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I realize I just crossed the line from fun posts about lotion bars or sea salt bath fizzies or how to eat liver without gagging and into serious territory…
I’ve gotten dozens of requests for natural alternatives to hormonal contraceptives, and while my naturally introverted nature tends to shy away from controversial topics, I decided it was time to tackle this one head on.
But… Why?
Personally, I have a plethora of non-medical reasons for avoiding contraceptives, but there are some solid medical/scientific reasons to make this decision as well.
Hormonal contraceptives are made from artificial hormone-like substances that attempt to mimic the effects of naturally occurring hormones in the body. Hormonal contraceptives work by:
- Suppressing the release of hormones that trigger ovulation;
- Stimulating production of thick cervical mucus, which prevents sperm survival and ability to travel to a ripe egg in the fallopian tube in the event that ovulation does occur;
- Disrupting the ability of the cilia (whip-like cells that line the fallopian tube) to move a fertilized egg toward the uterus in the event that conception does occur;
- Preventing buildup of the uterine lining, and thereby inhibiting implantation of a fertilized egg in the event that one arrives in the uterus. (source)
Personally, the mere possibility that conception could occur and then the fertilized egg could be prevented from implanting is enough to keep me from ever wanting to use hormonal contraceptives (along with a host of other reasons), but it turns out that artificial hormones aren’t good for mom either (or the water supply for that matter):
In The Breast Cancer Prevention Program, Sam Epstein, MD, writes,
“more than 20 well-controlled studies have demonstrated the clear risk of premenopausal breast cancer with the use of oral contraceptives. These estimates indicate that a young woman who uses oral contraceptives has up to ten times the risk for developing breast cancer as does a non-user, particularly if she uses the Pill during her teens or early twenties; if she uses the Pill for two years or more; if she uses the Pill before her first full-term pregnancy; if she has a family history of breast cancer.”
Thus, a woman who takes the Pill for two years before she’s 25 and before she’s had a pregnancy to term increases her risk of breast cancer tenfold.
A study conducted by the World Health Organization found that women who carry the human papilloma virus (HPV) and who have taken the Pill for five to nine years are nearly three times more likely than non-Pill users to develop cervical cancer.7 (HPV affects a third of all women in their twenties.) Women with HPV who’ve taken the Pill for more than ten years are four times more likely than non-users to develop the disease.
Women who have a history of migraine headaches and who take combined oral contraceptives are two to four times more likely to have a stroke than women who have migraines and don’t take the Pill.8
Women who use low-dose oral contraceptive pills have a two-fold increased risk of a fatal heart attack compared to non-users.9 Women who take oral contraceptives and smoke have a 12-fold increase in fatal heart attacks and a 3.1-fold increase in fatal brain hemorrhage.10 Women who use the Pill after the age of 45 have a 144 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who have never used it.11
Because of blocked hormone production, women who take the Pill have decreased sensitivity to smell. Because sexual interest is communicated through smell, the Pill may decrease women’s sex drives.12
In Solved: The Riddle of Illness, Dr. Stephen Langer writes that “the Pill. . . can cause severe bodily damage in hypothyroidism.”
Oral contraceptives may aggravate insulin resistance and longterm risk of diabetes and heart disease.13″ (source and references here)
IUDs carry additional concerns:
“When conception occurs with an IUD in place, the IUD can prevent implantation, thus causing an early abortion.
(Additional risks) include uterine perforation, which may lead to a hysterectomy, and infections, such as a pelvic or tubo-ovarian abscess. Use of all IUDs has been associated with an increased incidence of PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease). The IUD may occasionally result in pregnancy and if this were to occur, an ectopic pregnancy would be more likely to occur. An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the unborn child implants himself/ herself in a location other than in the mother’s uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. According to Rossing and Daling, two prominent researchers, women who had used an IUD for three or more years were more than twice as likely to have a tubal pregnancy as women who had never used an IUD even years after the IUD had been removed. Ectopic pregnancy remains the leading cause of maternal death in the United States. The IUD may also cause back aches, cramping, dyspareunia (painful intercourse), dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual cycles), and infertility.” (source)
Even sterilization, which is becoming an increasingly popular option, has its risks:
“Tubal ligation does not always prevent conception. When conception does occur, it is associated with a much higher incidence of ectopic pregnancy, which, as was noted, is the leading cause of death in pregnant women. In addition, women who undergo the procedure may experience complications from the anesthesia or from surgery. Complications include bladder puncture, bleeding, and even cardiac arrest after inflation of the abdomen with carbon dioxide Some women who have undergone a tubal ligation experience a syndrome of intermittent vaginal bleeding associated with severe cramping pain in the lower abdomen.
