last cycle due to Oing very late on cd 27!!!! Most cycles I seem to O around day 16 to 19 so you could imagine my surprise when I did not O till very late.

[~Raven~]

Ummm well it was successful for about a year I still don't get how this bub was conceived as I had no mucous at all after AF as per my normal BIP and our last DTD was 4 days before ovulation.
I wouldn't recommend anyone use it unless they were prepared for the possibility of another bub.

[BekZ]

Raven - I probably should add to my first comment. We are not actively ttc but number 3 is on the cards so we are happy to use temping as bc for now. After the next bub we'll use other methods. I agree don't use this method if you don't want a pregnancy at all

[Kitt3n]

After 2 mc's I was charting ion order to have about 6 months worth of info to take to a FS.

We were being careful because we did not want to fall preg again and go through another miscarriage - and here we are! (all happy and healthy I might add )

I think, and so does my doc, that I ovulated twice in the cycle that made me fall pregnant.

[malibunikkus]

Congratulations....Hmmm possibility not the most effective birth control method then.

[thepixie]

If you want to use it as birth control try to get hold of "natural fertility" by Francesca Naish. Basically she says that in addition to charting for mid-cycle ovulation you have to avoid the period when the moon is at the same angle it was when you were born. You can have a chart drawn up to show this by an astrologer or by the Jocelyn Centre. Not sure exactly how foolproof this is as contraception but if you are planning to use it check out that book.

[Midwife Melissa]

I've successfully used the billings ovulation method for contraception for a few years. I've only used the pill for about 2 years as a teenager when I had painful periods (it didn't help the painful periods!).

I'm now studying to be a billings ovulation method teacher which also teaches me about lactational amenorrhoea and complements my midwifery practice

For me, billings is a really natural method of contraception and i like the connection that i feel with my body. it takes a bit of practice, but i've got it down pat now

[Salsa]

As ThePixie mentioned, I think the moon should probably be taken into consideration too when relying on natural methods. I was thinking of the moon when Raven said she didnt know how it happened. A gp I used to have said she has seen numerous woman concieve at times of the month differing from what their charts said should have been possible, and she believes the moon has something to answer for that too.

Me and DH have always used charting throughout our relationship, to concieve and to not!
We use condoms or dont dtd at times when we think a pregnancy is likely. However in 9 yrs, we have had one ooopsie, which I sadly lost. According to my chart we dtd a full 5 days before I ovulated. But my fertility teacher and Gp I saw at time of getting the posistive test had said that a week either side of Ovualtion can result in pregnancy, we just didnt the chances of it were very likely.

[malibunikkus]

Wow! Thanks for all the info. It sounds like it takes months to really work out what your body is doing. I will give it a shot...
I tried recording CM over the last few days (about 3) and it is varying a bit. I went from cloudy/wet, dry,moist in three days. Is this normal? I think I will go back and read the info again. I'm confused. Another stupid question: when checking the CM, do you actually put your fingers inside (as if your partner is fingering you), or do you put your finger on the opening and see if you are wet or not? Hmmm, I'm confused.

Thank you.

[malibunikkus]

I've successfully used the billings ovulation method for contraception for a few years. I've only used the pill for about 2 years as a teenager when I had painful periods (it didn't help the painful periods!).

I'm now studying to be a billings ovulation method teacher which also teaches me about lactational amenorrhoea and complements my midwifery practice

For me, billings is a really natural method of contraception and i like the connection that i feel with my body. it takes a bit of practice, but i've got it down pat now

You probably saw my reply below but here it is again. Seeing you guys are quite experienced in using the Billings Method, what do you think? I need help, this is hard.

Wow! Thanks for all the info. It sounds like it takes months to really work out what your body is doing. I will give it a shot...
I tried recording CM over the last few days (about 3) and it is varying a bit. I went from cloudy/wet, dry,moist in three days. Is this normal? I think I will go back and read the info again. I'm confused. Another stupid question: when checking the CM, do you actually put your fingers inside (as if your partner is fingering you), or do you put your finger on the opening and see if you are wet or not? Hmmm, I'm confused.

[Midwife Melissa]

There's a book you can get: "The Billings Method" by Dr Evelyn Billings that goes through what to do and how to do it.

You assess CM by observation and sensation, rather than by checking inside. So it's about sensations and appearance of mucus, rather than feeling inside. Vaginas are usually moist, so this can confuse matters if you check inside. There are many "rules" to using the method which are fairly intitive and really make sense once you know what they are, so maybe get the book and have a read through - that will explain the basics. Or, the course costs $145 (it may have gone up slightly) if you wanted to do it. Most of it correspondence.

[Gabi]

My husband and I use Billings. We learnt about it from an instructor and we also have the book mentioned above. We have been very successful with it, and so have lots of people in our families.

You check your mucous mostly by sensation and then supplement your knowledge with observation. If you feel wet or damp, but you don't see anything on your knickers or when you wipe you still count it as a fertile day.

And people say you can't ovulate twice in a cycle, but they're wrong. I have ovulated twice in a cycle too.