About 50% of men who undergo a vasectomy will develop anti-sperm antibodies. In essence, their bodies will come to recognize their own sperm as “the enemy.” This could lead to a higher incidence of autoimmune disease. Several studies have noted that men who undergo a vasectomy have a higher incidence of developing prostate cancer, especially 15-20 years after their vasectomy, although one large study did not find a link. Also, some research evidence suggests that there is an association between vasectomy and a recently identified form of dementia, Primary Progressive Aphasia” (source)
Balancing Hormones?
I’m guessing that hormone imbalance is a widespread problem in today’s world, as my post on how to balance hormones naturally is consistently my most viewed posts.
Statistically, many people use hormonal contraceptives to help “balance hormones” or prevent acne, etc. The problem is that this is just treating the symptoms and not addressing the root cause. The body naturally moves toward balance so if hormones are out of whack, it is not from a contraceptive deficiency, but rater that the body is not producing the natural hormones optimally.
Treating some of the symptoms with hormonal contraceptives not only doesn’t fix the root of the problem, but it can lead to bigger problems in the future as the underlying imbalance can still be causing other problems in the body.
If skin issues are the problem, check out this post about oil cleansing, which has completely gotten rid of my acne.
If hormone balance is the goal, check out this post about many ways to balance hormones naturally. I’ve also found some supplements that help a lot (excerpt from the above post):
- Maca– A tuber in the radish family that has a history of boosting hormone production and libido. Many women notice less PMS, increased fertility, and improved skin while men notice increased sperm production, libido and better sleep. Maca is also high in minerals and essential fatty acids, making it great for hormones. It is available in powder form (least expensive option) or in capsules.
- Magnesium– Magnesium supports hundreds of reactions in the body and often contributes to better sleep (which is great for hormones!). There are several effective forms of Magnesium: In powder form with a product like Natural Calm so that you can vary your dose and work up slowly, ionic liquid form can be added to food and drinks and dose can be worked up slowly,or transdermal form by using Magnesium oil applied to skin. This is often the most effective option for those with damaged digestive tract or severe deficiency.
- Vitamin D- A pre-hormone is supportive of hormone function. Best obtained from the sun if possible, or Fermented Cod Liver Oil.
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil– Provides many of the necessary building blocks for hormone production including Vitamins A, D, and K. It also is a great source of Omega-3s and beneficial fats.
- Gelatin is a great source of calcium, magnesium and phosphate. It supports hormone production and digestive health and helps sooth inflammation, especially in joints.
Natural Ways to Prevent or Delay Pregnancy
Hopefully I’ve made a case for why taking artificial hormones aren’t the best option for delaying pregnancy, but if just balancing hormones isn’t the reason for taking hormonal contraceptives and there is the need to delay or prevent pregnancy, there are other options (that are much healthier).
I’ll address the methods I have tried so that I can speak from experience:
Natural Family Planning (NFP) or Fertility Awareness Methods (FAM) are natural ways of preventing or achieving pregnancy based on the body’s natural hormonal cues. These methods carry no side effects and actually help women get to know their bodies better. I know of several cases of women who discovered problems (endometriosis, anovulation, etc.) from practicing these methods since they were in touch with their hormonal cues.
While these methods get a bad rap, they have come a really long way from the Rhythm Methods of the past and many are now as effective as hormonal methods (and more effective than barrier methods) when used consistently. These methods can be used to delay or achieve pregnancy, so those who decide to conceive don’t have to worry about the risk of infertility, birth defects or delayed fertility after coming off of contraceptives.
The basic concept is using cues like Basal Body Temperature (use a basal or BBT thermometer), mucus production, cervical position and other symptoms to effectively predict ovulation and avoid intercourse during this time. You can also use an ovulation calculator like this one to find the fertile window in your cycle.
There are classes teaching how to practice these methods in most areas, or for those who can’t find a class, there are websites like Fertility Friend (free website) that allow users to chart symptoms and pinpoint ovulation. These websites now even have apps and mobile features for easy tracking.
High Tech NFP
What I’ll be using personally to give myself a little space after this pregnancy, is a computer that does the tracking and calculation of NFP for me. Thanks to emerging technology, there are several great options available now (I might be using all of them…):
- The OvaCue Fertility Monitor or Mobile Version for iPhone– “The OvaCue predicts ovulation using the patented Electrolyte Method™ – a technique that has been demonstrated to be 98.3% accurate in predicting ovulation in clinical studies overseen by the National Institute of Health. Here’s how it works: Throughout your monthly cycle, your body retains or discards varying amounts of minerals, such as sodium and potassium (electrolytes). The OvaCue tracks the changes in these electrolyte levels in your saliva over time and processes this information to precisely define your time of peak fertility.” I’ve successfully used the OvaCue even when still breastfeeding to avoid pregnancy and it even helped detect my double ovulation.
- If those options don’t seem like a good fit, NFP can be done without a computer with a simple Basal Thermometer and knowledge of the method.
- Methods like ClearBlue monitors which measure Luteinizing Hormone and estrogen to pinpoint ovulation. Though cheaper upfront, these require the purchase of additional ovulation strips to use each day, so they can be more expensive in the long run.
- Fertile Focus– A simple and inexpensive fertility detector. The basic idea is that this microscope shows changes in the woman’s saliva before ovulation (the same changes the Ovacue can read) and that by examining saliva each day she can predict ovulation. I use this in combination with the OvaCue Mobile for greatest accuracy.
Check out my full reviews of these different fertility monitors here.
Why I Don’t Recommend Herbs
There are herbs that work as contraceptives, but I won’t list them or recommend them for several reasons:
- Many have abortifacient properties that can lead to early miscarriage.
- Most also impact the body in the same way that hormonal contraceptives do and cause similar problems for the mother as well. Herbs are highly effective and potent, and have to be used with care. Certain herbs should be avoided for these reasons.
- None of the “contraceptive” herbs are completely effective, they do have side effects and many can cause birth defects if conception does occur.
Sources:
Larimore WL, Stanford JB. Postfertilization effects of oral contraceptives and their relationship to informed consent. Arch Fam Med.
International Agency for Research on Cancer, Combined estrogen-progestogen contraceptives and combined estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. 2007; Vol 91. available at https://monographs.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mono91-6E.pdf
Kahlenborn C, et al. “Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Premenopausal Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis” Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2006: 81(10):1290-1302
The study re-enforces the classification of OCs as Type 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Cancer Research (WHO).
Kahlenborn C. Breast Cancer, Its Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill, One More Soul. 2000, 229-231.
Hume K. Effects of contraceptive medication on the cervix. The Biology of the Cervix. Retrieved on Apr 11, 2008 from .
Overall cancer risk from several cancers due to oral contraceptive use: Kahlenborn C. Breast Cancer, Its Link to abortion and the Birth Control Pill, 2000. One More Soul, 2000, 228-229.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Injection (Depo-Provera), retrieved from https://www.sexandu.ca/resources/resource-library/ September 27, 2008
Mia AR, et al. Effects of prolonged use of injectable hormonal contraceptive on serum lipid profile. Mymensingh Med J. 2005 Jan; 14(1):19-21.
Herrero R, et al. Injectable contraceptives and risk of invasive cervical cancer: evidence of an association. Int J Cancer. 1990; 46(1):5-7.
Rahwan R. Chemical Contraceptives, Interceptives and Abortifacients, 1995. College of Pharmacy, Ohio State University.
Klonoff-Cohen HS, et al. An epidemiologic study of contraception and preeclampsia. JAMA. 1989 Dec; 262(22):3143-3147.
Rosenberg L, et al. Vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer. Am J Epidemiol. 1990; 132(6):1051-1055.
Giovannucci E, et al. A prospective cohort study of vasectomy and prostate cancer in US men. JAMA. 1993 Feb; 269(7):873-877.
John EM, et al. Vasectomy and prostate cancer: results from a multiethnic case-control study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1995 May; 87:662-669.
Kahlenborn C. Breast Cancer, Its Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill. One More Soul. 2000; 12, 226.
Kippley JF, Kippley SK. The Art of Natural Family Planning (Fourth Edition). The Couple to Couple League. 2007; 245.
Mercola.com
What do you think? Ever used natural methods for balancing hormones or delaying pregnancy? Have other suggestions? Share below!
Liver and Onions (with Bacon)
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Thanks for the post! I’d like to add candida overgrowth to the list of harmful side effects of hormonal BC (here’s a well documented article https://bodyecology.com/articles/pms-and-candida-overgrowth-the-dangers-of-estrogen-dominance/ and also offer another effective NFP method: Ecological Breastfeeding (not to be confused with what is considered normal nursing in the US) great book on the subject:
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding: The Frequency Factor (sorry for the big font! silly cut and paste…)
Yes!! Doctors will not admit that the pill causes yeast infections, but I have suffered through as many as two a month for two years. Finally told a DR I have this problem and he tests me for.. are you ready… HIV!!! Are You KIDDING?! Total BS. Went off the pill for a year and had no infection for a year… went back on for 1 month and got an infection right away… Yeah.
Ecological Breastfeeding can be an excellent choice for many women, I’d definitely recommend the book, it isn’t expensive. I used this after our last child, it has worked for 13 months for us. Although I have started cycling now, but I got very sick for 10 days (tummy bug) and ran my milk supply down to basically nothing, otherwise it probably would have worked for longer. We will do a little bit of NFP (looking into LadyComp) as we would prefer a 2 year gap this time (last time without ecological breastfeeding or NFP the gap was 14 months between children). So a little more break would be nice 🙂
Great post! I agree with all the points you make. We have used NFP for 3 years and it has been a great. I think there needs to be more awareness of hormonal contraceptives. Thanks for bringing this to light.
have been using NFP for 20 years and love it. However, I would never recommend the temp only method, simply because I have seen from personal experience that lots of things can affect temps, and alone, they have not been a totally reliable indicator for me. They have been great to confirm mucous observations. I strongly recommend going to an NFP practitioner to be trained in the method (we used the Napro-Technology method), because it can be tricky, especially when breastfeeding, and especially when you have irregular cycles or constant mucous.
I used the Lily app for iphone to help me concieve. I can use it to help prevent the next one while I am still breastfeeding. I know breastfeeding can delay fertility, but I don’t want to take the chance.
No discussion of condoms (male and/or female condoms) or other barrier methods?
Pulling out, where the male pulls out before he ejaculates, is also an excellent method of birth control. It has to be practiced consistently and reliably, of course, so it’s best for guys who are familiar with their body’s reactions and signals so they recognize when they need to pull out.
Unfortunately, pulling out is not effective, because even the pre-ejaculatory fluid contains plenty of sperm to get the job done. And if you happen to be a Catholic who follows the Church teachings, it’s not a morally licit option, either, and neither are barrier methods.
Pre-ejaculatory fluid comes from the cowper’s gland. Not the testicles where sperm comes from. There is no way in that regard that pre-ejaculatory fluid could have sperm or impregnate your partner.
Pre-ejaculatory fluid can have sperm in it IF the man ejaculated before engaging in intercourse and didn’t flush out the possible leftover sperm with urination. This is where misconception arises about pre-cum causing pregnancy or not.
I was only talking about methods I’ve personally tried. As a Catholic, neither of those methods is morally permissible for me so I have no experience with them and can’t personally encourage them 🙂
I’m curious. Why are condoms not morally permissable? At least with being a Catholic in your mind?
There are moral reasons I personally don’t use them (though those would need a post of their own) but condoms have a 15% failure rate… much higher than the methods listed above 🙂
The 15% fail rate comes from user error. If used correctly, their fail rate is 2%. So the fail rate for condom use is 12-15% with typical use but with perfect use, it’s 2-3%. I’m a sex educator and I just had to point that out. 😉 They’re a really great option for those looking to prevent sexually transmitted infections as well as pregnancy but they need to be stored and used correctly every time.
I appreciate your perspective, but they aren’t something I can personally use (morally)
Rob, the Catholic faith believes that it is intrinsically wrong to use contraception to prevent new human beings from coming into the world. This includes sterilization, condoms and other barrier methods, spermicides, coitus interruptus (withdrawal method), the Pill, and all other such methods. Essentially, the Catholic church believes that contraception violates the design God built into the human race, often referred to as “natural law” and the natural law purpose of sex is procreation. Sexual pleasure and strengthening intimacy and marriage bonds are additional blessings from God. It’s pretty easy to educate yourself about other faiths via friends, the Church, or the Internet.
Katie, totally. Condoms are a personal choice and can be a good option for people who are having sex outside of a monogamous and/or STI-free relationship. I was just correcting the numbers; trying to spread condom positivity for others. 🙂
Hi Katie! I been reading your blog for a while and love your natural and non toxic aproach to things. However, I can’t stop myself from sharing my opinion on this topic: I understand that your religion keeps you from using any kind of birth control, but please! Think of this just a bit: one of the biggest problems that we’re facing as a species is overpopulation, and eventually this Will trigger some major problems that Will compromise the enviroment ass well as our life quality. Please think beyond you’re beliefs just for a minute. You always talk about making a better World for all of us, but having children non-stop Will certanly have the opossite effect. I know is your life and your choises, all I say is that if you make changes in your life for the sale of caring for our planet and improving the World we live in, overpopulation is a big subjetc to consider. If every one would think the way Catholics do, just imagine the consecuences population-wise. I sorry if I sound rude, its not my intention, I’m just someone who worries a lot about the future, our natural resortes, and our life quality and tough I absolutly love (mostrar) of your ideals and your blog in general, I need to get this off my chest. Hope I didn’t offended you or any one too much.
I understand where you are coming from and I’m certainly not offended, but you make two assertions that I don’t agree with factually. For one, my religion is one of the reasons I avoid hormonal contraceptives, but this doesn’t mean I (or any other catholic) has to have a lot of children, only that we use non-hormonal methods of avoiding pregnancy. Secondly, I”d make the assertion that hormonal contraceptives are a tremendous part of the problems we and are children will face. There are measurable levels of these hormones in the water supply that can’t be filtered. Between these and estrogenic plastic compounds, we all are at higher risk to face hormone problems and this will only get worse. Long way of saying, hormonal contraceptives are harmful for women and the environment and I say that from a health perspective as much (or more so) as from a moral one.
A thought provoking quote from Venerable Fulton J. Sheen (paraphrasing): Those who believe in birth control, believe neither in birth nor in control. Harsh? Offensive? Probably some would say yes. True? Well the very nature of birth control is to not be saddled with birthing a child, yet not relying on self control to limit pregnancy. Granted some pregnancies occur due to abuse (rape, incest, etc.); but we can’t deny generally speaking, the population of consenting adults has the attitude of “having our cake and eating it too” as it pertains to sex.
The abortion rate in some countries is so high that statistics show that one woman, on average, has had more abortions than children I have carried to term and birthed. But something is wrong with my having children to many onlookers. I find it curious amongst the natural health crowd that many consider artificial birth control and even natural methods of BC as ok. If we really want all natural, women’s bodies were naturally made to reproduce. Hindering that artificially, isn’t natural. Hindering it naturally would require self control and abstinence.
I began following this blog because of natural wellness especially in the home (cooking, baking, eating utensils, body products, etc.) Didn’t realize you (Katie) were Catholic. This post, I thought was pretty informative from your usual natural standpoint. I think, however, there are a plethora of people for whom the natural negative effects of BC are not enough to avoid all of them. On a moral and religious note, contraception use amongst Catholics is pretty high. And NFP, though promoted and suggested by the Catholic Church is still heavily abused, as its use was intended for GRAVE reasons, which are determined by a sound confessor, of which in my opinion is hard to find. This was something I did not realize nor know 2-3 children into my marriage. My reasons for use were illegitimate or not grave at the time. It’s my hope other Catholics are informed of that when being taught Creighton or any other NFP method.
Thank you for taking this subject on as objectively as you can. Not a coincidence in my opinion that violating natural law often leads to big health risks and consequences.
Overpopulation was also mentioned. Here’s a video debunking that. As fertility rates plunge in the world, some countries are having to provide incentives for their citizens to procreate.
https://youtu.be/WIoW-Vb5drI
I’m sorry and saddened that a big portion of the world seems to have a tendency to demonize having children, especially more than 3, and view fertility as a disease.
If you are using NFP, you can know when you need to use barriers etc. and when there is no physical possibility of pregnancy.
We’ve done this (po) a lot over the past 9 years and have never had a problem or unexpected preg. Occasionally we use condoms and once again never had a problem. Although we’d prefer neither.
This really interests me. I guess I’m a little nervous to not use any type of contraception and to only rely on when I “think” I’m not ovulating. Especially because I’ve heard so many stories about women getting pregnant when they didn’t think they were ovulating. I’m curious, when you say you occasionally use condoms, is that often or more like once a month? Because if it’s more often then not, couldn’t it just be the condom preventing you from pregnancy and not really the NFP? I’m disputing anything, I’m just genuinely interested in the validity of NFP…is it worth the risk?
Wow, your my hero! Most men just put all of the responsibility on the woman and they can be insensitive at that!
Thanks for standing up for the real men out there!
Props to you, Wellness Mama, for having the courage to tackle such a controversial topic! I have been using the “low-dose” hormonal IUD (Mirena) for about 8 months now, and it’s horrible! I have been bleeding non-stop and my gynecologist says “there’s no way to know” when/if it will stop! They wanted to put me on strong antibiotics to see if that would help, but I cannot (due to breastfeeding) and will not take them for no reason! I am considering the copper IUD, as I just don’t think I or my husband could do ovulation prediction. The risk of becoming pregnant again isn’t one we are willing to take, and we certainly can’t afford any sort of devices or classes that might help us with natural birth control methods. 🙁
In my experience it is not very expensive to find an NFP class. In fact, my husband and I took ours for free through our church before we got married. Ask at the local churches (especially Catholic) and you may be able to find a class for far less than it costs to be on birth control. 🙂
I’d second Elizabeth’s comment. I learned Creighton/NaPro for about $40 (and supposedly would need to continually buy stickers – but I started using an app instead).
With the coil it can take up to a year for the bleeding to stop, it is quite common for woman to bleed heavily for up to a year! Be patient with it, and after a year if your symptoms persist definitely try the copper coil, as it doesn’t release hormones. Hope this was some help 🙂
I have the copper iud it’s a non hormonal bc and I love it and have had no issues I did nfp for 2 years after my son was born but my hubby and I libido came back full force thos past 8 months and I just had a feeling I needed alittle more protection I’m a college student and don’t want anymore children until I graduate I’m 28 now and I’m fine with my one sweet baby boy
Just wanted to share my copper IUD experience. I opted for a non hormonal method because I am so sensitive to the pill that I developped Dermographism, along with other skin issues. Unfortunatly, the copper IUD experience was horrible. Not the insertion (that was not a big deal *note I have given birth vaginally a few months before*) but the months following the insertion. It basically made my body think it was pregnant again! No periods, lots of nausea and cramps for FIVE months! Non-stop! I had multiple tests done to find out if I was really pregnant during these five months, but every time the results were the same: Not pregnant. I decided to remove it because I could not take it anymore. I did not like tricking my body like this.
Been there had the same thing bled for 6 months then it fell out, had to spend a lot of $ making sure it didn’t shift UP in my body with xrays and ultrasounds and now my cycle is extremely heavy where it was really light. I can’t afford anything else and really with all the side effects of everything I’m not doing another one.
NFP classes were free at my local hospital.
Thank you for that article regarding birth control pills. I was previously told that these pills could cause a miscarriage/abortion. I wasn’t sure if this was true but felt the responsibility to stop taking the pills. Your article did confirm that the embryo could be aborted because of the pill. Knowing this fact, would make me responsible for the murder of my baby. I don’t think most women know this fact.
I agree, I don’t think it is widely talked about or explained, and I feel the same way personally.
The moment I learned that birth control pills can cause abortion I became accountable. If I ignored what I had learned and used birth control anyways than I was no better than the woman who aborts her baby in the 9th month of pregnancy. The thought of being responsible for my own baby’s death was enough to strengthen me in saying no to the pill. But not many people understand, even amongst pro life supporters. It does surprise me.
Birth control pills DO NOT cause abortion. They prevent ovulation.
The pill (and many other types of contraception) does not prevent ovulation, but instead keeps the fetus from implanting after conception has already occurred, so yes, it can actually cause an abortion. (Ever known anyone who has *accidentally* gotten pregnant while on birth control? This is how that happens, the pill did not actually stop the implantation from occurring.)
About 30% to 40% of fertilized eggs naturally fail to implant, even without artificial assistance. If you are responsible for “murder” by taking a pill, or an herb, are you also responsible for “murder” if you are stressed out or have been eating too much chocolate, or whatever it was that kept all those other eggs from implanting? If it hasn’t implanted, pregnancy has not been established, and therefore there can be no abortion, spontaneous (miscarriage) or otherwise. In fact, if you miss a period, come up positive, and take a Plan B, nothing will happen. You might feel ill, but your pregnancy will remain intact. Since Plan B is basically an overdose of birth control pills, and it won’t end a pregnancy, it is false to say that birth control pills are abortifacients. They prevent pregnancy, they don’t end it. This article would have been of more use if it had stuck to health issues and alternatives, and omitted the moralizing about “ending a life” when many people have differing beliefs about when life begins in the first place.
I have to disagree… science has shown that a newly conceived embryo can fail to implant due to the effects of the contraceptives. In fact, there are studies backing that up in my sources. I understand that people have different opinions on “when life begins” but as this is my blog and I know that many of my readers share mine, I felt it important to include.
I’m not disputing that zygotes can fail to implant due to contraceptive pills – that is how many of them are supposed to work, others work primarily by suppressing ovulation. I was taking exception to the terminology used by Farm to Family, characterizing a failure to implant as a “miscarriage/abortion”. I thought it was important to point out the high percentage of fertilized eggs that never implant without any intervention whatsoever anyway. Stress or any number of other things (or complete happenstance) can likewise make the uterine environment inhospitable to implantation, and these are not called “murder”. If contraceptive pills were abortifacients, Plan B would end a pregnancy, but it is ineffective for that purpose. If one were calling RU-486 an abortifacient, one would be correct, but Plan B/contraceptive pills are not the same thing.
If we dump chemicals into the water we will potentially kill some cute baby sea turtles. However, since many cute baby sea turtles die before adulthood anyway it’s OK for us to dump the chemicals. Does this argument work? Discuss.
The difference is that a newly conceived embryo that fails to implant due to happenstance or some other unknown cause to the mother is a miscarriage; a newly conceived embryo that is unable to implant because the mother took a drug that caused her endometrium (uterine lining that is meant to nurture the new embryo) to shed itself is abortion. Scientists have clearly shown that life begins at conception (not implantation), so the argument that pregnancy begins at implantation is not valid in defense of hormonal contraceptives that have the purpose of destroying a newly conceived life. One is intentional, the other is not.
Why do women let scientists, or anyone else, decide when life begins? If something is connected to a person’s blood supply, that becomes a part of his/her body. Life begins at first breath. That is the only sane way to define life. Anything else becomes convoluted. It’s not so cut and dried, as we also don’t have a clear definition of when life ends.
I think everyone is missing the point here. One uses birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. Whether that be through prevention of fertilization, travel, or implantation, the end result is the same: no pregnancy.
A cell or two dying is not “murder” any more than scratching your arm is murder. Hundreds of cells die everyday as part of life. Your uterus is no different.
You need to confront reality if you think life doesn’t begin until birth! Scientists don’t decide when life begins, they discovered it. That life begins at conception is a fact, not opinion. Also, the unborn baby’s blood supply never touches the mother’s – this is why you may have a different blood type than your mother’s. Furthermore, the unborn child also has it’s own unique set of DNA that are distinct from the mother’s. Yes, the unborn child is inside the mother and receives sustenance from her, but he or she is still a unique person capable of surviving outside the womb after 24 weeks. Based on your logic, a 24 week old fetus that was born prematurely would have his life begin 16 weeks earlier than most infants, while a full term baby’s life wouldn’t begin until he was born at 40 weeks. The only difference is geography.
I have been considering going off bc for about three months now, at least trying to. I have tried quiting in the past, and orginally started due to intolerable cramping and a very heavy period, I have always gone back because I cannot function during that week. Do you have suggestions on how to herbally treat the side effects?
I’d check out this for the cramping https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/aching-for-an-answer/ as I’ve seen it work for friends before. It would probably also be helpful to add in magnesium and chlorophyll and also fermented cod liver oil for hormone balance. Hope you recover quickly!
Hey Katharine – I used to have the same symptoms. The main changes I made that helped me overcome these symptoms was adding lots of saturated fat and meats back into my diet and eating a lot of real food! I have also been taking maca powder for the past couple of months and it has almost eliminated my cramping and all the other symptoms I generally suffer from! I hope this helps.
Sarah
Katharine, I’d recommend reading the book, “Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition” which can help pinpoint your cycle irregularities and recommend dietary changes/nutritional supplements to help alleviate them. The book is meant for women who use NFP and want to treat menstrual issues naturally so I’d definitely recommend it for you!
Thanks for the recommendation as well, would love to read this!
Been doing NFP for the past two years and love it. It has become second nature, but would love to have more bearable menstrual cycles.
I still have a pretty heavy period but I spray the magnesium oil on my abdomen and drink tea with red raspberry leaf and that seemed to help alleviate the cramps some.
I agree with maca as mentioned previously. I went on bc for the same reason and taking maca and cod liver oil helped sooooo much. It was even better than the bc. Additionally, it also helped with my blue moods as well. I notice more and more that I wake up with a smile on my face lol. I have only been taking it for two months also!
Ease how do you take the Maca root?
Thanks for this honest and informative post. Way too many women these days are given misinformation about contraceptives or pressured into them as if they’re just part of womanhood. I know from personal experience the immence pressure women are placed under to use contraception…especially post partum! The nurses were flabbergasted that I said we wouldn’t be using any!
I understand about the nurses…. had the same experience 🙂
It may be two years too late to comment, but as a nurse of a good many decades, one that has not only done postpartum care, family care, and now public health, I find your attitude towards nurses rather condescending in and of itself. Many of us are quite well educated, bachelors, masters, etc. We have a strong science background – at least a year of chemistry, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, etc. Like any profession, we are human, but I do suggest a bit of introspection at your own narrow, dismissive attitude. While this “informative article” contains a list of sources, none are properly cited, some are questionable “science” so one cannot tell where the alleged facts came from and how they were applied to the subject at hand. Further, “balancing hormones” doesn’t mean anything. What particular endocrine disruption are you referring to? We have a lot more hormones than the average person is even aware of. If that isn’t identified, you haven’t gotten to the root of the problem, and thus have no idea what you’re treating in the first place.
Hi Sue, I’m curious what part of this post you found condescending toward nurses as this certainly was not my intention and after re-reading this post I can’t figure out what part you take offense at. My brother in law is a nurse as are several of my close friends and I have great respect for nurses. Certainly, I have had less than ideal experiences with nurses (often in labor) and with my mother in law (who was a nurse 40 years ago) but in general I respect the very hard work that nurses do. While my sources are not cited as they would be in a research paper, I’ve chosen to list them this way to make them easier to access for my readers and I list 17 additional sources at the bottom. Again, I am sorry if you were in some way offended by this post, though I truly struggle to see what part you found condescending toward nurses.
It is your response to Sarah “I understand about the nurses…had the same experience (smiley face)” Rather than responding supportively as you allege to be regarding nurses, such as “it’s their job to offer contraception following birth, or at least start the conversation.” As nurses, we have no idea what a person is thinking until we ask. Many women aren’t aware of all the contraceptive options. Sometimes they are undecided and have questions. Sometimes women are abused and kept pregnant as a means of control (yes it happens) and we have no way to know which women those might be, therefore contraception may be welcomed. Abuse defies socioeconomic status, appearance, etc. Also, as nurses, at times we have less than ideal experiences with our patients. Unrealistic expectations, rude, demanding, hostile, yet really we just want the most positive outcome for all involved. As for references, typically the facts are connected to the specific reference so one doesn’t have to sort through them to find where it came from. If they are not connected, it doesn’t make it easier to locate the source, and reduces credibility. It’s done the way it is for a reason. I noticed some of your other commenters expressed scepticism regarding some of the stats. They do seem a bit off, but there’s no easy way to find out which source they came from.
Hi Sue, I actually responded to this comment yesterday and then we had a database issue and had to revert to a backup so both comments got removed. It wasn’t in prolonged moderation and I wasn’t trying to censor it. I understand that nurses are often required to offer contraception as part of their job but I have just had more than one encounter where it went much beyond offering. When I refused contraceptives in the hospital, one nurse asked if I was getting my tubes tied or if my husband was “getting snipped.” When I said no, she asked with blatant disdain “you actually want more children?” There is a difference between offering contraception and making judgements about my choice to have more children (it is my choice after all). This was with my third child. It sounds like you are kind and respectful of women and we need more nurses like you, but just as not all patients are kind, all nurses are not either. If it is a nurses job to offer, she should also be respectful when a patient refuses and I’ve not seen any medical reason for comments like “you actually want more children?” as this would not help her gauge any medical issue I may have or if I was being abused, etc and if anything makes a patient unwilling to talk to the nurse. As for citations, I understand your point and they actually were linked to specific parts of the article and I think a plugin change removed those notes. I’m planning to write much more on this topic soon anyway and will work on re-adding those.
I see you didn’t post my response to yours, or it is in prolonged moderation? Holding up to even the most minimal scrutiny is hard thing, but very important when dispensing health advice.
I am not dispensing health advice, but I just responded to your previous comment. It wasn’t in prolonged moderation but we had a database issue yesterday and had to revert to a backup. I”d actually already answered your other comment and have just re-answered it. I’m just a mom who runs this blog in my “free” time, so I’m not always able to answer comments immediately, especially when a database issue requires that I re-answer them.
Sue, have you ever heard the saying, “Remove the rafter from your own eye before you try to remove the straw from your brother’s?” The purpose of this blog is to give free ideas to those who choose to read it, on health and wellness. Wellness Mama shares with her readers her own experiences and more! I have learned much from her, and I am also a well educated person. This is not a medical journal nor does it need to be written as such to be helpful. In fact, you’re the one that has been condescending to Katie.You took her own personal experiences and her blog and tried to rip them to shreds. It was very unkind and rude of you to do so. You obviously have underlying issues about yourself if you feel the need to pick on someone as innocent as Katie who uses her free time to help others. If you don’t have kind and non condescending words to share here than I suggest you move on and find another audience for your behavior.
Marcie, I truly applaud your reply. I am a licensed nurse and I know how some nurses can be…just like I know how some patients can be. Ms. Susie’s replies were borderline bully behavior. Thank you for taking a stand. Also, thank you wellness mama for this site. I appreciate you
Ugh, same here. I am afraid I got rather condescending.
Yep, honestly I lie and just say we’re using condoms. Normally I would be totally against that but I really don’t need the lecture.
I’m very grateful for my Ob/midwife clinic. The head OB and his coleagues are devout catholic. They do not ever prescribe bc or do sterilisation procedures. They teach the Creighton model. Although I’m not catholic myself, I have been using NFP for around 12 yrs now. I have 5 children that I wanted. Thankful that the only time I’ve ever been treated by medical profeesionals with condescension was when they hear about my four homebirths.
Thank you for this post! Another great ‘high-tech’ method of NFP is the Creighton Model FertilityCare System and NaProTechnology (Natural Procreative Technology). Education and personal charting, paired with medical diagnosis and treatment for avoiding, achieving, health, monitoring, infertility, etc – in any reproductive category! Check out https://www.fertilitycare.org/ for more info, local teachers and doctors, and more.
I would like to know a little more about using coconut oil for vaginal dryness, could you tell me more. I am 68 and find sex hurtful because I am so dry.
Try reading Dr John Lee’s books, on hormone balance,
also, as you get older, you don’t make collagen and elastin as well as you should, your body is 30% collagen, eat more chicken skin, it can make you live 20% longer, google ‘glycine lifespan’ to see why. also take vit C daily, google vit C and collagen strength to see why, and do some HIT exercise if you can, I eat lots of coconut, but I suspect it might be a growth medium for bad bacteria if used as a topical
Just use it! It’s the best. It’s naturally anti fungal and anti bacterial. I haven’t had a yeast infection since I started using it. You’ll love it, and never go back.
Grapeseed oil is always recommended as a lube. I tried coconut oil but I feel it obsords too fast. I used grape seed but I think I’m allergic patch test first 🙂